Storm will pack a punch in northeastern US as April begins
April will start on a soggy note for the Northeast as a low-pressure system delivers unsettled weather to the region.
The same storm that brought a major outbreak of severe weather and damaging winds to the central United States on Friday will be no slouch in the East into Saturday evening. AccuWeather meteorologists warn that high winds, severe thunderstorms and downpours could make outdoor plans challenging, if not dangerous, as well as potentially cause power outages throughout the region.
April started on a soggy note along the Interstate 95 corridor as windswept rain stretched from Washington, D.C., to Boston on Saturday morning.
AccuWeather meteorologists say the weather will dry out for several hours behind this initial push of wet weather, before a potentially damaging line of showers and thunderstorms evolves later in the day.
As the storm pivots across southern Canada, its circulation will remain strong enough to cause a trailing cold front to race eastward at 40-60 mph from the Appalachians to the Atlantic coast.
The risk of severe thunderstorms will extend from northeastern Ohio and southwestern New England to as far south as Georgia and northern Florida on Saturday. As the storms approach regional and major airport hubs, ground stops are likely to be issued until the threat has passed.
Following a gap in thunderstorm activity for a time Saturday afternoon in the mid-Atlantic, a second line of thunderstorms may roll through during the late afternoon and evening hours. These storms are likely to be severe, packing high winds and perhaps an isolated tornado.
Normally, very strong winds remain high above the ground during most storm systems. But, in this case, the strong winds will be much closer to ground level and will be noticeable in the form of powerful gusts, especially in the Northeast.
Widespread wind gusts between 50 and 60 mph are in store, but a zone where gusts could reach 60 to 70 mph is likely from Ohio to West Virginia and large portions of Virginia, Pennsylvania and Maryland. AccuWeather Local StormMax™ wind gusts of 80 mph are possible in this zone.
At this strength, trees can be knocked over and large branches may crash down. As a result, forecasters say that numerous power outages are possible.
Saturday is the first day of trout season in Pennsylvania, and tens of thousands of anglers will take to area streams. The strong winds may be more than a nuisance. In wooded areas, there will be a risk of falling tree limbs. In addition, the rapid motion expected with any thunderstorms presents an enhanced lightning for anyone caught on the water because there may be less time to get to safer ground as storms quickly approach.
Runners in the Charlottesville, Virginia, marathon may face challenges from gusty winds and wet weather.
For the first pitch of Major League Baseball games in the Bronx and Washington, D.C., late Saturday afternoon, showers and thunderstorms will have likely moved through already. However, gusty winds are in store from the southwest, west and northwest. A line of severe storms may approach from the west during the late innings. Rain and thunderstorms will be in the vicinity of Fenway Park for the start of the scheduled game between the Boston Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles.
As colder air races in behind the front on Saturday, rain showers will change to snow showers during the afternoon and evening from northeastern Ohio and northwestern Pennsylvania to western and northern New York and northwestern New England. A few inches of snow could pile up in isolated locations, mainly in western and northern New York, where lake-effect bands set up for a time.
Sunday will be the nicer of the two weekend days by far, with at least partial sunshine in store for most locations. The day is likely to start off windy in the central Appalachians and mid-Atlantic regions, and much of the day may be blustery in upstate New York and New England.
Runners in the Queens Marathon in New York City will experience northwest winds and temperatures that rise slowly through the 40s. AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures are forecast to settle in the 20s and 30s for a time.
Warmth will build across much of the region early next week as a major storm with blizzard conditions and more severe weather eyes the Central states.
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