A storm set to dump heavy, wet snow on millions of people in the Northeast will also scream with high winds in coastal and some inland areas this weekend.
While far from the worst windstorm ever, this screamer will knock out power, down trees and cause damage in New England, New York, New Jersey, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
The storm that will likely break records for October snowfall in New England and the mid-Atlantic will spawn its share of strong winds as it strengthens rapidly over the region.
When we gaze at satellite photos and examine winds during this nor'easter, it may resemble a minimal hurricane or strong tropical storm, complete with an eye developing off the New England shore.
A satellite photo of a nor'easter along the New England coast March 1, 2010. Image courtesy of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
As the storm "bombs out" near Cape Cod Saturday afternoon and evening, sustained winds in that area will increase to 20-40 mph (30-65 kph), but peak gusts can reach 65 mph (105 kph). Areas on eastern Long Island and in Nova Scotia/southeastern New Brunswick may also experience winds close to this strength.
Areas from coastal New Jersey and the lower Delaware Bay northward to the New York Metropolitan area to Boston, interior Maine and New Brunswick will experience 15- to 30-mph (25- to 50-kph) sustained winds with gusts to 50 mph (80 kph).
Winds will shift around from northeast to north, and then northwest as the storm approaches and moves by the region spanning Saturday and Saturday night.
Even in areas that receive little or no snow, the force of the wind on fully leafed trees standing in saturated soil will lead to falling timber.
This could end up being worse than Irene in terms of downed trees and power outages, because winds will be stronger over a larger area.
Trees and limbs can crash down on power lines, houses, vehicles and passing pedestrians. Avoid wooded areas and tree-lined streets during this storm.
People located in areas to be hit by this storm either with snow, rain, wind, or all three may want to have a contingency plan in place in case the power goes out for an extended period of time.
A dangerous outbreak of severe storms will strike the northern High Plains and Canadian Prairies on Wednesday.
Some of the warmest weather of the year will continue across Alaska over the next few days, challenging more records.
Join us on Thursday for AccuWeather LIVE, we will discuss the debate of climate change and hurricane frequency and the top five things you need to know about summer weather.
Warmth is forecast to build over much of the eastern half of the nation by July, with Alaska of all places helping out.
A brief synopsis of the top five worst weather events of last summer.
The storms could affect cities from St. Louis to Evansville, Ind., Louisville, Ky., Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio to Huntington, W.Va.
| Extreme | Location | |
|---|---|---|
| High | N/A | |
| Low | N/A | |
| Precip | N/A |
Philadelphia, PA (1994)
Strong thunderstorm winds blew off a large section
of a hanger roof and also damaged two aircraft.
Iowa (1998)
3-4" rains common across the state.
Southeast China (1932)
Hailstorm in Hunan Province killed 20 people
and injured thousands of others.
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