Severe thunderstorms will be on the prowl in portions of the northeastern United States through midweek and meteorologists say that some of the storms can unleash damaging winds. The air in place at the start of the week has been quite warm and humid, setting the stage for thunderstorms.
Some of the storms packed a punch on Monday with damaging winds occurring in the Wyoming Valley of Pennsylvania. Powerful wind gusts associated with thunderstorms knocked over utility poles and snapped trees in part of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Storms with damaging winds also struck portions of Virginia, New York state and New England.
There is the potential for a large complex of thunderstorms to develop later Wednesday around Michigan, southwestern Ontario or Ohio and advance southeastward during Wednesday night,” said AccuWeather Forecasting Manager Dan DePodwin.
Even in lieu of a severe thunderstorm complex, people from southeastern Michigan and southwestern Ontario to Ohio, southwestern Pennsylvania, northern West Virginia, western Maryland and northern Virginia should be prepared for storms to come calling during Wednesday to Wednesday night. Some communities can be hit by more than one storm.
Following the double dose of thunderstorms, a brief surge of hot and humid conditions is likely from Thursday into Friday. On Thursday, the heat and humidity will again lead to the risk of severe weather in parts of the region.
This weekend, wet weather this weekend will precede widespread cooler conditions by early next week. Some of the rain this weekend may be associated with Laura, which by then will be a tropical depression or perhaps a tropical rainstorm, especially in portions of the central Appalachians and mid-Atlantic. Meanwhile, a non-tropical system is expected to bring rain farther north.
Both systems could help to trigger another round of severe weather and perhaps localized flooding this weekend as well.
