Intensifying Storm to Bring Strong Winds, Heavy Rain and Some Snow to Midwest, East
An intensifying area of low pressure is delivering a trifecta of inclement weather to portions of the Midwest and East through Thursday. Those impacts include strong winds, soaking rainfall that will contribute to commuting hassles, and even a little snow. Strong winds from the storm system have already caused scattered power outages in several states, including parts of western Pennsylvania, southwest New York and Virginia.
The main threat of strong winds will be Wednesday and Thursday from two different sources. First, bands of rain and thunderstorms may produce strong wind gusts ahead of a cold front from the Appalachians to much of the Eastern Seaboard from the Carolinas to southern New England. The strong wind gusts over 50 mph may lead to some power outages and downed trees and limbs Wednesday afternoon into Wednesday night. In addition, the pressure gradient around the large-scale low pressure system pivoting into eastern Canada will produce strong winds over a larger area of the Plains, Midwest and Great Lakes Wednesday. Those strong winds will persist in the Great Lakes through Thursday. Most locations will see sustained winds of 20 to 30 mph with higher gusts. However, even stronger winds with gusts in excess of 60 mph are possible along the east and southeast shores of Lakes Erie and Ontario. The National Weather Service has posted high wind warnings for those locations. Tree damage, power outages and lakeshore flooding are possible.Wind advisories and high wind warnings have also been issued in parts of Pennsylvania and New England. Wind gusts up to 60 mph in coastal Maine may lead to power outages and downed tree limbs.
Steady rainfall, heavy at times, will continue to spread through the Ohio Valley, Great Lakes, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast into early Thursday. Here's an overview of the forecast timing showing when you can expect travel hassles.
Through Wednesday Night: Most of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic will be impacted by the rain, which could be heavy at times. This may result in both commuting delays on the roads and at all major airports in the region. Some minor or poor drainage flooding is also possible. The rain may also be accompanied by localized strong wind gusts as mentioned above.
The powerful low-pressure system will allow some colder air to sweep through the Midwest into Thursday. It's not a noteworthy cold air mass for late October, with high temperatures about 5 to 10 degrees below average in most spots across the region. However, the combination of strong winds and chilly temperatures will produce wind chill values in the 10s and 20s across parts of the Upper Midwest and northern Plains Wednesday night and Thursday morning. However, just enough moisture and cold air may combine to bring snow or a rain-snow mix to parts of the Upper Midwest into early Thursday. Any slushy accumulations should be minor, and confined to elevated or grassy surfaces in North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
Current Radar
Current Winds
Wednesday's Thunderstorm Forecast
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