Downpours to drench Northeast this weekend, trigger travel troubles
Weather systems are teaming up for what may be a bad weekend for outdoor activities and travel in the northeastern United States, AccuWeather meteorologists say.
A dip in the jet stream, a storm and tropical moisture will combine to deliver rounds of showers and thunderstorms to much of the region beginning on Friday.
"This is the last in a series of storms that brought rounds of severe weather to the Midwest this week," AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said, "The storm's forward speed will slow down as it reaches the Northeast, and that will lead to some issues."
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"People should expect some travel delays, especially at the major airports and flights that connect in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and New York City," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson said. Ground stops may be issued as storms erupt and approach the airports.
"There is the likelihood of slow-moving and repeating thunderstorms along the busy Interstate 95 corridor and other major highways in the region, which may lead to areas of flash flooding and even some road detours in low-lying exposed areas," Anderson added.
Some of the thunderstorms will intensify during the afternoon and evening, when downpours, locally gusty winds and lightning may be most common.
Locally severe thunderstorms are forecast along Interstates 20, 40, 64, 70, 76, 77, 81, 85, and others on Friday afternoon and evening, in addition to I-95.
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Hail may also occur in stronger storms. However, some of the downpours and storms will occur late at night and into the morning hours.
Sudden storms could quickly churn up area bays, coastal waters and large inland lakes with the threat of lightning strikes for those caught outdoors. AccuWeather meteorologists urge those with outdoor plans to keep an eye out for changing weather conditions.
On Saturday afternoon and evening, the main threat of severe weather will focus on the I-95 zone from the New York City metro area through central and southern Georgia. A portion of the I-85 corridor will also be at risk in Virginia and the Carolinas.
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"Often during the summer, thunderstorms tend to wait until the end of the day or at night before reaching the beaches. With this setup, storms could occur anytime, especially Saturday into Sunday, which will keep many off the beach," Anderson said.
For some areas, the rainfall will be beneficial, especially across Virginia and parts of Pennsylvania and New Jersey where there is ongoing drought.
On Sunday, the focus of downpours will likely extend from the Carolinas to northern New England. Parts of this region, in particular the zone from northern New York state to northern New England, have been thoroughly drenched in recent weeks-to the point where major flash flooding of streams and rivers has occurred. This may happen again this weekend anywhere in the heavy rain zone.
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A tropical storm (Debby) is forecast to make landfall in Florida later this weekend and emerge along the Carolina coast early next week. The tropical feature's future track will determine how extensive the rain will be in the Northeast. Both the tropical feature and a non-tropical storm may interact with each other and result in an ongoing band of heavy rain in the Northeast next week.
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