Third winter storm may pester East Coast next week
A storm forecast to bring rain and thunderstorms to the South this weekend may make a northward turn along the Atlantic coast or sweep out to sea early next week.
A new storm will emerge east of the Rockies early this weekend. The storm is projected to bring locally heavy rain and gusty thunderstorms over the Mississippi Valley, mainly south of the confluence of the Missouri and Ohio rivers.
While widespread flooding is not foreseen, enough rain may fall at a fast enough pace to cause localized urban and small stream flooding. Not enough rain is likely to fall to impact river levels significantly with this particular storm.
The Deep South will be monitored for the risk of severe thunderstorms this weekend as the storm progresses eastward.
By Sunday, rain is forecast to drench areas from Virginia to Georgia. However, some snow or a wintry mix may develop in parts of West Virginia, central Maryland and the mountains of western Virginia.
"During early next week, the storm will reach the southern Atlantic coast and may continue to head eastward and well out to sea or may reorganize, strengthen and turn northward," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dan Pydynowski.
A track straight out to sea would mean no heavy precipitation for much of the Northeast, while a northward track that hugs the coast might mean another nor'easter with strong winds and heavy rain and/or snow.
"There is a window of opportunity for one or two disturbances aloft to help strengthen the storm quickly enough to make a northward turn near the coast," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Bob Smerbeck. "If either of these two disturbances fail to interact fast enough, the storm will swing too far out to sea for a nor'easter early next week."
The most likely scenario at this point is a close call but no major storm for the Interstate 95 corridor from Philadelphia to New York City and Boston during Monday and Tuesday.
Even if the storm turns northward offshore, winds and seas may increase to create blustery and cold weather over land and rough conditions along the coast. The region may be brushed by light rain and snow.
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The proximity to the coast of that northward turn would also affect the strength of the wind and state of the seas in the coastal Northeast.
People on the coast and with travel interests in the Northeast should monitor the progress of the potential storm.
The northeastern United States has been hit hard by storms during early March, including the bomb cyclone from March 2. Lives were lost, scores of trees were downed, and at one point, power was out to 2.5 million utility customers. The worst conditions were along the coast of Massachusetts, where sea walls were beached and communities sustained major flooding and damage.
AccuWeather will continue to provide updates on the new storm potential in the coming days.
