Heavy rain, strong winds to blast eastern US into Wednesday night

By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist

February 3,2016; 10:44PM,EST

 

 

The same storm which produced blizzard conditions and severe weather in the central United States on Tuesday will bring the risk of gusty winds, flooding and travel disruptions to parts of the East into Wednesday night.
Strong winds produced by the storm system will continue to push eastward. Gusts topping 50 mph are possible with the potential to knock down tree branches and cause isolated power outages, both with and without thunder and lightning.
Strong winds buffeted parts of the Ohio Valley, lower Great Lakes and western slopes of the central Appalachians into Wednesday midday.
The potential for strong winds will ramp up along the Atlantic Seaboard into Wednesday evening.

In addition to the potential for damaging wind gusts, flash, urban and small stream flooding can occur with the drenching rain along much of the Atlantic Seaboard.
In parts of the mid-Atlantic region, blocked storm drains can add to the extent of street flooding. Large piles of snow remain in some neighborhoods, following the blizzard during late January.
The rainstorm will wipe out much of the remaining snowcover from the recent mid-Atlantic blizzard.
Since a large amount of the snow has already melted ahead of the rain, major flooding along the larger rivers is unlikely. However, unprotected low-lying areas along streams and rivers could take on water.
At the very least, enough heavy rain and wind will occur to cause a slow commute on the highways and can lead to substantial flight delays from Fayetteville, North Carolina, to Richmond, Virginia; Philadelphia; New York City and Boston.
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According to AccuWeather Meteorologist Brian Lada, "The excess water on roads can also cause some vehicles to hydroplane."
At times, the bursts of rain and wind can bring a sudden and dramatic drop in visibility, which will add to the dangers for those on the highways.
"The worst of the rain, wind and disruptions are likely during evening rush hour in much of the Interstate 95 corridor of the Northeast," Lada said.
Meanwhile, the potential for locally severe thunderstorms will extend from northern Florida to southeastern Virginia into Wednesday evening. In addition to the threat for damaging wind gusts and lightning strikes, a couple of short-lived tornadoes are possible.
In the wake of the Wednesday deluge and strong winds, cooler and tranquil weather conditions are in store late in the week and during the weekend.
Another batch of rain will skirt the coast on Thursday night. The rain is likely to end as wet snow from part of southeastern Virginia to eastern New England. A few inches of snow can accumulate in southeastern New England during Friday morning.

A couple of storms bear watching during the first part of next week and Old Man Winter may still have something to say in the Northeast into March.