The latest details on the looming severe weather threat.
Thunderstorms will shift to the Atlantic Seaboard along the same cold front that ignited severe storms and tornadoes in the lower Mississippi Valley Wednesday and Wednesday night.
While the setup is not as intense as that which yielded the wild weather Wednesday, a few of the storms can become severe into Friday.
Greenville, S.C., Charlotte, N.C., Roanoke and Lynchburg, Va., Martinsburg, W.Va., Altoona, Pa. and Rochester, N.Y. are among the cities that could lie in the path of the storms, which have the potential to be gusty at the local level into Thursday evening.
The greatest risk from the storms is for gusts strong enough to knock over trees and power lines. A couple of the strongest storms can also bring hail and produce a short-lived tornado.
Heavy rain and frequent lightning will be found in thunderstorms, whether they turn severe or not. Motorists should be prepared for blinding downpours during the afternoon and evening commute, especially along stretches of I-40, I-81, I-85 and I-95.
Thursday night, the storms will shift eastward to the mid-Atlantic coast, putting Wilmington and Raleigh, N.C., as well as Richmond and Norfolk, Va., at risk for drenching rain and locally strong winds.
Rain and thunderstorms will focus across the mid-Atlantic and portions of New England during at least part of Friday.
**New York City lies within the area that could experience major weather-related travel delays during Friday from urban flooding, blinding downpours and locally gusty thunderstorms.**
"@KATV_Weather @MRHstormchaser just north of Hazen. It was trying. twitpic.com/b546hp," tweeted Michael Hook.
Behind the passing front, the weather will be mild and sunny along the I-95 corridor over the weekend. Highs will be in the 60s and 70s in the big cities from Washington, D.C., to Boston.
Meanwhile, cooler weather with spotty showers will move into the interior Northeast over the weekend. Highs will top out in the 50s across much of the interior on Saturday.
Expert Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski contributed to the content of this story.
The storm responsible for the wind, cold, rain and snow in the Northeast Friday and Saturday will slowly ease up for the balance of the holiday weekend.
A few days after a chilly storm departs the Northeast, warm weather will make a strong comeback in parts of the Midwest and the East later next week.
During Sunday's race, the skies will be variably cloudy with the risk of a few showers.
"This pup was literally singing when he saw his family," Michelle Karolicki, relocation program manager of the Central Oklahoma Humane Society, said about a reunion that took place on Thursday.
Another plunge of chilly air will set the stage for the risk of a frost and freeze centered Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia and other nearby states this weekend.
Downpours and locally severe thunderstorms over the Central states will not only foil holiday weekend activities, but will also put some lives at risk.
| Extreme | Location | |
|---|---|---|
| High | N/A | |
| Low | N/A | |
| Precip | N/A |
New England (1967)
(25th-26th) Coastal New England battered by a
great Nor'easter. Winds mounted to 70-80 mph
on the coast. Blue Hill had sustained
winds of 60 mph and Logan had sustained
winds of 50 mph. Lowest pressure of 29.30"
was measured over the ocean; 5-10" of snow
fell in the Berkshires with considerable damage
to the tobacco crop in the Connecticut River
Valley. Temperature dropped to 31 degrees at
Pittsfield on the 30th for a remarkable end
of May freeze.
Illinois (1917)
A tornado of long duration was observed for
7 hours and 20 minutes and was said to extend
293 miles. The storm struck Mattoon and
Charleston, killing 70 people.
Cut Bank, MT (1982)
35 degrees with a mix of snow and rain. The
high temperature from the previous day was 78.
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