Locally Severe Storms to Jolt Pennsylvania to Georgia

By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist

April 20,2015; 11:43AM,EDT

 

 

Following drenching rain, part of the Eastern states will experience strong to locally severe thunderstorms into Monday evening.
In addition to causing airline delays and blinding downpours for motorists, the storms have the potential to cause sporadic power outages and property damage.

Many areas from Pittsburgh and Philadelphia to Raleigh, North Carolina, and Columbia, South Carolina, will experience a heavy thunderstorm with gusty winds and drenching rain at some point into Monday evening.

A small number of the storms will be more robust and can bring incidents of strong wind gusts, hail and flash flooding.
According to AccuWeather.com Meteorologist Mike Doll, "Winds can be strong enough to knock down trees and power lines."
"Hail can be large enough to put dents in cars and crack windshields," he added.
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A couple of tornadoes could develop in the strongest storms.
The bulk of the localized severe weather will occur from interior South Carolina to Pennsylvania.

A few locally severe storms could develop farther to the south in eastern Georgia and farther to the north in New York state.
According to AccuWeather.com Chief Meteorologist Elliot Abrams, "It is possible some communities in western New York state experience a severe thunderstorm Monday afternoon and evening."
In much of New England and eastern New York state, a flow of cool air from the Atlantic Ocean will prevail into Monday night. The cool air will cause the storms to weaken as they arrive from the west. The storms could still bring locally blinding downpours and gusty winds as they move through coastal areas such as New York City, Boston and Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Motorists, pedestrians and anyone who will be spending time outdoors should be prepared for rapidly changing weather conditions. Be prepared to take shelter indoors as the storms approach.