Mother’s Day weekend rainstorm to usher in big changes to eastern US
By
Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published May 4, 2022 11:03 AM EST
|
Updated May 6, 2022 4:56 AM EST
A storm rolling in from the central United States will slow down long enough to make rain at least a two-day event and put a damper on Mother's Day weekend for portions of the central Appalachians and mid-Atlantic regions, AccuWeather meteorologists say. But even after the weekend is over and the storm leaves, it will remain a player in how the weather transforms over much of the eastern half of the nation.
The storm destined to spread soaking rain from the Midwest to the mid-Atlantic coast from Friday to Saturday will have a lot of unique characteristics as far as which areas are adversely affected and which are not both in the short and long term.
The storm's track will allow dry air to hold its ground from northern New York state to northern and central New England from Friday and on through Mother's Day.
"There is likely to be a very sharp northern edge to the rain and a few dozen miles or less may be the dividing line between a thorough soaking, just clouds and even partly sunny conditions from Friday to Saturday," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dave Dombek said. The drenching rain will probably never reach Boston, while Burlington, Vermont, and Augusta, Maine, could bask in the sunshine Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
A thorough soaking is in store on Friday from central Illinois to the northern and central portions of Indiana, Ohio, much of Pennsylvania and New Jersey to the southern tier of Michigan and New York state. An umbrella and waterproof shoes will be needed in Indianapolis, Pittsburgh and Columbus, Ohio. Where it rains much of the time, temperatures may be no higher than the 50s F, with AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures in the 40s.
The back edge of the steady rain is expected to progress eastward so that much of the Midwest that is affected by the rain initially will dry out on Saturday. Only spotty showers are likely for the 148th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.
Conditions will slowly dry out from Saturday to Sunday from the central Appalachians to the mid-Atlantic. Clouds, rain and drizzle may linger all day on Saturday in Pittsburgh, New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. Outdoor weddings and graduations will need a backup plan, forecasters say, and a strengthening breeze may cause the rain to blow sideways and could render tents and canopies useless. Enough rain can fall from the storm to lead to small stream and street flooding in some locations.
Winds along the mid-Atlantic coast will lead to rough surf, minor coastal flooding and beach erosion this weekend. "From coastal New York to Virginia, east to northeast winds are likely to blow steadily between 15 and 25 mph with gusts frequenting 35-50 mph," Dombek said.
"Even though rain may taper to drizzle, Mother's Day will not be nice on the beach in the mid-Atlantic with chilly, gusty winds and rough surf," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson said.
The storm is likely to stall just off the Eastern Seaboard next week and cause gusty winds and rough surf linger to along the mid-Atlantic coast and spread southward.
"The storm's proximity and strength will determine how extensive and rough coastal conditions are from New Jersey to Florida," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Joe Lundberg said, adding that "the rain could help ease abnormally dry to severe drought conditions from the coastal areas of the Carolinas to southeastern Georgia."
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
This is a time of the year when coastal municipalities are readying beaches for the upcoming summer season. An extended period of windy conditions, rough surf and above-normal tides will lead to beach erosion and coastal flooding.
Sometimes when non-tropical storms linger long enough over warm water, such as the Gulf Stream, they can take on tropical characteristics.
AccuWeather meteorologists will be watching the system closely for any potential tropical or subtropical development over near-coast Atlantic waters from the latter part of next week to next weekend. Steering winds could take any system that forms back toward the U.S.
"There is a low chance of subtropical development along or just off the southern Atlantic coast later next week," Lundberg said.
"Regardless of development, gusty winds, rough surf and dangerous rip currents are likely along the Atlantic coast from the Carolinas to Florida, along with the likelihood of showers and suppressed temperatures," Lundberg added.
The same storm scheduled to bring rain from the Midwest to the mid-Atlantic into this weekend will also help create a zone of improving weather in its wake.
An atmospheric traffic jam that will be created by the storm offshore next week will allow a large northward bulge in the jet stream to develop from the western Gulf Coast to the Great Lakes, the western slopes of the Appalachians and New England. Within this zone, AccuWeather meteorologists are calling for abundant sunshine, dry weather and building warmth. The first widespread, major heat wave of the season will unfold over middle of the nation.
For many of these areas, conditions from later this weekend to next week are likely to represent the longest stretch of dry weather combined with the most widespread, warmest conditions of the year so far. This could be just what the doctor ordered for sports enthusiasts, farmers and outdoor construction workers seeking an extended stretch of warm, rain-free days.
High temperatures from the mid-70s to the mid-80s could be widespread over the Midwest and interior Northeast. However, along the mid-Atlantic coast, after some improvement early in the week, the weather may deteriorate and temperatures may trend downward during the middle and latter half of the week as the storm wanders back toward the coast. Upon its return closer to shore, it will cause an increase in clouds and showers.
For the latest weather news check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch the AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios. AccuWeather Now is now available on your preferred streaming platform.
