Category: Posts EN

Christmas Storm Set to Wallop the Northeast U.S. with Flooding and High Winds!

Written by Team Morecast

 

An unusually strong and large storm will sprint northeastward late this week, bringing a surge of warm tropical moisture into the Northeast. Less than a week ago, this region saw a massive snowstorm that left feet of accumulation on the ground. Heavy rains and the rapid melting of this recent snow will lead to major flooding. Meanwhile, vicious southerly winds ahead of a sharp cold front will bring down numerous trees and large branches. Widespread power outages could spoil many a Christmas morn!

 

 

 

The system in question is currently approaching the Great Lakes. High winds and heavy snows on the west flank of the system are creating dangerous blizzard conditions through the Upper Midwest (see tweet videos above). Isolated tornadoes are keeping residents of Louisiana awake tonight to the south. This Gulf moisture will race up the Eastern Seaboard on Christmas Eve, dropping widespread 1.5-3 inch (38-75 mm) totals in a matter of hours (see map below). Some of the favorable south-facing terrain of the central and northern Appalachians will enhance rainfall locally up to 4-5 inches (75-125 mm). These same areas saw the heaviest snows with the recent storm, exceeding three feet (90 cm) in some locations. Rapid melting of this snow due to new rains and warm temperatures will lead to serious flash flooding. Many streams and rivers will surge out of their banks as well in the coming days.

 

 

The other hazard on the warm side of the system will be destructive southerly winds. Southern New England will bear the brunt of this threat on Friday morning. Gusts of 50-65 mph (80-105 kph) will be common.  A few exposed islands and coastal areas will see gusts as high as 75 mph (120 kph), especially near fast-moving thunderstorm cells. Winds of this magnitude will bring down large branches and uproot trees, knocking down powerlines and leading to widespread power outages. To make matters worse, Friday’s surge of warm air will be replaced late in the day by a wintry blast. Temperatures over the weekend will stay locked below freezing. Households without power will face dangerously cold conditions if an alternative heat source is unavailable. Those with backup generators are urged to prepare for an extended period without main electrical power. Lead photo courtesy flickr user Lauri Vain.

Massive Winter Storm Pummels Northeastern U.S.!

Written by Team Morecast

After a string of mild winters with little snowfall, winter came back with a vengeance in the Northeastern United States on Wednesday into Thursday, as a potent storm delivered a healthy dose of snow to the region.The multifaceted system brought with it heavy snow, sleet, strong winds, and even minor coastal flooding. Although disruptive, many people were delighted to see the snow just in time for the holidays.

In many cities, snowfall totals from just this storm alone exceeded snowfall totals for all of last winter. Some examples include New York City and Philadelphia. For this storm, New York City received 10 inches (25 cm) while last winter the city only received a measly 4.8 inches (12 cm). Meanwhile in Philadelphia the 5.7 inches (14 cm) that fell with this storm bested last years seasonal total of 0.3 inches (0.7 cm).

Not only were the snowfall totals more than what many areas received last winter, they were more than some locations have ever seen. At the height of the storm, snowfall was coming down at the rate of 3-4 inches (8-10 cm) per hour in an expansive band that stretched from interior portions of Pennsylvania into interior sections of New England. Thunder-snow was even reported. This contributed to staggering amounts of snow that were record breaking. Such places include Binghamton, New York, which received 41 inches (104 cm), smashing the previous record of 35.3 inches (90 cm) set in March 2017, and Williamsport, Pennsylvania, where the 24.7 inches (63cm) that fell during this storm surpassed the record of 24.1inches (61cm) set in January 1964. The top honors for highest snow received anywhere during this storm goes to Vestal, New York, where a whopping 45 inches (114 cm) fell.

The storm has proven to be deadly, as 5 fatalities have been reported thus far. At least one of the deaths is attributed to a massive 66 car pileup on Interstate 80 in Pennsylvania. Similar scenarios played out in various states, including New York, where over 600 car crashes were reported as of Thursday morning. Up to 70,000 scattered power outages occurred as strong winds and heavy snow brought down trees and power lines.

