Gusty storms to blitz across Northeast as seasons quickly change hands
By
Courtney Travis, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Apr 19, 2020 1:49 PM EST
State College, Pennsylvania, looked like a winter wonderland on April 17 after an unseasonal snowstorm blew through central Pennsylvania.
A quick-moving storm will bring with it a multitude of weather and fluctuating temperatures this week, leaving residents of the region wondering what season it is.
"Winds higher up in the atmosphere are quite strong, meaning any shower or possible thunderstorms could introduce a burst of strong winds," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Matt Benz.
This image, captured at 8 a.m. EDT Tuesday, April 21, 2020, shows a storm over Quebec and a trailing band of clouds associated with a strong cold front advancing across the Appalachians. (NOAA / GOES-East)
The strong winds and thunderstorms will be generated as milder air, which started the week, is rapidly exchanged with air more typical of early March.
The storm system tracked through the Great Lakes Monday night, bringing nearly 70 mile per hour wind gusts to Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Many other cities in Michigan and Ohio recorded wind gusts in excess of 40 miles per hour as the line of heavy showers and thunderstorms rolled through.
Locally damaging winds, with and without thunder and lightning, are most likely through eastern Pennsylvania and Maryland, New Jersey and southern New England, during the late afternoon on Tuesday. This includes major cities along the Interstate-95 corridor, such as Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York City and Boston.
People venturing outdoors for a jog or walk while social distancing should closely monitor the weather situation as there are likely to be fast-moving storms that can sweep through and cause sudden, torrential downpours and winds strong enough to break tree limbs.
A tornado warning was issued during the mid-afternoon for part of the New York City area. AccuWeather meteorologists believe that the risk of tornadoes is low with the setup on Tuesday, but an isolated, brief-spin up tornado cannot be ruled-out with the fast-moving thunderstorms. The risk of straight-line wind gusts is of greater concern for a large part of the region into Tuesday night.
Strong wind gusts will also follow the leading edge of the colder air and thunderstorms as well.
Widespread wind gusts of 30 to 40 mph are expected from Lake Michigan to the mid-Atlantic and New England coasts. An AccuWeather Local StormMax™ gust of 55 mph is anticipated in the wake of the line of thunderstorms.
Winds of this magnitude may pose a problem for trucks, cause power outages, and even blow through outdoor tents set up for COVID-19 testing. Trash cans and other unsecured objects can sail through neighborhoods and pose hazards for pedestrians and motorists. The airborne objects can damage vehicle and break windows.
A radar loop shows showers and thunderstorms in green and yellow sweeping across the Northeast on Tuesday, April 21, 2020. (AccuWeather)
In the wake of the front across the Great Lakes, near-normal conditions from early in the week will be replaced with temperatures 5-10 degrees Fahrenheit below normal.
Following a high in the 60s on Monday, temperatures in Chicago plummeted into the 30s Monday night and will only recover to the lower 50s on Tuesday. But the combination of dry air and gusty winds will make it feel more like 30-40 degrees lower at times.
The coldest air will hold over northern Wisconsin and northern Michigan, allowing for late-April snowflakes to fly. Light accumulations of snow are likely, but will be farther north than the last wave of snow that moved through the Midwest.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
However, snow is not in the cards for the entire area of the Upper Midwest.
"This is one of those storms where the region will see a little bit of every season: wintry snow, locally severe thunderstorms of spring and summer, and windy conditions of autumn," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Jake Sojda.
The timing of the front arriving during the day in the Northeast will limit the locations that will have snow on Tuesday. Wet snow will tend to be limited to western and northern New York state and the higher elevations of northern New England. Instead, chilly rain, gusty winds and thunderstorms with small hail will be a concern for much of the balance of the Northeast.
Cloudy skies, the stiff wind and the drop in temperature are likely to bring AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures in the 30s during the day for many.
Temperatures will fluctuate in the Northeast, bouncing back and forth between slightly below normal and a bit above normal on Wednesday and Thursday.
The stormy pattern is likely to return for Friday and the weekend, allowing for some dips in temperature. Still, many cities like Philadelphia, Washington, D.C. and Columbus, Ohio, are likely to reach the 60s for at least a day or two at the end of the week.
