Windy and Chilly Conditions Through the Weekend Out East
Christy Bowen
7 hours agoIt is going to feel more like Thanksgiving than Halloween across much of the eastern U.S. as a surge of cold air and brisk winds come in on the heels of a powerful storm system. Here is a look at what the holiday weekend has in store for this slice of the country.
Cold and Windy Conditions Persist in the Eastern U.S.
A volatile storm system is set to deliver rain, mountain snow, and gusty winds in a zone from the Appalachians to the north into Atlantic Canada. An influx of cold air coming along for the ride will send the temperatures plummeting with the coolest weather of the season thus far.
The weather maker will also influence the track of Hurricane Melissa as it approaches Atlantic Canada late Friday and into the early part of the weekend. A large swath of New England will see the rain from Thursday linger into Friday, making for a soggy Halloween night. Trick-or-treaters also cannot rule out the chance of thunderstorms on the holiday.
The rain is welcome across the parts of the region still dealing with the long-term implications of a drought dating back to the summer. However, too much rain too quickly will raise the threat of flooding. This chance will be the highest in areas with fallen leaves blocking storm drains.
Winds will increase as the storm intensifies. The winds on the leading edge of the system will generate rough surf conditions and above-normal tides throughout the day on Friday. Coastal flooding is likely in eastern New England and up to Canada's Maritime Provinces through the day Friday.
More winds will come in on the back side of the storm heading into Saturday. These potent winds will be responsible for bringing in the surge of unseasonably cold air. The temperatures will be chilly enough to support the development of snow for the top terrains of northern New York and New England overnight Friday and into Saturday. About 1 to 3 inches of snow is expected at this time.
The higher elevations of northern West Virginia and the southwestern corner of Pennsylvania may see up to an inch of snow. The greatest snow accumulation will fall in eastern Ontario and parts of Quebec, Canada.
Winds of up to 40 mph are likely through Friday night in the Northeast. The valleys of the Appalachians could see winds approach the 50-mph mark during the peak of activity. Gusts clocking in between 40 and 50 mph are anticipated in southeastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, southeastern New York state, and the southern edge of New England.
High-profile vehicles will want to exercise caution when crossing bridges along Interstate 95 in the upper mid-Atlantic. Inflatable Halloween decorations need to be carefully secured so that they do not become projectiles.
The high winds will make the real feel readings even chillier. Meteorologists are warning that real feel readings will come in at about 10 to 20 degrees below the actual air temperature. The mercury will slide into the 10s in the mountainous terrain. It will also be unseasonably cold in the Midwest with overnight lows in the 20s and 30s.