Severe weather and flooding threat.....
Posted: Sat Sep 27, 2003 10:46 am
Good afternoon folks. A busy day here in the mid atlantic today and tonight as a strong autumn cold front roars in. Complicating matters is a wave of low pressure, which will move up along the cold front later today into tonight. That could slow the forward progression of the front and enhance the heavy rain threat and flooding threat as well. Thus flood watches are in effect for the following counties and states below.
In Pennsylvania....Carbon, Monroe, Cambria, Carmeron, Clearfield, Somerset, Adams, Bedford, Blair, Centre, Clinton, Columbia, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniaata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lycoming, Mifflin, Montour, Northumberland, Perry, Potter, Schuylkill, Syyder, Sullivan, Tioga, Union, York, Fayette, Indiana, Jefferson, and Westoreland Counties.
In Maryland... Garrett, Allegany, Washington, Fredrick, Carroll, Baltimore, Howard, Montgomery, Anne Arundel, Prince Georges, and Harford Counties including the city of Baltimore and the District of Columbia.
In Virginia.. Nelson, Orange, Greene, Highland, Stafford, Madison, Culpeper, Page, Rappahannock, Fauquier, Warren, Shenandoah, Clarke, Loudoun, Albemarle, Augusta, Spotsylvania, Rockingham, Prince William, Arlington, Fairfax, and Fredrick Counties. This includes the independent cities of Fairfac, Alexandria, Falls Church, Manassas, and Manassas Park, Winchester, Fredricksburg, Charlottesville, Staunton, Waynesboro, and Harrisonburg.
In West Virginia...counties include Pendleton, Hardy, Jefferson, Hampshire, Berkeley, Mineral, Morgan, Grant, Preston and Tucker Counties.
Recent heavy rains of the past several weeks has made the soils saturated in this area. Rainfall amounts of 1-3 inches will flood streams and creeks in a very short period of time. Main stem rivers will likely reach bankful in the flood watch areas. If rain accumulates in the 3-5 inch range, river flooding is not impossible. Be alerted to rapidly rising water and move to higher ground if a flood warning is issued or if the situation warrants. DO NOT drive through water covered roads. Most people die in flash floods by driving through flooded roads. You may think it's 1/2 to 1 foot deep when after the fact your cars gets swept away down the creek and you're claiming to life. Don't take any chances driving through flooded raods, Turn around and find an alternate route. Best bet is just stay home during this flooding situation or pull off to the side of the road until the situation improves. Heavy rains will be a major problem later today for the middle atlantic states.
Also complicating matters is severe weather. The flood watch area is destablizing in sunshine and high humidity. As a strong cold front moves east with strong winds aloft and unstable air ahead of it, showers and storms will develop. The main severe threat will be damaging winds. However as the wave of low pressure moves up along the front later this evening, Large hail and isolated tornadoes are possible as well as low level winds back from the southeast with a southwest wind aloft. Just enough shear could be present to promote a tornado threat as well. Severe weather watches may become neccessary later today. Certainly a situation worth keeping an eye on.
Behind the front, much cooler temperatures will move in for Sunday and beyond. Highs in the major metros from New York to DC will only be in the 60s Monday. However it may stay just in the 40s in the mountain peaks of western PA and western MD Monday and Tuesday. A frost and hard freeze will likely end the growing season in the mountains northwest of the major metros early next week. So some big changes. Before that, we'll have to likely pay a price with severe storms and flooding rains. I'll keep ya updated.
Jim
In Pennsylvania....Carbon, Monroe, Cambria, Carmeron, Clearfield, Somerset, Adams, Bedford, Blair, Centre, Clinton, Columbia, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniaata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lycoming, Mifflin, Montour, Northumberland, Perry, Potter, Schuylkill, Syyder, Sullivan, Tioga, Union, York, Fayette, Indiana, Jefferson, and Westoreland Counties.
In Maryland... Garrett, Allegany, Washington, Fredrick, Carroll, Baltimore, Howard, Montgomery, Anne Arundel, Prince Georges, and Harford Counties including the city of Baltimore and the District of Columbia.
In Virginia.. Nelson, Orange, Greene, Highland, Stafford, Madison, Culpeper, Page, Rappahannock, Fauquier, Warren, Shenandoah, Clarke, Loudoun, Albemarle, Augusta, Spotsylvania, Rockingham, Prince William, Arlington, Fairfax, and Fredrick Counties. This includes the independent cities of Fairfac, Alexandria, Falls Church, Manassas, and Manassas Park, Winchester, Fredricksburg, Charlottesville, Staunton, Waynesboro, and Harrisonburg.
In West Virginia...counties include Pendleton, Hardy, Jefferson, Hampshire, Berkeley, Mineral, Morgan, Grant, Preston and Tucker Counties.
Recent heavy rains of the past several weeks has made the soils saturated in this area. Rainfall amounts of 1-3 inches will flood streams and creeks in a very short period of time. Main stem rivers will likely reach bankful in the flood watch areas. If rain accumulates in the 3-5 inch range, river flooding is not impossible. Be alerted to rapidly rising water and move to higher ground if a flood warning is issued or if the situation warrants. DO NOT drive through water covered roads. Most people die in flash floods by driving through flooded roads. You may think it's 1/2 to 1 foot deep when after the fact your cars gets swept away down the creek and you're claiming to life. Don't take any chances driving through flooded raods, Turn around and find an alternate route. Best bet is just stay home during this flooding situation or pull off to the side of the road until the situation improves. Heavy rains will be a major problem later today for the middle atlantic states.
Also complicating matters is severe weather. The flood watch area is destablizing in sunshine and high humidity. As a strong cold front moves east with strong winds aloft and unstable air ahead of it, showers and storms will develop. The main severe threat will be damaging winds. However as the wave of low pressure moves up along the front later this evening, Large hail and isolated tornadoes are possible as well as low level winds back from the southeast with a southwest wind aloft. Just enough shear could be present to promote a tornado threat as well. Severe weather watches may become neccessary later today. Certainly a situation worth keeping an eye on.
Behind the front, much cooler temperatures will move in for Sunday and beyond. Highs in the major metros from New York to DC will only be in the 60s Monday. However it may stay just in the 40s in the mountain peaks of western PA and western MD Monday and Tuesday. A frost and hard freeze will likely end the growing season in the mountains northwest of the major metros early next week. So some big changes. Before that, we'll have to likely pay a price with severe storms and flooding rains. I'll keep ya updated.
Jim
