New tropical system may add to stormy weather along East Coast
By
Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Updated Oct 3, 2021 6:45 AM EDT
Atlantic beaches from New Jersey to Florida may have bigger concerns in the wake of rough surf and rip currents stirred by Hurricane Sam, which is expected to spin nearly 1,000 miles out to sea on Sunday. Weather conditions will deteriorate along the mid-Atlantic and southern Atlantic coasts this week as a storm system crawls across the region. AccuWeather forecasters warn that the pattern may turn downright stormy ahead of the potential for a tropical system to brew.
The same storm system that lingered over the Central states and brought areas of flooding rain and thunderstorms much of this past week will finally begin to drift eastward this weekend. However, after weather systems are forecast to resume their typical west-to-east motion for a time, another atmosphere traffic jam is likely to develop in the eastern third of the United States and over waters in the western Atlantic this week.
The slow movement of the storm system along the Eastern Seaboard will prolong the stormy weather across the region stretching from Georgia to Virginia and the Delmarva Peninsula.
"The next holdup in the weather pattern may lead to days of wet weather, gusty winds on the coast and above-normal tides in portions of the mid-Atlantic and southern Atlantic coasts during the middle and latter parts of this week," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Bill Deger said.
A non-tropical storm is forecast to develop in the zone from the interior Southeast to the Carolina or Virginia coast. The worst conditions in terms of rain and wind — and just how nasty conditions become — will be determined by exactly where the storm forms.
At the same time, an area of high pressure will push from the Great Lakes to the Northeast, and that may prevent clouds and rain from reaching part of the Northeast this week. However, the flow of air around that high and the developing storm farther south could generate stiff breezes or even easterly to northeasterly gales in parts of the mid-Atlantic and southern Atlantic coast.
"While some coastal flooding can occur at times of high tide from the effects of the new moon and king tides this week, the added effects from the northeast winds could bring more significant coastal flooding and perhaps beach erosion from the mid-Atlantic to the southern Atlantic coasts," Deger said. King tides are the astronomically highest tides of the entire year, according to the City of Miami Beach website.
Because of the combined effects from the tides and onshore winds, cities that have had trouble with high water in the past, such as Charleston, South Carolina, Miami, and Norfolk, Virginia, may take on water as the stormy weather unfolds this week.
Inland from the coast, drenching rain is likely to accompany gusty winds, and locally strong thunderstorms could occur during the middle and latter part of the week.
As if the stormy setup won't be miserable enough, signs are pointing toward a budding tropical system in the zone from the central Caribbean to the Bahamas later this week.
This portion of the Atlantic tends to become a tropical hot spot from October to November as the train of tropical waves moving west from Africa tends to weaken.
AccuWeather Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski has been warning of potential tropical activity during October stemming from the area around the Caribbean since last week.
There is some uncertainty as to exactly where the tropical system may develop and just how strong it will become.
"Strong forecast wind shear should prevent a tropical system from forming just east of the zone from Florida to the Carolinas this week," AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said. But, farther south, wind shear is forecast to drop off later this week and will be practically zero from the Bahamas to the central Caribbean. That is where tropical storm formation is most likely to happen from the middle of this week to next weekend, Rayno added.
It could be a weak tropical low-pressure area, a depression or a strengthening tropical storm that takes shape, but the problem shaping up for the U.S. Atlantic coast is that steering breezes are likely to guide any system that develops in that zone northward. That could then factor into or follow the stormy conditions along the southern Atlantic and mid-Atlantic coasts.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
In a worst-case scenario, there could be a strengthening tropical storm or hurricane moving northward right along the U.S. Atlantic coast next weekend into next week with the potential for strong winds, heavy rain and coastal flooding. Since those conditions could follow on the heels of a potent non-tropical storm, major problems could unfold. At the very least, long-duration stormy conditions are expected for some coastal communities.
It is too early to say with certainty if the trouble spot will evolve into the next named tropical storm of the 2021 season as some tropical waves continue to emerge off the Africa coast. And there is only one more name left on the list for this season: Wanda. Beyond the 21st named storm, a supplemental list that has been prepared by the World Meteorological Organization will be utilized to name storms.
AccuWeather is projecting up to 25 named storms, up to 10 hurricanes and five to seven major hurricanes (Category 3 or greater) this season.
For the latest weather news check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, DIRECTVstream, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios. AccuWeatherNOW is streaming on Roku and XUMO.
