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.

It's a good time to ask questions

Southwest Virginia weather often hits a lull about this time of year.

We're just past the storms and rain of late spring, and just before the time when heat waves and hurricanes really become something to watch. We're at least three months away from any hint of snow, the topic that by far captures the most readers' interest as judged by the e-mails and blog comments I get.

It can be a little dull on the weather front, but it's often a welcome break for me, after several busy months from winter craziness (which peaked very late in the season this year) through the Virginia Tech storm-chasing trip in May and some local severe weather in June.

Summer is also a good time of year to hit some topics that are not urgent or time-sensitive.

So, once again I'm opening Weather Journal up for reader questions. I did this last fall and answered several questions over a few weeks. I may not have gotten to all of them, and if not, feel free to ask again ... or ask brand-new questions.

So e-mail or call in your best weather questions to the address and phone number listed below my bearded face.

We never know for sure when severe storms, several days of heat or a coast-threatening hurricane will cause me to shift back to current weather events, but in between those, I'll get to some of your questions.

Weather Journal appears Monday, Wednesday and Friday.