Atmospheric River Originating in Central America Sending Rain to Southeast

A number of atmospheric elements are coming together to create a soggy weather pattern that will not let up across the Southeast. Here is a look at what the next few days have in store and when the moisture machine will finally be turned off.

Massive Rainfall Totals Recorded in Recent Days Across the Southeast

It has been a wet stretch of days for the Southeast, even by May standards. A large area of low pressure hovering over the southeastern U.S. is being blocked by a zone of high pressure to the north. This is keeping the rain that is already in place from exiting the region.

Additionally, an atmospheric river is also filtering up from Central America and pummeling this part of the U.S. with significant amounts of moisture. While atmospheric rivers are most common on the West Coast, they can also set up across the East Coast at times. Forecasters are predicting that the atmospheric river will be almost 2,000 miles long by Tuesday.

The latest forecast models indicate that the rain will ease by the middle of the week for the Southeast. However, it will just be getting started for the mid-Atlantic and the Northeast at this time.

Washington, D.C. will be in the crosshairs of the heaviest bands of rain on Tuesday. The nation's capital is forecast to see over 2 inches of rain over a period of 24 hours. It will also be a breezy day with winds out of the east-southeast at 10 to 20 mph. There will not be a significant fluctuation in the temperatures on this day with highs and lows bouncing around in the mid to upper 60s.

While Wednesday is forecast to dawn with drier conditions in Washington, D.C., the region will see a threat of thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening hours. It will be warmer on Wednesday with a high of about 74 degrees and lows that slide back into the mid 60s.

You will find a similar forecast in Norfolk, Virginia. The coastal community is bracing for 1 to 2 inches of rain on Tuesday by the time that the sun goes down. Thunderstorms are also predicted to develop during the evening hours. Winds whipping around from the southeast at speeds of 15 to 25 mph will add to the misery of the day. You can expect a high of about 72 degrees and lows in the mid 60s on Tuesday.

Looking ahead to Wednesday, Norfolk will enjoy partly cloudy skies and dry conditions early. However, storms are back on deck for the afternoon hours. It will be a warmer day with a forecast high of about 81 degrees and lows that bottom out in the mid 60s. This will signal the beginning of a warming trend with temperatures climbing into the weekend.

Heavy Rain This Week Wiill Raise Flooding Risks

The core of the moisture over the past weekend set up in an area to the south and east of the southern Appalachians. By late Monday, the rain had shifted to Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia, eastern portions of Tennessee, and parts of West Virginia.

As of early Monday, the weather maker had already been responsible for sending over 3 inches of rain to Augusta, Georgia. It was even soggier to the north in Columbia, South Carolina. This part of the region has seen nearly 4.50 inches of rain by the start of the new work week. Meanwhile, Savannah, Georgia, was closing in on about 7 inches of rain over the last few days.

Local officials are worried that the parts of the Carolinas still recovering from last year's Hurricane Helene could bear the brunt of the flooding rainfall. Some of this region in the Appalachians still has not recovered from the impacts of Helene, making it more vulnerable to heavier rain.

Coastal communities such as Miami, Jacksonville, and Charleston will also be at risk of seeing flooding at times of high tide. The presence of the full moon will increase this threat further.

The storm is expected to pick up speed by late Tuesday and Wednesday, sending its impacts to the north. This fast forward movement will mean relief for the water-logged Southeast. The rain will take longer to dissipate across northern portions of the Carolinas, Virginia, and West Virginia.

There is also a chance that river flooding could become a problem even after the precipitation stops. Keep in mind that river flooding is generally a delayed event that takes place even after the rain has stopped. It could take days for some rivers to reach their crest.

South Carolina's Congaree River is one waterway that the National Weather Service (NWS) expects to reach moderate flood stage by late in the week. Likewise, the Pee Dee River in central North Carolina may also see moderate flood stage by the weekend. This will be something to keep an eye on if you live in this region of the Carolinas.

Moving to the west, rivers in parts of Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana may also continue to rise this week after previous rainfall events. Forecasters have been warning for weeks that these rivers would be in danger of reaching flood stage thanks to the wet period a few weeks ago.

The silver lining in the Southeast is that this is a part of the country that really needed the rain. Any bit of non-flooding precipitation will help chip away at the growing drought conditions.

It has been particularly dry in Florida. Some areas of the Sunshine State have been grappling with the driest conditions in over a decade. The timing of little to no rainfall has been challenging for agricultural interests during the peak of the growing season.

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