The morning starts gray and wet — steady rain through lunch, thunderstorms rolling through until about 3pm. Expect half to three-quarters of an inch before it clears. High near 62°, north wind keeping things cool. Tonight drops to 41° under mostly clear skies. Tomorrow flips the script entirely: sunny, 73°, the kind of Tuesday that makes you forget this Monday ever happened.
This is a museum day. The Taubman is open 11am to 5pm — good for an hour with the current exhibitions, then coffee at Bloom in the lobby. History Museum of Western Virginia opens at 10am if you want the valley's story before lunch. O. Winston Link Museum (10am-5pm) sits two blocks away — those night-train photographs hold up in any weather. For lunch, try Texas Tavern (counter service, iconic) or The River and Rail (window seats, 11am-10pm). Both are within three blocks, both keep you dry.
If the rain breaks early, the Roanoke River Greenway is walkable by late afternoon — the eastern stretch toward Explore Park drains fast. Mill Mountain is better saved for tomorrow when the trail won't be slick. Tonight after dark, A Few Old Goats downstairs taps a new IPA at 5pm. The brewery's covered patio works if you want air without getting soaked, though the indoor bar is where everyone will be.
Tomorrow's forecast — sunny, 73°, light west wind — is the day to make outdoor plans. Greenway, Mill Mountain, or just the Market Building patio at lunch. Tonight's clear skies and dropping temps set it up perfectly. Save the hike, plan the indoor Monday.
At the flats, RND Coffee opens at 7am if you need the morning ritual before the rain picks up. The courtyard's closed today, but the building's warm, the elevator's fast, and the Old Goats patio downstairs has heat lamps if you want to test the weather after 3pm. See you on the other side of this front.