Drying Time Needed in the Northeast
In the wake of the powerful nor'easter that delivered heavy rain and flooding, what the Northeast needs now is a long stretch of rain-free weather for clean-up operations.
It appears Mother Nature will deliver just that spanning Tuesday through Friday. Some coastal areas in the Northeast may be free of rain this weekend as well.
Photo of the Potomac River at Williamsport, Md., taken by AccuWeather.com Facebook user David Vanderveer.
Episodes of rainfall and runoff will decline in the Northeast as the powerful nor'easter that sparked windswept rain and flooding dissolves to the east the next couple of days.
The worst of the flooding occurred in eastern Massachusetts, New Jersey and northern Virginia and West Virginia where between 4 and 8 inches of rain fell spanning late Friday into Monday morning.
Most streams and rivers have crested as of Monday midday. Steams will fall quickly, while some rivers will remain above flood stage for the next couple of days.
Most flooding along the major rivers in the Northeast was limited to unprotected low-lying areas. However, many of the lesser rivers in New Jersey and southeastern New England were undergoing moderate or major flooding.
Flooding in Seward, Pa., along the Conemaugh River this weekend. Photo taken by AccuWeather.com Facebook user Ronald Shawley.
At peak, close to 500,000 people were without power as tropical storm-force gusts knocked down a tremendous amount of trees in the soggy soil, taking power lines with them from New Jersey to Massachusetts. Gusts reached hurricane force in the New York City area.
Over 100,000 people were still without power in the Northeast Monday.
Scores of trees were blown into homes and onto area roadways.
While conditions will improve in the Northeast, the people over the northern Plains are just beginning a long ordeal with flooding.
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Daily U.S. Extremes
past 24 hours
| Extreme | Location | |
|---|---|---|
| High | 82° | Gila Bend, AZ |
| Low | -13° | Clayton Lake, ME |
| Precip | 1.24" | Spanish Fork, UT |
WeatherWhys®
The "Dead of Winter," the one-month period when normal temperatures reach their lowest levels, has come to an end for much of the United States. Some people may find it odd that the "Dead of Winter" does not encompass the darkest day of the year (the first day of winter). That is due to a seasonal lag in temperatures. More heat continues to be lost than is gained from the start of winter until this time of year.
This Day In Weather History
Gulf Coast 1 (899)
ry cold morning along Gulf Coast; New Orleans 6.8 deg.; Mobile -1 deg.; Pensacola 7 deg.; Tallahassee -2 deg (All time record for Florida. Brownsville 12 deg. (all time low).
North Dakota 1 (936)
this date the mercury plummeted to -60 deg. at Parshall, ND - the coldest temperature ever for the State of ND. Later the same year, the mercury soared to 121 deg. at Steele, ND - the hottest temperature ever for the state of ND.
Rough Weather
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