More rain, flooding brewing for Midwest, Northeast
Inches of rain will once again pour down on the Midwest and Northeast later this week and likely trigger a new round of flooding. There are also concerns for damaging thunderstorms in part of the region.
Thunderstorms pushing their way up the East Coast will pose a danger for flooding in many parts of the Northeast that are already saturated from recent weeks.
Another siege of wet weather will overtake the Northeast and part of the Midwest into Friday. Along with severe thunderstorms, there is the risk of renewed flooding, AccuWeather meteorologists warn.
A storm that has produced up to 16 inches of rain on the South Central states into Wednesday night will bring its share of downpours and problems to the Midwest and Northeast from into Friday.
Of the many areas set to experience at least a few hours of downpours from the storm, a zone from the southern Appalachians to the Ohio Valley has the potential to experience flash flooding of urban areas and along small streams into Thursday night.
Some of the rivers will surge in the region for the second time in about a week. At the very least, the rainstorm will spoil outdoor plans and delay projects, including plowing and planting operations in agricultural areas.
"Rain, heavy enough to cause flooding, will return from Thursday to Friday in the Northeast," AccuWeather Meteorologist Dean DeVore said. A general 1-3 inches of rain will fall, with locally higher amounts during the middle and latter part of the week.
At the very least, urban flooding problems will increase centered along the Interstate 95 zone from Thursday night to Friday from Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia to New York City and Boston, DeVore said.
Motorists can expect enough rain to trigger ponding on area streets and highways, with some drivers needing to find an alternative route. Enough rain may pour down to overwhelm drainage systems in underpasses.
Despite a few days of mainly dry weather, area streams and rivers remain high in the wake of last week's major rainstorm that capped off an already wet winter and early spring. Flooding occurred in downtown Pittsburgh at the headwaters of the Ohio River late last week. Multiple rivers in the Midwest surged out of their banks this past weekend to the start of this week. Some streams and rivers may experience renewed flooding from the storm late this week.
Since mid-December, many areas have received one and a half to two times their historical average rainfall. For example, 23.11 inches of rain has fallen in New York City from Dec. 15 to April 10, compared to an average of 14.89 inches or 155% of normal.
The small streams and intermediate rivers will likely surge again from late this week to early next week in the Northeast.
Severe thunderstorms to accompany heavy rain, flooding threat
The same storm system will trigger thunderstorms in the region, with a number approaching severe levels into Thursday evening.
Two main pockets of severe weather are likely on Thursday afternoon and evening. One area will exist over the Midwest from eastern Kentucky to much of Ohio and part of western Pennsylvania.
A second area will extend northward from the Southern states. Severe thunderstorms are possible on Thursday from northern Florida to Maryland and Delaware.
Heavy to locally severe thunderstorms over part of the central Appalachians will connect the two zones.
Both zones will bring the full spectrum of severe weather risks ranging from high winds and hail to tornadoes and torrential downpours that may impair visibility, as well as enhance the flash flood risk.
In the wake of the rain and thunderstorms, another burst of cold air will sweep from the Midwest to the East. With the colder air will come flurries and heavier snow showers. Some accumulating snow may occur over the higher elevations of the central and northern Appalachians into the start of the weekend.
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