The odds are increasing for a large and powerful storm to take shape and deliver a wide variety of adverse weather conditions in the days following the Thanksgiving holiday. As it develpoes, the dynamic storm will expand northward over the Northeast on Monday and into Tuesday.
If the storm unfolds the way AccuWeather meteorologists believe it will, a host of adverse weather conditions has the potential to cause significant travel disruptions over the eastern third of the nation. Heavy rain, gusty winds and some snow are on the post-Thanksgiving menu.
As the storm strengthens Monday, winds could become strong enough to break tree limbs and cause power outages. Winds frequenting 20-40 mph with 50-mph gusts are forecast over a broad area along the mid-Atlantic and New England coasts at the height of the storm from Monday to Tuesday.
“The storm is also forecast to roughly coincide with the full moon on Monday, Nov. 30,” according to AccuWeather Expert Meteorologist Dan Kottlowski. Tides are astronomically higher around the time of the full moon and will add to anticipated high water levels along the Atlantic coast.
A general 1-2 inches of rain is forecast with locally higher amounts to 3 inches as the storm moves northeastward. Where the rain falls on saturated ground, rapid runoff may cause small streams to rise to reach their banks. Street flooding can be made worse where leaves have fallen and blocked storm drains.
Rain and wind will not be the only troublesome aspects of the storm as colder air is forecast to invade the system and lead to a transition to snow in portions of the Appalachians.
These areas would likely receive rain or a wintry mix at the onset of the storm, but then a transition to snow or snow showers from Monday to Tuesday. Factoring in strong winds as the storm strengthens and draws in cold air, blizzard conditions can unfold in part of the snow area. Since temperatures may be within a few degrees of 32 degrees Fahrenheit, or perhaps even the middle 30s, the snow is likely to be wet and clingy, which can weigh down tree limbs and potentially lead to power outages. Gusty winds may increase the danger for limbs to break and take power lines with them. Road surfaces in the snow area may range from just wet to slushy and snow-covered where the heaviest snow persists.
Another key factor in the storm will be the warm and moist air that is likely to be drawn northward from the Gulf of Mexico and the Gulf Stream over the western Atlantic Ocean.
