An active weather pattern will continue across the nation into early May largely fueled by the continuation of cold air outbreaks from Canada into the US. One such cold shot will push east on Thursday from the south-central states into the northern Gulf region and this “clash” between the incoming cold, dry air and the entrenched warm, humid air mass is likely to result in strong-to-severe thunderstorm activity from Texas-to-Florida and perhaps as far north as the Tennessee Valley.
This storm system will push northeast on Friday and a secondary storm will form near the Mid-Atlantic coastline later Friday night. A similar scenario will develop from Sunday into Monday with an initial (primary) low pushing towards the Great Lakes and a secondary storm likely to form near the northeastern US coastline. The end result…back-to-back soaking rain events for the Mid-Atlantic/Northeast US from Friday into Monday.
Following the passage of the second storm system, very chilly air for early May will flood the northeastern quadrant of the country for the Monday-to-Wednesday time period and the atmosphere will be quite unstable. As a result, there are likely to be some instability rain showers during the first half of next week and snowflakes and/or ice pellets can mix in across some of the higher-elevation, interior locations of the Mid-Atlantic/Northeast.
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The weather will improve today with early day clouds giving way to some sunshine…better enjoy it as back-to-back soaking rain events are on the for Friday/Saturday and Sunday/Monday. High pressure will build back into the area today, but its influence will be short-lived. A series of low pressure systems will pass through the area from tomorrow into early next week providing us multiple rounds of rain. In addition to the rain, this wet spell will generally be on the cool side with temperatures below-normal and it’ll be quite windy for much of the time. Unusually cool air for the beginning of May will follow on the heels of the second storm system for the first half of next week.
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An active weather pattern will bring us multiple chances for rain in coming days with the first opportunity coming today into early tonight as a cool front passes through the region. High pressure will build back into the area on Thursday providing us with decent weather; however, this break in the action will be rather short-lived. Low pressure will bring more rain here from Friday into Saturday and then an even stronger system could result in a soaking rain event from later Sunday into Monday.
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Cold air outbreaks continue to work their way from Canada into the US as we wind down the month of April and it appears they will continue to do so right through the early part of May. As long as this kind of pattern holds, there will be an enhanced threat of severe weather outbreaks in the US and an increased chance for the formation of strong storm systems. In fact, more severe weather is possible on Wednesday in places like Texas and Oklahoma as cold, dry air advances from the west and clashes with entrenched warm, humid air across the south-central US. This severe weather threat will then shift eastward to Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama by Thursday afternoon.
Looking ahead, there are signs for a soaking rain event in the eastern US from Friday into Saturday and then a second and perhaps stronger system may form later in the weekend and produce more significant rain in the Mid-Atlantic/Northeast US. This second storm system may feature some strong-to-severe thunderstorm activity of its own in its warm sector from late Sunday into Monday and perhaps even some wet snow and/or ice on its cold side in some of the higher-elevation, interior spots of the northeastern US…just as we begin the month of May.
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High pressure will remain in control of the weather today and it’ll be dry, but also slightly colder-than-normal for this time of year. An approaching cold front can cause showers later tomorrow into tomorrow night and a thunderstorm may be generated as well. The late week and weekend are looking quite unsettled with rain likely later Friday/Friday night and then a strong storm could produce soaking rain here from later Sunday into Monday.
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Tropical activity is likely to be nearly normal this season in the Atlantic Basin with competing factors in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. In a normal Atlantic Basin tropical season, there are about 14 named storms, 7 hurricanes, and 3 of those actually attain “major” classification status (i.e., category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale).
The major factors involved with this year’s tropical outlook include the development of El Nino in the equatorial Pacific Ocean which generally acts to suppress activity in the Atlantic Basin due to increased wind shear. The development of El Nino in the Pacific Ocean with warmer-than-normal sea surface temperatures comes after three years of La Nina conditions. Meanwhile, the Atlantic Ocean features plenty of warmer-than-normal water which is generally favorable for the development and/or intensification of tropical activity in the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico. Indeed, the warmer-than-normal sea surface temperature pattern in the western Atlantic Ocean makes the east coast somewhat more vulnerable than normal to what I like to call “home-grown” tropical hits during this upcoming tropical season.
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An initial cold front came through the Mid-Atlantic region on Saturday night and then a secondary system passed through last night paving the way for even cooler air as we begin the new work week. Temperatures here today will likely hold to near 60 degrees for afternoon highs and the overnight can feature some patchy frost in outlying areas. High pressure will push into the region today and stay in control of the weather for the next couple of days, but showers will threaten by Wednesday afternoon and the weekend can feature another soaking rain event.
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Soaking rain is on the way for the Mid-Atlantic region and there is a threat for strong-to-severe thunderstorm activity as well from later today into tonight. The greatest risk of severe weather will be in the DC-to-Philly corridor with lesser chances across New York City. The main severe weather hazard with this advancing strong cold front will be damaging wind gusts, but hail and even isolated tornadoes are on the table. The front pushes off the east coast by early Sunday paving the way for a cooler and breezy finish to the weekend and a secondary cold front will pass through on Sunday night paving the way for even cooler conditions on Monday.
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High pressure remains in control today as we end the work week providing us with some sunshine and unusually warm conditions for the latter part of April. Temperatures should peak in the upper 80’s and this unusual warmth can be a record-breaker in some spots. The main system of interest this weekend will be a strong cold front that’ll edge its way through the Ohio Valley on Saturday and then likely generate some heavy rainfall around here from later tomorrow into Saturday night. Severe thunderstorms are a threat as well with this frontal passage and the time period of concern for the active weather in the metro region will be 3-11pm. It’ll turn cooler on Sunday following the passage of the initial cold front and then a secondary cold front will pass through on Sunday night and usher in even cooler air for Monday.
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Cold air outbreaks from Canada into the US continue on a regular basis as we progress through the month of April and this has led to occasional accumulating snow across parts of the northern US and to severe weather outbreaks farther to the south. The leading edge of the latest cold air outbreak pushed into the middle of the nation last night resulting in some tornadic activity across Oklahoma and several inches of snow can fall later today/tonight in the Northern Plains. This strong cold front will slide across the Ohio Valley early Saturday and then impact the eastern states from later Saturday into Saturday night. The impact in the I-95 corridor from DC-to-Philly-to-NYC can include some heavy rainfall and there is the potential for severe thunderstorm activity as well.
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