In the wake of the storm, very cold air will remain in place over the next few days, as the the fresh snow on the ground will prevent temperatures from rising too much in the daytime, and allow them to drop much more at night. The will almost certainly guarantee a white Christmas for many locales. The first since 2009.


 

Another Monster Hurricane Has Central America In Its Sights!

Written by Team Morecast

 

Hurricane Iota is bearing down on the east coast of Nicaragua with landfall expected Monday night. Iota is a lethal Category Five hurricane with sustained winds to 160 mph (260 kph), the strongest hurricane of this busy 2020 season. It’s also the latest-forming Category Five ever in the Atlantic basin. Iota, like Hurricane Eta less than two weeks ago, has rapidly intensified over the unusually warm waters of the southern Caribbean. In fact, Iota’s intensification is among the five fastest on record. Unfortunately, the resulting storm is even stronger than Eta was on virtually the same trajectory.

 

 

 

One difference between the two storms is that Eta slowed to a crawl as it approached the Nicaraguan coast. That meant a prolonged period of torrential tropical rainbands lashing the region, leading to massive flooding. Rainfall amounts likely exceeded three feet (915 mm) in some mountainous areas. Hundreds of thousands were forced to evacuate homes threatened by raging rivers and landslides. Many of these people remain homeless weeks later, forced to take shelter in temporary shelters or even tents (see tweet video below). They will be particularly vulnerable as Hurricane Iota approaches. Iota isn’t sprinting but is moving faster than Eta, and rainfall amounts should be less. However, rains locally upwards of two feet (610 mm) falling on saturated soils and swollen rivers will lead to renewed catastrophic flooding. Iota could also bring even higher winds gusting to 190 mph (305 kph) as well as storm surge up to 20 feet (6 m) to this region. Already-weakened infrastructure could collapse, leading to much higher death tolls and widespread homelessness.

 

 

Hurricane Eta turned north after impacting Central America and brought significant impacts to portions of Cuba and Florida. Model guidance suggests that Iota’s impacts will not expand beyond Central America, but that’s cold comfort for anxious residents of that battered region.

Eta Makes Final Landfall In Florida!

Written by Team Morecast

After making landfalls in Nicaragua, Cuba, and The Florida Keys over the last week, Eta made it’s fourth and final landfall early on Thursday morning as a tropical storm near Cedar Key, Florida. With winds of 50 mph (80 kph) this was the weakest of the 4 landfalls, but nonetheless, Eta still managed to wreak havoc as it crossed through Central Florida. After being missed by nearly every storm this season, Eta is the first storm of 2020 to make landfall in the state.

Although Eta’s effects in Florida were nowhere near the level of devastation seen in Central America, they still were quite destructive. These effects include flooding rains, damaging winds, and storm surge. With a storm surge of up to 3 feet (0.91 meters), many areas in and around Tampa experienced surge flooding as the water from Tampa Bay flowed in. While the surge flooding inundated many neighborhoods, it was not as bad as anticipated. Winds were also not as high as feared, but were still able to tear off a few roofs from mobile homes, and take down some trees.

While not the staggering rainfall totals seen in South Florida from Eta, where estimates are between 20-25 inches (508-635 mm), the 2-6 inches (51-152 mm) that fell over Central Florida were enough to cause problems. The combination of flooding from rainfall and surge led to numerous water rescues, including 33 people in Pinellas County alone. A man in Bradenton Beach was electrocuted, and died, as he touched an appliance in his flooded home.

Florida was not the only state to see effects from Eta. Moisture drawn in from Eta combined with a cold front to produce devastating flooding in North Carolina from Wednesday into Thursday. 5 deaths are attributed to Eta across that state as rainfall, up to 10 inches (254 mm) in some locations, triggered tremendous flash-flooding. Luckily, Eta will no longer pose a threat to any land mass as its remnants have moved well offshore of the U.S.