Eastern U.S. in Line for More Severe Weather Impacts

Posted: March 24, 2023 3:30 pm

It is going to be a messy day on Saturday throughout the eastern half of the country. While the area will see some relief from the precipitation and the cold temperatures on Sunday, forecasters are calling for another system to impact the mid-Atlantic through New England early next week. Here is the latest on the multi-faceted storm event.

Damaging Winds, Heavy Rain, and Snow All on Tap This Weekend

You are going to want to check the hourly forecast on Saturday if you have outdoor plans and live anywhere from the Great Lakes across to the mid-Atlantic and New England. For most parts of the eastern U.S., Sunday will be the more pleasant weather day. This large weather maker will also likely cause travel delays throughout some of the nation’s biggest airport hubs, including those in Chicago, New York, and Boston.

As the storm picks up more energy through the day Saturday, it will also begin to generate strong winds. This will happen when air migrates toward the center of the storm as it moves to the northeast. You can expect wind gusts between 40 – 60 mph in the southeastern corner of Wisconsin expanding down into the northern tier of Georgia and across through Pennsylvania and New York.

The highest terrains of the Appalachians may see winds that gust to 75 mph, putting them in the range of a Category 1 hurricane. The coastal areas should avoid the worst of the winds.

Flooding Concerns as a Result of Repeated Downpours

This dynamic storm system will also produce a significant amount of precipitation as it pulls in moisture from the Gulf of Mexico as well as the Atlantic Ocean. Torrential rain is in the cards for a large area in the Ohio Valley over into southern New England and down the coast into the mid-Atlantic.

The rain will not be limited to the coastal areas. Flooding is a worry for the nation’s heartland, including the Ozarks in Missouri and Oklahoma and across the western slopes of the Appalachians. While the rain will wrap up by late Saturday, the flooding may not happen until next week.

Urban flooding along the busy Interstate 95 corridor is also a possibility throughout the day Saturday and into the overnight hours. Poor visibility will be a secondary concern as the rain falls down at a fast clip.

Warmer air pushing into the region later on Saturday will trigger the chance of thunderstorms in the mid-Atlantic. However, Saturday will remain unseasonably cold in the Northeast and New England. Combined with the cold winds, real feel temperatures will hover in the 30s and 40s in this region.

Who Will See the Snow?

The northern tier of the storm will see the chance of snow development. Temperatures that land right around the freezing mark will translate to snow that is heavy and wet. Power outages will also be a possibility when the wet snow pairs with the gusty winds.

How much snow can you expect and where will it fall? Forecasters are predicting 3 to 12 inches of snow in a zone stretching from eastern Iowa and into northern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin. This band of snow will eventually expand across the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, upstate New York, and into New England.

Warmer air pushing in from the Pacific Ocean will help to moderate conditions on Sunday. In fact, a large portion of the Ohio Valley, New England, and the mid-Atlantic will see temperatures that actually top the historical average to close out the weekend. The exception to this forecast will be in the northern reaches of New England where the frigid temps will remain in place until early in the week.

Looking Ahead to Next Week

Looking ahead to next week, two separate branches of the jet stream will set the stage for a storm to build and intensify across the coast of the mid-Atlantic. One arm of the jet stream will be positioned across the northern U.S. with the second arm falling farther south. Cold air in the region will support the development of snow in the mid-Atlantic, the central Appalachians, and up into New England on Tuesday and Wednesday.

This is a developing situation that you will want to keep a close eye on in the coming days, especially if you live in the coastal areas of the mid-Atlantic.

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