Flash flooding, road closures, and travel delays expected as torrential downpours hit the region.
Flash flooding, road closures, and travel delays expected as torrential downpours hit the region.
People across the Northeast are encouraged to stay weather aware over the coming days as a swath of tropical moisture can result in damaging consequences of eastern Pennsylvania to Maine. “In some locations, a month’s worth of rain could fall in a matter of hours,” said AccuWeather’s expert team of forecasters.
The heavy rain can be insult to injury for portions of New England where downpours on Friday resulted in the closure of U.S. Route 4 in Killington, Vermont, after a mudslide flung debris across the roadway, making it impassable. Flash flooding was also reported in the Washington, D.C., and Baltimore metro areas, eastern Pennsylvania and eastern New York state to close out the week.
“High amounts of moisture available in the atmosphere will make this upcoming weather system a very efficient producer of torrential downpours,” said AccuWeather meteorologists.
“Rainfall rates could reach 2 inches per hour in some locations as the system slowly moves,”said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Adam Douty. “Infrastructure in the metro areas may not be able to handle rainfall of this magnitude, and as a result, rising water could quickly inundate some locations.”
“The rain from Sunday night can result in significant travel delays for the Monday morning drive, especially if there are road closures due to high water,” said AccuWeather Meteorologist Alex DaSilva.
In Boston, downpours are expected to be most intense from later Monday, perhaps for the commute home, to early Tuesday morning.
“Widespread rainfall totals of 2–4 inches are forecast across the Northeast with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 10 inches,” said DaSilva.
The historical average rainfall for the entire month of July is generally between 3 and 4.50 inches for the major cities across the Northeast. During this event, some locations could pick up that entire amount or even double, and it may fall within the span of hours.
The moisture-laden air will ram into the mountains of upstate New York and New England, resulting in an enhancement of downpours in the higher terrain. Air that hits mountain ranges is forced to rise upward, and that upward motion results in an enhancement of clouds and precipitation.
“We are closely monitoring the risk of mudslides in the Green Mountains of Vermont. The heaviest rain is forecast to fall across the Green Mountains and that, combined with the rain that fell on Friday, can increase the chance of dangerous mudslides in the mountains,” said DaSilva.
There will be another weather hazard for residents and visitors alike to be on alert for as the weekend comes to a close and the second week of July begins.
“Thunderstorms across the mid-Atlantic on Sunday afternoon will be capable of producing hail, damaging wind gusts and isolated tornadoes, in addition to flooding downpours,” said DaSilva.
Locations where the ground is saturated from rainfall to end the week will face a higher likelihood of gusty winds knocking over trees and power lines in any of the more intense thunderstorms.
AccuWeather meteorologists say downpours will gradually ease from west to east on Monday and Tuesday as the weather system responsible for the deluge shifts farther to the north and east.
A slight reduction in humidity levels across the interior Northeast early next week will offer a brief reprieve from the stifling conditions of late. Hot weather with high humidity will be quick to rebound as the week progresses, however.
Produced in association with AccuWeather
Edited by Judy J. Rotich and Newsdesk Manager