As is typical in the spring, temperatures are likely to continue to fluctuate both above and below normal as we continue into May.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo
News / Winter Weather
Gusty storms to blitz across Northeast as seasons quickly change hands
By Courtney Travis, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Apr 19, 2020 1:49 PM EST
State College, Pennsylvania, looked like a winter wonderland on April 17 after an unseasonal snowstorm blew through central Pennsylvania.
A quick-moving storm will bring with it a multitude of weather and fluctuating temperatures this week, leaving residents of the region wondering what season it is.
"Winds higher up in the atmosphere are quite strong, meaning any shower or possible thunderstorms could introduce a burst of strong winds," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Matt Benz.
This image, captured at 8 a.m. EDT Tuesday, April 21, 2020, shows a storm over Quebec and a trailing band of clouds associated with a strong cold front advancing across the Appalachians. (NOAA / GOES-East)
The strong winds and thunderstorms will be generated as milder air, which started the week, is rapidly exchanged with air more typical of early March.
The storm system tracked through the Great Lakes Monday night, bringing nearly 70 mile per hour wind gusts to Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Many other cities in Michigan and Ohio recorded wind gusts in excess of 40 miles per hour as the line of heavy showers and thunderstorms rolled through.
Locally damaging winds, with and without thunder and lightning, are most likely through eastern Pennsylvania and Maryland, New Jersey and southern New England, during the late afternoon on Tuesday. This includes major cities along the Interstate-95 corridor, such as Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York City and Boston.
People venturing outdoors for a jog or walk while social distancing should closely monitor the weather situation as there are likely to be fast-moving storms that can sweep through and cause sudden, torrential downpours and winds strong enough to break tree limbs.
A tornado warning was issued during the mid-afternoon for part of the New York City area. AccuWeather meteorologists believe that the risk of tornadoes is low with the setup on Tuesday, but an isolated, brief-spin up tornado cannot be ruled-out with the fast-moving thunderstorms. The risk of straight-line wind gusts is of greater concern for a large part of the region into Tuesday night.
Related:
Strong wind gusts will also follow the leading edge of the colder air and thunderstorms as well.
Widespread wind gusts of 30 to 40 mph are expected from Lake Michigan to the mid-Atlantic and New England coasts. An AccuWeather Local StormMax™ gust of 55 mph is anticipated in the wake of the line of thunderstorms.
Winds of this magnitude may pose a problem for trucks, cause power outages, and even blow through outdoor tents set up for COVID-19 testing. Trash cans and other unsecured objects can sail through neighborhoods and pose hazards for pedestrians and motorists. The airborne objects can damage vehicle and break windows.
A radar loop shows showers and thunderstorms in green and yellow sweeping across the Northeast on Tuesday, April 21, 2020. (AccuWeather)
In the wake of the front across the Great Lakes, near-normal conditions from early in the week will be replaced with temperatures 5-10 degrees Fahrenheit below normal.
Following a high in the 60s on Monday, temperatures in Chicago plummeted into the 30s Monday night and will only recover to the lower 50s on Tuesday. But the combination of dry air and gusty winds will make it feel more like 30-40 degrees lower at times.
The coldest air will hold over northern Wisconsin and northern Michigan, allowing for late-April snowflakes to fly. Light accumulations of snow are likely, but will be farther north than the last wave of snow that moved through the Midwest.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
However, snow is not in the cards for the entire area of the Upper Midwest.
"This is one of those storms where the region will see a little bit of every season: wintry snow, locally severe thunderstorms of spring and summer, and windy conditions of autumn," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Jake Sojda.
The timing of the front arriving during the day in the Northeast will limit the locations that will have snow on Tuesday. Wet snow will tend to be limited to western and northern New York state and the higher elevations of northern New England. Instead, chilly rain, gusty winds and thunderstorms with small hail will be a concern for much of the balance of the Northeast.
Cloudy skies, the stiff wind and the drop in temperature are likely to bring AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures in the 30s during the day for many.
Temperatures will fluctuate in the Northeast, bouncing back and forth between slightly below normal and a bit above normal on Wednesday and Thursday.
The stormy pattern is likely to return for Friday and the weekend, allowing for some dips in temperature. Still, many cities like Philadelphia, Washington, D.C. and Columbus, Ohio, are likely to reach the 60s for at least a day or two at the end of the week.
As is typical in the spring, temperatures are likely to continue to fluctuate both above and below normal as we continue into May.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo