Virginia Storm Forecast: Derecho Possible

A dreaded "D" word has returned to the forecast for the latest storm system moving through the country today and toward the Atlantic coast tonight: derecho.

Conditions are favorable for a derecho to form as the storm system heads east, according to The Weather Channel, possibly impacting parts of Virginia and the Carolinas.

A derecho is a long-lived, widespread windstorm that can produce damage similar to that seen in the aftermath of a tornado, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The windstorm comes with a fast-moving band of thunderstorms and often causes damage in a wide, straight path.

Find your local forecast at The Weather Channel.

For the D.C. region, the National Weather Service indicates that a wind threat is less likely to impact the area, but thunderstorms and showers are still in the forecast.

Two people were killed when a derecho storm hit Northern Virginia in June 2012. The storm had wind gusts of 71 mph at Dulles International Airport.