Maine’s Portland (AP) Due in part to an atmospheric river and a building bomb cyclone, the U.S. East Coast is expected to see a potentially dangerous, windy, and rainy stretch of weather that may cause whiplash.
Forecasters warned that from Tuesday night to Wednesday night, the storm would bring strong winds and a lot of rain to several locations, possibly causing floods in some areas. Additionally, utilities were preparing for possible power disruptions due to damage from winds that in some places could reach speeds of above 60 miles per hour (27 kph).
According to Derek Schroeter, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Gray, Maine, an atmospheric river—a lengthy band of water vapor that can carry moisture from the tropics to more northern regions—is one of the main elements influencing the weather.
Because it could draw moisture from the Atlantic Ocean off the southeast coast of the United States and carry it to areas like western Maine, which could experience freezing rain, torrential downpours, abnormally high temperatures, and destructive winds in a single day, the storm has the potential to have a significant impact on New England, according to Schroeter. According to Schroeter, the state was getting ready for a complex storm that would dump two to three inches of rain in some places.
From Tuesday evening until Wednesday evening, similar circumstances might have existed elsewhere.
With the freezing rain on Tuesday night, we’re looking at the risk of slick travel, and as temperatures rise into the 50s (10–15 Celsius), we’ll be keeping an eye out for the possibility of flash floods and sudden rises on streams, Schroeter added.
Additionally, forecasters warned that the storm might involve a bomb cyclone, a process known to meteorologists as “bombogenesis.” That is the ability of a cyclone to intensify quickly and with the potential to generate heavy rainfall.
The Northeast was already bracing for severe weather in certain areas. Tuesday started with a couple of inches of snow, and some schools in Maine were operating on a delay. From Wednesday afternoon until Thursday morning, Vermont is under a flood watch.
Residents in Montpelier, Vermont, were being advised by the city to elevate goods in basements and low locations that are susceptible to flooding and to prepare for mild flooding in the area. The city announced on Tuesday that it will be closely monitoring the river levels during this storm and has been in communication with Vermont Dam Safety and the National Weather Service.
On Wednesday, ski resorts in the Northeast were getting ready for what might be a stormy day. The southern Vermont resort, Stratton Mountain Resort, advised visitors to bring Gore-Tex clothing because the weather is expected to be wet.
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This item was written by Lisa Rathke of the Associated Press in Marshfield, Vermont.
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