Honestly, if you've spent more than a week in Southside Virginia, you know the drill. You wake up needing a heavy parka and by lunchtime, you're considering short sleeves. It's just how we live here. Right now, the Danville VA weather forecast is doing that classic January dance where one day it’s a drizzly mess and the next it’s bone-dry and freezing.
Current conditions at the airport are sitting at a crisp 39°F, but it feels more like 35°F thanks to a gentle west wind. Humidity is pinned at 87%, which basically means the air feels heavy, even though it’s night. If you’re heading out, it’s just cloudy and damp. Typical winter in the Piedmont.
The Week Ahead: Snow, Sun, and "The Big Chill"
We’re staring down a pretty wild swing over the next few days. Sunday, January 18, is looking like the pivot point. We're expecting a rain and snow mix during the day with a high of 38°F.
Don't get too excited about a snow day, though. The chance is only around 25%, and it’ll likely turn into a clear, freezing night. Speaking of freezing, Sunday night is going to bottom out at 19°F. That's a sharp drop.
Monday and Tuesday are basically carbon copies of each other—bright, sunny, and deceptively cold. Monday hits 45°F but swings right back down to 19°F at night. By Tuesday, the high struggles to even reach 37°F.
The Mid-Week "Warm-Up" (Sorta)
Wednesday, January 21: Mostly cloudy, high of 46°F.
Thursday, January 22: Mostly sunny, jumping up to 49°F.
Friday, January 23: Partly sunny, hitting 47°F.
It’s not exactly tropical, but after those 19-degree nights, it’ll feel like a heatwave. Just watch out for Friday night; there’s a 20% chance of light rain as we move into the weekend.
The Monday Storm: What’s Up With January 26?
If you're looking for the "real" winter, keep your eyes on Monday, January 26. The current data is flagging a heavy snow storm with a 75% chance of precipitation.
The high is expected to be 44°F, which seems warm for snow, but the low is crashing to 17°F. In Danville, these "transition" days are where things get messy. We often see heavy, wet snow that breaks branches because the ground hasn't fully frozen yet.
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Why Danville Weather Is Such a Rollercoaster
Basically, we’re stuck in the middle. We get the cold air trapped against the mountains to our west (classic cold air damming), but we’re also close enough to the coast to get hammered by moisture.
In 2018, we saw the extremes of this. That year, Danville broke the record for annual rainfall with over 67 inches. We had a tornado in April, record flooding from Tropical Storm Michael in October, and then a massive 15-inch snowstorm in December.
Local Records to Keep in Mind
- Record High for January: 80°F (set in 2002).
- Record Low for January: -5°F (set in 1985).
- Average High for Jan: Usually around 49°F.
We aren't hitting -5°F this week, but those 17°F and 19°F lows coming up are well below the "average" low of 26°F. It’s a biting kind of cold.
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Staying Prepared in Southside
Kinda goes without saying, but check your pipes. When we have a string of nights dipping into the teens like we’re seeing for Monday through Wednesday, those exterior lines get vulnerable.
Also, watch the "black ice" factor. On Sunday night, when that rain/snow mix clears out and the temp drops from 38°F to 19°F, the roads are going to flash-freeze. The City of Danville Public Works usually does a great job with the main arteries like Memorial Drive and Riverside, but the side streets can be a skating rink.
Your Immediate Action Plan:
- Drip the faucets on Tuesday and Wednesday nights when we hit those 19-degree lows.
- Check your tires. Cold snaps like this will trigger your TPMS light faster than you can grab a coffee.
- Plan for Monday the 26th. If that 75% snow chance holds up, you'll want your bread and milk (the Virginia tradition) by Sunday evening.