Severe Weather Could Impact Several Major East Coast Cities

Posted: June 27, 2023 9:30 am

Several major East Coast cities are at risk of seeing severe weather this week as moisture continues to surge up from the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean to create ripe conditions for storm development.

New York City, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia are just a few of the heavily populated areas that will want to be aware of this developing weather situation in the coming days.

Severe Weather Pattern Has Staying Power

Some communities across the East Coast will be at risk of seeing this severe weather for several days in a row. The storms will fire up as the jet stream takes a dip to the south in the Northeast and the Great Lakes to start the week.

This dip will put a more active weather pattern in place, marking an end to the abnormally dry pattern that most of the region experienced for most of June.

This same weather maker impacted the Midwest, the Great Lakes, and the Ohio Valley over the weekend. The Sunday storms turned deadly with tornadoes spinning up across the Upper Midwest.

Cooler air is pushing through the region behind this storm system, bringing unseasonable temperature readings to the Midwest and the interior Northeast to start the new work week. This cooler air moving to the south will meet with the moisture streaming up from the surrounding bodies of water to provide the fuel for severe weather development across the Northeast.

Timing of the Storms

The first storms began to rumble throughout the interior Northeast, southern New England, and the mid-atlantic on Monday afternoon. These storms carried a number of risks, including strong wind gusts up to 70 mph and dangerous cloud-to-ground lightning.

Cities in the line of fire include New York City, Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C., and Raleigh. The storms could continue to expand as far south as Atlanta.

Tuesday’s forecast will bring a return of these storms to cities such as Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Virginia Beach. The risks of this day will be focused along the coastal areas more than the interior portions of the East. Strong winds will be the biggest concerns during Tuesday’s weather event.

Wet Weather Will Stall Out

The last days of June will be a soggy proposition for much of the Northeast as this massive weather maker stalls out. Forecasters warn that it may be Friday before the dry conditions return to the area. Sporadic downpours will likely create travel delays due to poor visibility and ponding on roadways.

Flash flooding worries may also be prevalent this week if the same general areas see heavy rain on consecutive days. The overly dry ground in this part of the U.S. will not be able to take on significant moisture without it becoming overwhelmed.

Dew points are forecast to trend higher in the coming week, reaching as high as the low 70s along the Eastern Seaboard. This level of dew point readings will produce high humidity levels.

Current Status of Drought Conditions

There is little doubt that the rain is good news for many areas of the Northeast. It has been especially dry in this corner of the nation thanks to rainfall levels that landed well below normal for the June historical average.

For instance, Reagan International Airport only recorded 0.23 of an inch of rain during the first 20 days of the month, translating to just 8% of normal. The nation’s capital is forecast to boost this number a bit in the coming days thanks to the wet weather pattern. However, the final June totals will still likely fall well short of what is normal for this time of the year.

According to the latest release of findings from the U.S. Drought Monitor, over 70% of the Northeast was under a classification of at least abnormally dry since June 20. Of this number, 34% was considered to be under a moderate drought with a smaller percentage in Maryland and southeastern Pennsylvania under the designation of a severe drought.

Another silver lining of this dreary weather is that the rain is predicted to extend as far north as southern Canada, hopefully bringing meaningful relief for fire crews battling the ongoing blazes in Quebec.

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