Northeast Braces for Another Potential Round of Severe Storms

The end of the work week will also mark the start of a stormy weekend for a large swath of the eastern half of the country. Severe storms are on deck for the weekend, targeting parts of the Midwest, the Northeast, and the South. Here is a look at what you can expect for the first weekend of May.

Latest Batch of Severe Weather Expected to Impact Areas Hit by Derecho

The weekend storm activity is expected to take aim at the same general area that is still cleaning up from damaging winds earlier in the week as the busy weather pattern persists. Forecasters are warning that the upcoming storms are likely to repeat in communities where cleanup from the early week derecho is ongoing.

Tuesday's derecho tore through portions of Ohio and Pennsylvania, knocking out power to at least 700,000 customers and killing at least three people. After a brief respite from the widespread storms on Wednesday, the action fired up again on Thursday across several locations in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, West Virginia, and Kentucky.

This activity slowed down the progress being made by utility crews to restore power. Compounding the difficulties in this region is that cell phone service has also been disrupted in the hardest-hit areas.

Southern Plains Will be at Heart of Friday's Storm Activity

Heading into Friday, the forecast is calling for more thunderstorms to ignite over the southern Plains early in the day. This line of storms is projected to roll to the southeast as the day progresses, bringing along high winds, heavy rain, and the threat of hail.

Friday's storms are predicted to set up in a zone from Texas and up into the southwestern corner of Pennsylvania. For many communities, this will be the second consecutive day of severe impacts.

Once again, northern and central Texas will bear the brunt of some of the strongest storms. Large hail will be one of the most concerning threats.

Looking at a few specific forecasts for Friday, Dallas is expecting scattered storms throughout the day with winds out of the north-northeast at 10 to 15 mph. It will be a noticeably cooler day when compared to Thursday with readings dropping about 10 to 15 degrees to top out in the low 70s. Overnight lows will slip into the mid 50s in the metroplex.

Heading to the north on Interstate 35, Oklahoma City is most likely to see the storms erupt in the morning hours. Like the rest of the region, temperatures will trend cooler in the capital city with a forecast high of about 69 degrees. The forecast is calling for an overnight low of about 47 degrees and winds clocking in at about 10 to 15 mph out of the north.

The day will start calm in Memphis, however, rain and storms are in store for the afternoon and evening hours. Highs will reach the low 70s with lows expected to dip to the 60-degree mark after the sun goes down. Winds will reach speeds of 10 to 15 mph from the southwest.

The storms will not be as widespread in areas along the East Coast on Friday. However, major metropolitan areas such as Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia will want to be aware of the possibility of a stray afternoon thunderstorm wreaking havoc with the Friday afternoon commute.

Saturday's Storms Will Move Father to the East

The most robust storms will shift to the east on Saturday, impacting a long stretch of the Atlantic Seaboard from Florida and up into New Hampshire. A secondary zone of impact will present issues for the northeastern Gulf Coast region.

The scope of this weather maker will raise the chances of widespread travel delays up and down the East Coast. Low-lying clouds could create visibility issues at some of the busiest airport hubs in the country while rain could pool and create ponding issues on roadways.

Persistent rain will be the story for the interior portions of the Northeast. State College, Pennsylvania, is forecast to see rain showers in the morning that evolve into thunderstorms in the latter part of the day. The moisture machine will pick up in intensity overnight with about a quarter of an inch on tap for the college town. The arrival of a cold front will also bring the temperatures down about 10 degrees from Friday's highs, topping out at about 68 degrees on Saturday. Overnight lows will bounce around in the mid 50s.

The storms are forecast to reach the coastal areas of the mid-Atlantic by the end of the day. Places such as Dover, Delaware, are expecting rain intensifying in the evening and overnight hours. You can also expect winds out of south-southwest at 10 to 20 mph, a high of about 85 degrees, and lows that slide into the mid 60s.

Forecasters are also monitoring the potential of an entirely new storm coming together in the upper levels of the atmosphere on Sunday. Should this storm come to fruition, it could mean another day of severe weather for some areas of the Northeast and the mid-Atlantic on Sunday. There are a few different directions that this system may take, making it important to stay abreast of the forecast if you live anywhere in the eastern U.S.

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