Rounds of rain to frequent northeastern US first week of May

By Kristina Pydynowski, Senior Meteorologist

May 1,2016; 9:31PM,EDT

 

 

Dry days will be hard to come by in the northeastern United States for the first week of May as storm systems cause rain to frequent the region.
The bouts of wet weather through the first half of the week will come at the hands of storm systems tracking in from the southwest. Another system dropping down from Canada will keep the region unsettled later in the week.

While rain will dominate the week, widespread downpours are not expected and the risk of flooding will remain low.
The main exception will be in West Virginia, eastern Kentucky and southwestern Virginia where the ground is more saturated and more susceptible to the downpours into Monday night causing flash flooding.
The rain elsewhere will instead cause more of disruption to some sporting events and other outdoor plans. Baseball fans headed to the upcoming games in New York City, Pittsburgh and Baltimore may encounter delays.
Residents will have to take advantages of the occasional breaks in the rain to squeeze in these activities, such as mowing.
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One break in the rain on Sunday afternoon was welcome by crews in Washington, D.C., cleaning up the train that derailed earlier in the morning.
A total of 14 cars of the CSX freight train derailed around 6:40 a.m. EDT, the Associated Press (AP) reported. There were no injuries and no evacuations were ordered.
Preliminary weather observations from Reagan National Airport at 6:38 a.m. EDT on Sunday indicated that winds were from the southeast at 7 mph with light rain reducing visibility to 9 miles. Six-hour rainfall ending at 8 a.m. was 0.18 of an inch.
One of the derailed cars was leaking sodium hydroxide, D.C. Fire and EMS confirmed. The highly corrosive chemical is used to produce various household produces, such as soaps and detergents, CSX spokeswoman Kristin Seay told the AP.
Crews will catch another period of dry weather during the morning and early afternoon hours of Monday before rain and thunderstorms return late in the afternoon and at night.
Amid the wet weather in the Northeast this week, travelers both on the ground and in the air may encounter minor delays.
Any heavier downpours will reduce visibility and heighten the risk of vehicles hydroplaning when traveling at highway speeds.
One band of steadier rain that may produce such downpours will track from western New York State to northern New England into Monday. Another batch will target the Appalachians around West Virginia and the mid-Atlantic later Monday into Tuesday.
Locally heavy thunderstorms can also occur early this week, mainly south of the Mason-Dixon Line.
"The [late-week] system will slowly meander through the region and while it will not be raining all of the time, sunshine will be limited and showers are a threat," AccuWeather Meteorologist Ed Vallee said.
In addition to potentially disrupting more outdoor plans, the showers could put a damper on Cinco de Mayo festivities on Thursday.
The rain will not be entirely bad news for the Northeast. Rainfall deficits will continue to shrink, easing brush fire concerns.
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Many areas from Virginia to southeastern New York and southwestern New England have received only about 50 percent or less of their average rainfall since March 1.
Pollen levels will be lowered on persistently rainy days.
The bouts of rain, along with fresh cool air being brought down by the late-week system, will hold temperatures near to slightly below normal for most of the week.
The air is not expected to get cold enough for frost. However, it is not out of the question for wet snow to fall in the higher terrain of the central Appalachians with the late-week system.
"By the end of the week and into the next weekend, an approaching front will push the [late-week] system east, ushering in warmer air by the following week," Vallee said.