Northeastern US to face renewed threat of strong storms into Wednesday evening

By Kristina Pydynowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist

May 31,2017, 6:25:23PM,EDT

 

 Locally strong thunderstorms will put outdoor plans in jeopardy with a few communities facing more severe impacts across the northeastern United States into Wednesday evening.

Thunderstorms with blinding downpours, hail and damaging winds slammed areas from central New York to northern Virginia on Tuesday.
Hail reached the size of golf balls near Reynoldsville, Pennsylvania, located north of Punxsutawney.
The same storm responsible for Tuesday’s thunderstorms will spark more locally violent thunderstorms into the early evening hours of Wednesday.
“Another round of powerful thunderstorms will track across areas from Pennsylvania to New England,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Bill Deger said. The risk will be greatest west of Interstate 95.

This includes Scranton, Pennsylvania; Binghamton and Albany, New York; Rutland and Brattleboro, Vermont; Lebanon and Concord, New Hampshire; Pittsfield and Springfield, Massachusetts; Hartford, Connecticut; and Burlington, Vermont.
“Outside of the typical threats of blinding downpours and deadly lightning, a few of the thunderstorms could contain pelting hail and wind gusts strong enough to bring down tree limbs and power lines,” Deger said.
While the above areas are at greatest risk, it is not out of the question for an isolated strong thunderstorm to rattle other parts of the Northeast and mid-Atlantic into Wednesday evening.
One violent thunderstorm downed multiple large tree limbs in Montgomery, West Virginia, according to a National Weather Service spotter, earlier on Wednesday.
Another storm brought small hail to the Washington, D.C. area late on Wednesday afternoon.
More of the thunderstorms will disrupt outdoor plans and create slower travel. Remember that as soon as thunder is heard, the risk of being struck by lightning is present.
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Umpires may be forced to halt the Major League Baseball games in Baltimore and New York City for a time. Flight delays and reduced visibility could plague a part of the evening commute in these cities, as well as Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.
The severity of the thunderstorms should lessen prior to reaching Boston. However, wet weather is still expected and could force those with outdoor activities to wear rain gear or to move indoors.
The risk of strong thunderstorms will finally wane on Thursday as drier and less humid air filters in.
While a spotty shower or thunderstorm can still bubble up over western New England and New York state, residents across the mid-Atlantic will be able to leave umbrellas at home as a sunny to partly cloudy sky prevails.

Thursday’s drying will not be the theme into the weekend.
Showers and thunderstorms will return to more of the Northeast with a soaking end to the weekend to follow.