Damaging winds to whip across northeastern US this weekend

By Brett Rathbun, AccuWeather.com Meteorologist

April 2,2016; 9:33PM,EDT

 

 

Strong winds will accompany a push of winterlike air across the northeastern United States into Sunday.
"Winds gusting between 40 and 60 mph can knock down trees and tree limbs and could lead to sporadic power outages into Sunday," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said.
After blasting the mid-Mississippi and Ohio valleys on Saturday, the strongest winds will occur from portions of Ohio to the mid-Atlantic and New England into Sunday.
More than 24,000 FirstEnergy and Kentucky Utilities Company customers were without power in Kentucky and Ohio on Saturday evening as strong winds blasted the region. In Ohio, more than 45,000 Duke Energy customers were without power across Indiana.

"Strong winds will even occur as far south as Baltimore and Washington, D.C.," AccuWeather Meteorologist Brett Rossio said.
These winds will be associated with an arctic front pushing across the region with colder air and accumulating snow.
"Not only will the abrupt change from milder early spring temperatures be quite noticeable, but wind gusts between 40 and 60 mph will make it feel even colder," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Michael LeSeney said.
Any prolonged power outages could spell trouble for households once the cold air settles in.
Strong winds knocked this tree over in Dayton, Ohio, on Saturday. (Instagram photo/instasteakpinball)
"Strong winds can result in hazards to life and property as any tree limbs weakened by the snow and cold this past winter may be brought down by this sudden burst of cold air," LeSeney said.
Strong winds in areas of accumulating snow into Sunday may deal with limited visibility at times on roadways due to blowing and drifting snow.
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Drivers of high-profile vehicles will be the most susceptible to these winds and will need to take extra precautions while traveling, especially empty tractor trailers.
Those flying in and out of the major hubs across the Northeast may have to contend with delays and turbulence.
The winds combined with highs in the 30s and 40s will send AccuWeather RealFeel® temperatures below freezing across much of the Northeast on Sunday.

Winds will begin to subside through the day on Sunday from west to east before the next storm arrives by Sunday night. Winds will be much weaker with this storm compared to the one on Saturday night.
Those hoping for a long duration of spring weather may have to wait a week or two as more pushes of cold air and the opportunity for snow will continue through the first week of April.