2:45 PM (Tuesday) | ***A possible strong-to-severe thunderstorm later tomorrow as cold blast arrives…temperatures to drop to near freezing in many locations by early Thursday***
Paul Dorian
Possible near record or record lows by Thursday morning in the Mid-Atlantic region with this upcoming cold blast. Map courtesy NOAA, tropicaltidbits.com
Overview
There is the risk of strong-to-severe thunderstorm activity on Wednesday afternoon and early evening in the Mid-Atlantic region as a strong cold front blasts through the area. The primary severe weather threat will be damaging wind gusts and small hail is on the table as well. Following the frontal passage, unseasonably cold air will pour the Mid-Atlantic region riding in on strong NW winds and temperatures by early Thursday will be near the freezing mark in much of the I-95 corridor region from DC-to-Boston.
Tomorrow’s surface cold front in the Mid-Atlantic region will be supported by strong energy aloft and this combination can result in some strong-to-severe thunderstorm activity. Map courtesy NOAA, tropicaltidbits.com
Details
Much colder-than-normal air is sweeping across the middle of the country today - accompanied by accumulating snow in many areas - and it is on its way to the Atlantic seaboard. Temperatures by later tonight and early tomorrow will be some 20+ degrees below-normal across the heartland of the nation and there will likely be plenty of near record or record lows by early Wednesday. The surface front at the leading edge of this unusually cold air mass will push into the I-95 corridor later tomorrow and will be aided by strong energy in the upper atmosphere. There is the chance that the arrival of the cold front could spark the formation of a solid line of strong-to-severe thunderstorms that can impact the I-95 corridor region on Wednesday afternoon and evening with damaging wind gusts and small hail a threat. Accumulating snow will continue to accompany this cold blast as it pushes to the south and east during the next 24-48 hours with many parts of the Midwest/Ohio Valley and interior Northeast US getting in on the late April snowfall.
A high-resolution forecast map (12Z NAM-3km version) as of Thursday morning features temperatures around the freezing mark in the I-95 corridor region from DC-to-Boston. Map courtesy NOAA, tropicaltidbits.com
Strong NW winds behind the front will usher in unseasonably cold air for late April during the overnight hours and temperatures by early Thursday in much of the DC-to-Philly-to-NYC-Boston corridor are likely to be near the freezing mark. It’ll stay windy and very chilly throughout the day on Thursday and then temperatures should begin to modify by Friday afternoon after a chilly start to the day.
By early Thursday morning, a huge chunk of the nation will be at or below the freezing mark…a record low temperature in many locations and a potential problem for many crops and sensitive vegetation. Model courtesy weathermodels.com (Dr. Ryan Maue), NOAA
Looking ahead, a strong low pressure system is likely to generate more rainfall in the Mid-Atlantic region from Saturday night into Sunday and this storm will be followed by another colder-than-normal air for the early part of next week. Once that air mass modifies, it looks like there can be a big warm up in the eastern US by the middle and latter parts of next week.
Meteorologist Paul Dorian
Perspecta, Inc.
perspectaweather.com
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