Winds Roar Once More as Nor’easter Slams I-95 Corridor!

Good morning atmospheric audience! Hope all is well. I also hope all of you got outside yesterday and enjoyed the calm and warmth before the arrival of a today’s major nor’easter running up the eastern seaboard. Per my hint in my last weeks post of sniffing out major storm the end of this weekend, looks like this one has merit. Unlike last weeks event which dropped 1 to 3 inches of rain and forecasted winds didn’t materialize, this storm will be much stronger. That said, wanted to jump on here and provide some details on the timing and impact for the Northeast.

A potent storm, the origins of which come from deepening low pressure in the gulf, will phase with energy out of the NW, a negatively tilted trough, and bomb out off the SE coast. Immense amount of moisture will drop flooding downpours, along with damaging winds from Wilmington to Wolfeboro. I would secure holiday decorations, and bring in any loose items this morning. While not widespread, I’d also prepare for isolated power outages on this one, especially near and along coast. This is a warm storm, so no snow unfortunately. Ski slopes will lose some of some of its base with this one. But don’t fret, the pattern is about to change. Details forthcoming.

Tri-State Area Impact

Let’s talk track, timing, totals and impact. The storm will literally be accelerating quickly (what I used to tell my kids years ago when they accused me of speeding when entering the highway), moving NNE w southern NJ hit first. For the tri-state area, while rain and wind doesn’t arrive until after dark, the worst of the storm will be overnight into the Monday morning commute. Rainfall totals will range between 2-4″. A flood watch is up for most NJ and NYC and lower Hudson Valley, along with a High Wind Watch across Long Island and south shore of CT.

Gusts could reach 40 to 50mph with isolated gusts up to 60+. To a lesser degree inland but strong enough to knock down branches and older trees with weak roots (a saturated ground doesn’t help matters).

Some bonker boomers and bolts are possible. Rain tapers off around noon time. Given the SW flow, don’t be surprised how warm it briefly gets Monday as the mercury moves into the upper 50s to low 60s in the late morning. However, temps crashes into the 40s by sundown, and bottoms out in the 30s by Tuesday morning, Festive flakes may make its way across the Poconos, upstate NY and perhaps NJ. This brief discharge of arctic air actually makes its way down to the Sunshine state with upper 40s to low 50s Tuesday morning!

Southern New England

Not much of a difference, unfortunately from the tri-state other than timing. Conditions go down hill from SW to NE across CT and MA on up to NH and ME, late tonight into the early morning Monday, and right into the afternoon. Some showers are possible ahead of the storm late this afternoon to after dark. But not a great day to travel Monday if you don’t have to. Rainfall totals will range also between 2-4″, locally higher, especially away from the coast. Flood Watches are posted across most of New England with High Wind Watches along the coast.

Like last weeks storm, models seem to be over done on top gusts but given the lower pressure (980mb) with this storm coupled with much stronger lower level jet, the Cape, Seacoast and coastal Maine may see 45-60mph, perhaps an isolated 70/75mph. Further inland in CT/MA up to VT/NH and ME, 35-50mph gusts will certainly be felt. Temps also surge in the upper 50s Monday given the warm SW winds, but plunge into the 30s by Tuesday morning. The usual charge the electronics, check the batteries in flash lights, move cars away from trees if possible, and secure Christmas decorations, all strongly suggested this time around.

Btw, if you like watching football games during bad weather, check out the Panthers game at 1pm. If 1-12 isn’t painful enough, playing in torrential downpours with winds whipping won’t be fun. As far as a hints down the road, ok, not to be bah humbug, but no festive Xmas flakes this year. A sliver of snow may slip into the Poconos, Hudson Valley and perhaps NNJ the end of this week. However, old man winter is lurking behind the scenes. To those reading and buying into that winter is over, snow is a thing of the past, and heatwaves abound, I’d be very leery of that call. If you haven’t yet, check your furnaces, tune the snow blowers, move the shovels and scrapers to the front of the garage, and load up on firewood. Building ridges in the NW, highs over Hudson Bay, Greenland blocks, among other atmospheric tidbits are slowly forming behind the scenes and not on your weather apps. I am also sniffing out the potential for a major storm the middle to end of next week, dare I say S word? Stay tuned! That’s it for now. Take this storm seriously folks, and remember, weather never sleeps.