Report a Typo
News / Hurricane
New tropical system may add to stormy weather along East Coast
By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Updated Oct 3, 2021 6:45 AM EDT
Atlantic beaches from New Jersey to Florida may have bigger concerns in the wake of rough surf and rip currents stirred by Hurricane Sam, which is expected to spin nearly 1,000 miles out to sea on Sunday. Weather conditions will deteriorate along the mid-Atlantic and southern Atlantic coasts this week as a storm system crawls across the region. AccuWeather forecasters warn that the pattern may turn downright stormy ahead of the potential for a tropical system to brew.
The same storm system that lingered over the Central states and brought areas of flooding rain and thunderstorms much of this past week will finally begin to drift eastward this weekend. However, after weather systems are forecast to resume their typical west-to-east motion for a time, another atmosphere traffic jam is likely to develop in the eastern third of the United States and over waters in the western Atlantic this week.
The slow movement of the storm system along the Eastern Seaboard will prolong the stormy weather across the region stretching from Georgia to Virginia and the Delmarva Peninsula.
"The next holdup in the weather pattern may lead to days of wet weather, gusty winds on the coast and above-normal tides in portions of the mid-Atlantic and southern Atlantic coasts during the middle and latter parts of this week," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Bill Deger said.
A non-tropical storm is forecast to develop in the zone from the interior Southeast to the Carolina or Virginia coast. The worst conditions in terms of rain and wind — and just how nasty conditions become — will be determined by exactly where the storm forms.
At the same time, an area of high pressure will push from the Great Lakes to the Northeast, and that may prevent clouds and rain from reaching part of the Northeast this week. However, the flow of air around that high and the developing storm farther south could generate stiff breezes or even easterly to northeasterly gales in parts of the mid-Atlantic and southern Atlantic coast.
"While some coastal flooding can occur at times of high tide from the effects of the new moon and king tides this week, the added effects from the northeast winds could bring more significant coastal flooding and perhaps beach erosion from the mid-Atlantic to the southern Atlantic coasts," Deger said. King tides are the astronomically highest tides of the entire year, according to the City of Miami Beach website.
Because of the combined effects from the tides and onshore winds, cities that have had trouble with high water in the past, such as Charleston, South Carolina, Miami, and Norfolk, Virginia, may take on water as the stormy weather unfolds this week.
Inland from the coast, drenching rain is likely to accompany gusty winds, and locally strong thunderstorms could occur during the middle and latter part of the week.
As if the stormy setup won't be miserable enough, signs are pointing toward a budding tropical system in the zone from the central Caribbean to the Bahamas later this week.
This portion of the Atlantic tends to become a tropical hot spot from October to November as the train of tropical waves moving west from Africa tends to weaken.
AccuWeather Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski has been warning of potential tropical activity during October stemming from the area around the Caribbean since last week.
There is some uncertainty as to exactly where the tropical system may develop and just how strong it will become.
"Strong forecast wind shear should prevent a tropical system from forming just east of the zone from Florida to the Carolinas this week," AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said. But, farther south, wind shear is forecast to drop off later this week and will be practically zero from the Bahamas to the central Caribbean. That is where tropical storm formation is most likely to happen from the middle of this week to next weekend, Rayno added.
It could be a weak tropical low-pressure area, a depression or a strengthening tropical storm that takes shape, but the problem shaping up for the U.S. Atlantic coast is that steering breezes are likely to guide any system that develops in that zone northward. That could then factor into or follow the stormy conditions along the southern Atlantic and mid-Atlantic coasts.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
In a worst-case scenario, there could be a strengthening tropical storm or hurricane moving northward right along the U.S. Atlantic coast next weekend into next week with the potential for strong winds, heavy rain and coastal flooding. Since those conditions could follow on the heels of a potent non-tropical storm, major problems could unfold. At the very least, long-duration stormy conditions are expected for some coastal communities.
It is too early to say with certainty if the trouble spot will evolve into the next named tropical storm of the 2021 season as some tropical waves continue to emerge off the Africa coast. And there is only one more name left on the list for this season: Wanda. Beyond the 21st named storm, a supplemental list that has been prepared by the World Meteorological Organization will be utilized to name storms.
AccuWeather is projecting up to 25 named storms, up to 10 hurricanes and five to seven major hurricanes (Category 3 or greater) this season.
More to see:
For the latest weather news check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, DIRECTVstream, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios. AccuWeatherNOW is streaming on Roku and XUMO.
Report a Typo