A storm system moving through the eastern states could bring locally flooding rainfall and strong winds that could topple trees and knock out power, especially in New England. In its wake, the return of colder air means heavy lake-effect snow will develop in the Great Lakes.
Breaking through the threats
Heavy rain
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Widespread rain will affect road and air traffic in the northeast until Wednesday evening.
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Heavy rain may occur at times, leading to localized flooding, especially in urban areas and areas with poor drainage.
Current radar
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The greatest risk of flooding is in New England, where local rainfall could reach 2 to 4 inches. Some minor river flooding is possible in the region.
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High wind
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Strong gusty winds will affect much of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast coasts through Wednesday evening.
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High winds that could knock out power or down trees are most likely from Long Island to eastern New England, including the Boston and Providence metro areas. Gusts of 50 to 60 km/h are possible in these areas.
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Those high winds could occur in some severe thunderstorms developing from the southeast coast to the coast of southern New England. A few tornadoes are even possible in far eastern North Carolina.
Snowfall
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While a small amount of accumulating snow could impact interior areas of the Northeast as colder air arrives Wednesday and Wednesday nights, the heaviest amounts will come from lake effect snow. Some Great Lakes snow belts could receive a foot or more of snow through early Friday, including near and south of Buffalo, New York.
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Expect hazardous or impossible travel conditions due to snow and wind east of Lakes Erie and Ontario.
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Gusty winds and colder temperatures will impact the rest of the Northeast.
Chris Dolce has been a senior meteorologist at Weather.com for more than 10 years after starting his career at The Weather Channel in the early 2000s.
