Kevin Myatt

Latest entries from the Weather Journal blog

• Weather Journal taking a long break
• Yes, there's still an Atlantic tropical season going on
• Freezing temperatures likely tonight

About Kevin

Kevin Myatt grew up in Arkansas to the tune of tornado sirens and the rhythm of hailstones, aspiring to be a meteorologist before his studies and career were turned to journalism instead. Though he often chases storms, he prefers living in the cooler, more tranquil weather of the Blue Ridge. He moved to Roanoke in 1999 to take a job on the copy desk of The Roanoke Times; writing headlines and editing copy is his principal work for the newspaper today.

Each May, Kevin assists Pulaski County High School / Virginia Tech meteorology instructor Dave Carroll in leading college and high school students to the Plains to observe severe weather firsthand. The accounts of many of his storm chases can be found here on the storm chasing page of his weather blog on roanoke.com.

Kevin was an editor for "Hurricanes and the Middle Atlantic States," a book written by D.C.-area weather enthusiast Rick Schwartz and published by Blue Diamond Books that documents hurricanes striking the mid-Atlantic states since colonial times.

The Weather Journal column began in 2003 and appears on Friday's Virginia section front in The Roanoke Times. The Weather Journal blog began in 2006 and follows weather day-by-day between the larger columns.

Region still a bit on dry side

Perception: This spring overall has been moist, even with last week's dry spell.

Reality: Roanoke has yet to have a month so far in 2009 finish even one-hundredth of an inch above normal in precipitation.

January was half an inch below normal. February was almost 2 inches below normal. March was one-third of an inch below normal. April finished four-tenths of an inch below normal -- 3.2 inches, with 3.61 being considered normal.

Even that reality can provide a skewed perception.

While Roanoke as a whole has been slightly below normal in rainfall the past couple of months, Southwest Virginia as a whole has had several episodes of widespread rainfall, with heavier amounts in many surrounding areas.

It's been enough to eliminate all areas of moderate to extreme drought in Virginia, according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor map released Thursday. Much of the state remains "abnormally dry," the lightest stage of drought.

But a new month has begun. You can look on the weather graphic on Page 2 to see how the month has started in rainfall at Roanoke Regional Airport. That may or may not match the perception or the reality in your back yard.

Weather Journal appears on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.