Kevin Myatt is The Roanoke Times' weather columnist.

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The next couple of days are going to continue this summer's familiar pattern of afternoon and evening thunderstorms, some of which could be severe.

But the biggest storm potential is not squarely focused on Southwest Virginia either of the next two days.

Today, a series of weak disturbances are expected to move from the Ohio Valley just north of us, with much of West Virginia and Northern Virginia more likely to get high winds and/or large hail, according to the Storm Prediction Center.

On Thursday, the biggest threat shifts just east of us, to central and eastern Virginia, where converging winds aloft combined with daytime heating and abundant moisture may trigger some severe storms with damaging winds.

While not specifically in the official risk zones for severe weather each of the next two days, we're close enough to keep a wary eye.

At the peak of summer, atmospheric steering currents are weak, and large systems and strong fronts are rare. Instead, small pockets of cooler air or swirling winds aloft are often the trigger for storms. The timing and movement of these are much harder to forecast, and some can even largely escape notice until they're right overhead.

So a little wiggle or wobble from one of these weak disturbances could fire big storms many miles from where they are forecast.

With or without any assistance from high in the atmosphere, the heat and humidity at the surface should be enough to fire at least a few thunderstorms today and Thursday, and a few of these may contain big wind gusts and torrential rain.