1:30 PM (Wednesday) | *Multi-hazard event this weekend as major storm impacts much of the eastern half of the nation*
Paul Dorian
A colorful forecast map and a multi-hazard event this weekend with significant snow (blue) and ice (purple, pink) on the cold side of a powerful storm system and heavy rain (green, yellow) and potential severe weather on the warm side. Map courtesy NOAA, tropicaltidbits.com
Overview
A major storm system this weekend is going to become a multi-hazard event for much of the eastern half of the nation. The storm will begin to unfold later Friday in the south-central US and then trek northeast to a position near the eastern Great Lakes by Saturday evening and then it’ll end up in New England by early Sunday. Heavy rain and severe weather is likely to take place on Saturday south and east of the storm system and significant snow and ice is likely to its north and west. The I-95 corridor region from DC-to-Philly-to-NYC will experience unusual warmth on Saturday afternoon (e.g., 65 degrees in DC) and then some rainfall and possible thunderstorms on Saturday night and Sunday.
Strong high pressure ridging in the upper atmosphere will contribute to unusually warm conditions along the eastern seaboard and a potent upper-level low will help to spawn a strong storm system on Friday night/early Saturday in the Lower Mississippi Valley. Map courtesy NOAA, tropicaltidbits.com
Details
There is likely to be a news making weather event this weekend as a powerful storm system will impact a wide part of the eastern half of the nation. Surface low pressure will form by the early part of the weekend in the south-central US and then intensify as it pushes to the northeast on Saturday towards the eastern Great Lakes and then into New England by early Sunday. The upper-level wave of energy that will play a key role in the formation of this storm is now moving over the Gulf of Alaska and heading southeast. By early Friday evening, there is likely to be a deep upper-level trough of low pressure near the New Mexico/Texas border region and this potent system will push to the east from there as we begin the weekend.
Significant precipitation in the eastern half of the nation over the next seven days beginning with this weekend’s powerful storm system…more storminess on tap for next week. Map courtesy NOAA
On the warm side of the storm, heavy rain is likely in the Mid-to-Lower parts of the Mississippi Valley and there can be severe weather in the Deep South. In terms of the severe weather threat, key parameters will be coming together for potential severe thunderstorms and even tornadoes. Low-level moisture, for example, will increase markedly on Saturday and this will combine with a negatively-tilted upper-level trough, deepening surface low pressure, and strong winds in multiple parts of the atmosphere. On the cold side of the storm, significant snow and ice is likely to fall in parts of the Midwest, Great Lakes and NE US from Saturday into Sunday. The high precipitation amounts that come this weekend in the eastern half of the nation will not indicate an end to this wet weather pattern. More storms are likely next week and these will likely bring more significant precipitation to much of the same areas that will be impacted this weekend.
Meteorologist Paul Dorian
Perspecta, Inc.
perspectaweather.com
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube
Video discussion: