By Alex Sosnowski, Expert Senior Meteorologist
October 23,2012; 8:50PM,EDT
Sandy will drive through the Caribbean the next few days. However, while Sandy could take the fight to Bermuda next week, there is still the danger of a last-minute left hook over Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Chilly autumn weather is on hold this week in the Northeastern U.S. and the tropics have become very active.
The period of consternation and concern for potential damaging and disruptive weather impacts in Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, the Poconos and the Endless Mountains spans Monday to Wednesday of next week.
A hurricane or hybrid storm remaining well offshore would have minimal direct impact on Northeastern Pennsylvania. Most likely, cool air and blustery conditions would sweep in with spotty showers in this scenario.
However, there is a danger of the storm being captured and pulled westward by another system approaching from the Midwest next week. Sandy would undergo a transition from a hurricane to a hybrid or non-tropical system, but the storm would retain every bit of a hurricane's intensity.
Such a left hook could not only bring the fight to the backyard, but could deliver a knockout blow.
As the storm crashes ashore with this scenario, hurricane-force gusts would sweep inland downing scores of trees and causing widespread power outages over New England and perhaps portions of northeastern Pennsylvania. While Susquehanna River flooding is still not likely in this scenario, heavy rain combined with fallen leaves could lead to small stream and urban flooding. Heavy snow would fell on the mountains of central and western Pennsylvania. In this scenario, however, snow would not fall on the Poconos. Instead, warm air would sweep in from the ocean.
A third scenario allows Sandy to escape out to sea, but forms a new storm near the coast with more average nor'easter conditions in the Northeast later in the period next week. A less intense storm like this, tracking near the coast could bring snow to the Poconos.
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