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News / Weather Forecasts
Mother’s Day weekend rainstorm to usher in big changes to eastern US
By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published May 4, 2022 11:03 AM EST | Updated May 6, 2022 4:56 AM EST
A storm rolling in from the central United States will slow down long enough to make rain at least a two-day event and put a damper on Mother's Day weekend for portions of the central Appalachians and mid-Atlantic regions, AccuWeather meteorologists say. But even after the weekend is over and the storm leaves, it will remain a player in how the weather transforms over much of the eastern half of the nation.
The storm destined to spread soaking rain from the Midwest to the mid-Atlantic coast from Friday to Saturday will have a lot of unique characteristics as far as which areas are adversely affected and which are not both in the short and long term.
The storm's track will allow dry air to hold its ground from northern New York state to northern and central New England from Friday and on through Mother's Day.
"There is likely to be a very sharp northern edge to the rain and a few dozen miles or less may be the dividing line between a thorough soaking, just clouds and even partly sunny conditions from Friday to Saturday," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dave Dombek said. The drenching rain will probably never reach Boston, while Burlington, Vermont, and Augusta, Maine, could bask in the sunshine Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
A thorough soaking is in store on Friday from central Illinois to the northern and central portions of Indiana, Ohio, much of Pennsylvania and New Jersey to the southern tier of Michigan and New York state. An umbrella and waterproof shoes will be needed in Indianapolis, Pittsburgh and Columbus, Ohio. Where it rains much of the time, temperatures may be no higher than the 50s F, with AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures in the 40s.
The back edge of the steady rain is expected to progress eastward so that much of the Midwest that is affected by the rain initially will dry out on Saturday. Only spotty showers are likely for the 148th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.
Conditions will slowly dry out from Saturday to Sunday from the central Appalachians to the mid-Atlantic. Clouds, rain and drizzle may linger all day on Saturday in Pittsburgh, New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. Outdoor weddings and graduations will need a backup plan, forecasters say, and a strengthening breeze may cause the rain to blow sideways and could render tents and canopies useless. Enough rain can fall from the storm to lead to small stream and street flooding in some locations.
Winds along the mid-Atlantic coast will lead to rough surf, minor coastal flooding and beach erosion this weekend. "From coastal New York to Virginia, east to northeast winds are likely to blow steadily between 15 and 25 mph with gusts frequenting 35-50 mph," Dombek said.
"Even though rain may taper to drizzle, Mother's Day will not be nice on the beach in the mid-Atlantic with chilly, gusty winds and rough surf," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson said.
The storm is likely to stall just off the Eastern Seaboard next week and cause gusty winds and rough surf linger to along the mid-Atlantic coast and spread southward.
"The storm's proximity and strength will determine how extensive and rough coastal conditions are from New Jersey to Florida," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Joe Lundberg said, adding that "the rain could help ease abnormally dry to severe drought conditions from the coastal areas of the Carolinas to southeastern Georgia."
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
This is a time of the year when coastal municipalities are readying beaches for the upcoming summer season. An extended period of windy conditions, rough surf and above-normal tides will lead to beach erosion and coastal flooding.
Could the storm lead to tropical trouble?
Sometimes when non-tropical storms linger long enough over warm water, such as the Gulf Stream, they can take on tropical characteristics.
AccuWeather meteorologists will be watching the system closely for any potential tropical or subtropical development over near-coast Atlantic waters from the latter part of next week to next weekend. Steering winds could take any system that forms back toward the U.S.
"There is a low chance of subtropical development along or just off the southern Atlantic coast later next week," Lundberg said.
"Regardless of development, gusty winds, rough surf and dangerous rip currents are likely along the Atlantic coast from the Carolinas to Florida, along with the likelihood of showers and suppressed temperatures," Lundberg added.
Boom! It could suddenly feel like summer next week
The same storm scheduled to bring rain from the Midwest to the mid-Atlantic into this weekend will also help create a zone of improving weather in its wake.
An atmospheric traffic jam that will be created by the storm offshore next week will allow a large northward bulge in the jet stream to develop from the western Gulf Coast to the Great Lakes, the western slopes of the Appalachians and New England. Within this zone, AccuWeather meteorologists are calling for abundant sunshine, dry weather and building warmth. The first widespread, major heat wave of the season will unfold over middle of the nation.
For many of these areas, conditions from later this weekend to next week are likely to represent the longest stretch of dry weather combined with the most widespread, warmest conditions of the year so far. This could be just what the doctor ordered for sports enthusiasts, farmers and outdoor construction workers seeking an extended stretch of warm, rain-free days.
High temperatures from the mid-70s to the mid-80s could be widespread over the Midwest and interior Northeast. However, along the mid-Atlantic coast, after some improvement early in the week, the weather may deteriorate and temperatures may trend downward during the middle and latter half of the week as the storm wanders back toward the coast. Upon its return closer to shore, it will cause an increase in clouds and showers.
More to read:
For the latest weather news check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch the AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios. AccuWeather Now is now available on your preferred streaming platform.
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