Living in Richmond means you’ve basically accepted a life of meteorological uncertainty. One minute you're walking around Carytown in a light fleece, and the next, you’re panic-buying milk because a "coastal system" might—just might—swing twenty miles further west than expected. It’s a Richmond thing.
Right now, if you’re looking at the 5 day forecast richmond va, we are heading into one of those classic "transition" weeks where the thermostat is doing gymnastics. Honestly, it’s not just about the numbers on the screen; it’s about that specific damp cold that hits your bones when the James River decides to share its humidity with the freezing air.
The Immediate Outlook: Getting Through the Slush
Currently, we’re sitting at a cloudy 39°F. It’s quiet out there—just a light 2 mph breeze from the southwest—but that’s the calm before the messy stuff.
Tonight, Saturday, January 17, things get wet. We’re looking at a low of 36°F with light rain likely after midnight. The chance of precipitation is sitting high at 83%, so if you’re out late, keep the umbrella handy.
🔗 Read more: Wrist in Spanish Translation: Why Most People Get it Wrong
Sunday’s "Wait and See" Snow Potential
Tomorrow, Sunday, January 18, is where it gets tricky for the RVA metro area. This is that "nickel-and-dime" pattern local forecasters like those at NWS Wakefield have been watching.
- Morning: Likely rain before 11:00 AM.
- Mid-Day: A transition to a rain and snow mix between 11:00 AM and 4:00 PM.
- Evening: A lingering chance of snow before it clears out.
The high is only 38°F, and the low is going to crater to 22°F overnight. While we might see less than an inch of accumulation, the real story is the freeze. Anything that falls as rain during the day is going to turn into a sheet of ice by Sunday night.
Monday Through Wednesday: The Deep Freeze
Once the moisture clears, we’re left with the "Arctic revenge" phase.
Monday, January 19—Martin Luther King Jr. Day—will be sunny, but don’t let the bright sky fool you. We’ll hit a high of 44°F, but the wind is going to kick up to 12 mph with gusts as high as 22 mph. It’s going to feel significantly colder than the thermometer says.
Tuesday is looking like the true bottom of the barrel for temperatures. We’re talking about a high of only 35°F and a low of 20°F. In Richmond, that’s significantly below the January average high of 47°F. It’s the kind of day where the car takes ten minutes to defrost and the coffee goes cold before you even get to the office.
Wednesday starts a very slow moderation. We’ll see sun again with a high of 43°F and a low of 21°F. It’s dry, it’s crisp, and the humidity finally drops to around 34%, which is a nice break from the sogginess of the weekend.
Why Richmond Weather is So Hard to Predict
If you’ve lived here long enough, you know the "Richmond Snow Hole" is a real phenomenon. Frequently, the mountains to the west eat up the moisture, or the "rain-snow line" sits right on top of I-95.
A tiny shift in the track of a coastal low determines if we get three inches of powder or just a very depressing, cold Tuesday. This week’s 5 day forecast richmond va shows exactly that struggle—high humidity (up to 90% on Sunday) meeting a cold northwest wind.
Actionable Advice for the Week Ahead
- Drip those pipes: With lows hitting 20°F on Monday and Tuesday nights, it’s officially time to make sure your crawl space is closed and your faucets have a tiny drip if you’re in an older fan-district rowhouse.
- Sunday Morning errands: If you need groceries, get them before the 11:00 AM transition. Even if we don't get much snow, the mix of rain and falling temps makes the roads "kinda" treacherous by late afternoon.
- Check your tires: Cold air causes tire pressure to drop. If your light hasn't come on yet, it probably will by Tuesday morning when that 35°F high hits.
Stay warm, keep the ice scraper in the front seat, and remember—if you don't like the weather in Richmond, just wait twenty minutes. Or, in this case, about three days until we climb back toward the 50s.