Flash Flood Risk Returns to I-95 Cities This Weekend, One Week After the Last One

A Level 1 out of 4 flash flood risk is in the forecast for the Northeast this weekend as more heavy rain moves into the region. What cities should prepare for the messy conditions, and when will the bulk of the rain arrive? Here is what you need to know heading into the weekend.

Dry Period Over for the Northeast

Another wave of downpours is bearing down on the populated Interstate 95 corridor in the coming days, less than one week after flash flooding gripped the northeastern corner of the country. The most potent rain bands are set to hit on Sunday, impacting travel, NFL games, and other outdoor activities. Major metro areas such as Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. will all be in the potential impact zone of the heavy rain.

The unsettled weather as of late can be blamed on a stubborn heat dome that has been anchored over much of the southern U.S. Several disturbances have been riding along the northern edge of this dome, resulting in persistent rain for the Plains and the Midwest. These storms are expected to track to the east as the weekend progresses, putting millions of Americans in the path of the volatile impacts.

The primary disturbance expected to affect the Interstate 95 corridor will menace the Great Lakes on Saturday. For example, Saturday will be the rainiest day of the weekend in Detroit. Some of the western edges of the interior Northeast may also see rain begin to fall by the end of the day. The arrival of the rain and cloud cover will also bring down temperatures. Places such as Detroit will struggle to climb out of the low to mid 60s for highs this weekend.

East Coast Will Be Under Threat of Flooding by Sunday

The bulk of the moisture will move into the Northeast beginning on Sunday morning, pushing into New York and Pennsylvania before hitting southern New England by early afternoon. Residents of New York City will wake up to clouds and the threat of rain that hangs on through the day. Highs will top out in the upper 60s in the Big Apple.

It was less than a week ago that flash flooding unleashed across Connecticut and New Jersey. The ground in this region remains overly saturated, meaning that it will not take a lot of moisture to support the development of more flooding concerns.

A Level 1 out of 4 flash flood risk has been issued for Sunday across a zone from Ohio into Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New York, Massachusetts, the southern fringe of New England, and parts of the mid-Atlantic. Rainfall totals will hover around 1 to 2 inches from Saturday into Sunday from western New York and up into southeastern New England. Higher amounts of 2 to 3 inches are possible in western Massachusetts, upstate New York, Cape Cod, and other islands in this area.

Gusty winds are also possible over the weekend as the storm system gets sandwiched between two areas of high pressure.

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