Wildfire smoke may follow storms, severe weather in eastern US
Rounds of thunderstorms will continue across the Eastern US raising flooding concerns and damaging winds. Canadian wildfire smoke to return by early week.
Drivers captured video of vehicles stranded in deep floodwaters on New York City’s FDR Drive as heavy rain swamped the area on July 14.
An active pattern for thunderstorms will continue across portions of the Eastern United States, producing damaging wind gusts and flooding, AccuWeather meteorologists say.
A front approaching from the West promoted more widespread thunderstorms and the risk of severe weather across the region on Sunday. More thunderstorms are forecast through Monday night.
Individuals from the Carolinas to New England are urged to monitor the weather into Monday night and have many ways to receive warnings and be aware of the quickest means to get to safety.
Severe risk to focus across the East
As the front slowly pushing across the East, it will interact with warm, moist air, promoting the risk of severe thunderstorms into Monday night.
Those traveling on the road or in the air, including along interstates 40, 80 and 81, will need to prepare for potential delays due to thunderstorms.
The risk will shift focus on the area from North Carolina into far western Maine. Localized damaging wind gusts up to 60 miles per hour and frequent lightning is expected.
Another hazard from the thunderstorms will be heavy downpours, heightening the risk for flash flooding.
"One issue with storms in the summertime is when they erupt, they can grow skyward and move very slowly at the same time--just like they do in tropical rainforests or jungles. This has the potential to unload a tremendous amount of rain," said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.
A widespread 1-2 inches of rain is forecast for portions of the mid-Atlantic and the Northeast, with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 5 inches.
The drenching thunderstorms are expected to impact portions of the I-95 corridor, including Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and New York City during the evening commute. Heavy downpours could bring reduced visibility, ponding on roads and slowed travel.
Small streams could also have water rises and should be monitored.
Smoke slated to return to the East early week
Smoke from ongoing Canadian wildfires in Saskatchewan and Manitoba was ushered into the Midwest and Great Lakes regions over the weekend, causing a hazy sky and air quality alerts in the thickest smoke.
Now, the same front that will spark severe thunderstorms will also steer the smoke farther east into portions of the Northeast.
The thickest smoke is expected to be concentrated from upstate New York through western Maine and into parts of Canada, including Ottawa and Montreal. In this zone, air quality can be reduced, resulting in potentially hazardous conditions for susceptible populations such as the elderly and those with respiratory ailments. Individuals are encouraged to avoid spending large amounts of time outside and take breaks often.
Haze can be noticeable in the sky elsewhere across the Northeast, reaching as far south as Philadelphia and Baltimore. Smoke in the atmosphere can enhance sunrises and sunsets, providing more vibrant colors.
AccuWeather Forecast Intern Julia Angerman contributed content to this article.
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