Latest news with #Sarsalari
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Northeast, mid-Atlantic face flash flood threat as Omega block brings persistent rain, thunderstorms
NEW YORK – Tens of millions of people in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic are facing a flash flood risk as we close out the weekend and begin a new workweek due to relentless rounds of rain and some thunderstorms fueled by a stubborn Omega blocking pattern over the U.S. An "Omega block" is named after the Greek letter Ω and disrupts the usual zonal flow of weather systems. The FOX Forecast Center said the blocking pattern has caused a so-called cutoff low-pressure system to stall over the Ohio Valley. This system is feeding moisture off the Atlantic Ocean, funneling precipitation into the region. "A cutoff low means that it's cut off from the main flow, meaning that there's nothing around to steer it, meaning that it doesn't move very fast at all," FOX Weather Meteorologist Ari Sarsalari said. "So, this thing is going to linger around the East Coast for a couple of days." On Sunday, scattered downpours and thunderstorms are likely across much of the region, but especially near the Catskills of New York and Poconos of Pennsylvania. It won't be a complete washout on Sunday, so there will be breaks in the rain – which, in some cases, could be a few hours. It will be cool and rainy in places farther north, such as Burlington, Vermont; Portland, Maine; and Buffalo, New York. Farther south, however, it will be warmer. Temperatures in Boston, Philadelphia and Washington will be in the 70s with rain. NOAA's Storm Prediction Center (SPC) said severe weather is from Florida to interior portions of the Northeast on Sunday. The SPC placed those regions in a Level 1 threat on its 5-point severe thunderstorm risk scale. "We're down to a Level 1 risk today," Sarsalari said. "It's a pretty large area. I mean, it goes from the interior Northeast down through eastern Pennsylvania, parts of Virginia, parts of the Carolinas, even down along the Southeast coast." Several inches of rain is likely across portions of the Northeast through Wednesday, with some of the highest totals expected in New York's Hudson Valley and Capital Region, as well as in Connecticut, western Massachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire in New England. "This is a needed rain," Sarsalari continued. "The other thing that's going to come along with this is a flood threat. It's not the highest flood threat we've ever seen." NOAA's Weather Prediction Center (WPC) has highlighted a flood threat across portions of the Northeast, New England and mid-Atlantic through at least Tuesday. So far, the risk is relatively low – only a Level 1 out of 4 threat of flooding. However, flooding can be dangerous and potentially deadly if safety precautions aren't taken. Never drive over a flooded roadway if traveling, and listen to the advice of local officials if Flash Flood Warnings are issued. A rather unusual weather pattern for early May is setting up across the U.s., one that meteorologists warn will lead to a stagnant pattern with prolonged periods of warmth in some areas and steady rain in others. This so-called Omega block will cause two distinct regions of precipitation to dominate the workweek: one stretching from the southern Plains to the Gulf Coast and another affecting the Northeast. "Plenty of moisture will be underneath those lows," FOX Weather Meteorologist Jane Minar said. "It's a slow-moving pattern that will kind of keep us locked in place with rain."Original article source: Northeast, mid-Atlantic face flash flood threat as Omega block brings persistent rain, thunderstorms
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Texas faces threat of 'significant' flash flooding starting Wednesday
SAN ANTONIO – A large section of Texas is set to receive much-needed rainfall as a storm system moves starting Wednesday, but forecasters are warning of the potential for "significant" flooding, particularly south of the Interstate 10 corridor. Some forecast models indicate 4-8 inches of rain could fall by Saturday, which has prompted NOAA's Weather Prediction Center to issue a Level 3 out of 4 risk for flash flooding across South Texas. Flood Watches have been issued for nearly a million Texans, from the Corpus Christi coastal area westward to the Interstate 35 and Interstate 37 corridors. The National Weather Service office in Corpus Christi headlined its watch with: "Numerous flash floods likely with significant events possible." "And yes, this is going to be beneficial rain, but because we have a pretty significant drought going on in this part of the country, when you mix this much rain at a time with a pretty extreme drought, you can end up in a situation where flooding gets really bad in a hurry," said FOX Weather Meteorologist Ari Sarsalari. Why 'High Risk' Flood Days Need To Be Taken Seriously The enhanced flood threat stretches from Houston southward along the coast, all the way to just north of Brownsville, Texas, where the heaviest precipitation is expected to fall. In addition to the heavy rainfall threat, thunderstorms may also produce hail, damaging winds and lightning, which can be just as dangerous and unpredictable. Many parts of the region, including areas around Austin and San Antonio, have experienced a significant lack of rainfall since last year, resulting in drought conditions that range from unusually dry to exceptional. Corpus Christi last reported a precipitation deficit of about 2.75 inches while San Antonio was closer to 4 inches. As a result of the dry conditions, the ground may not be able to absorb the rainfall quickly enough, which could lead to dangerous flash flooding. "Keep in mind when you have a drought, that ground is like concrete, and it's not going to absorb as much as we need," Sarsalari said. "But it's a good thing in the long run. We're at least starting to chip away at it." Which States Are Most At Risk For Flooding? In areas that do flood, just a few inches of rushing water can knock a person off their feet and sweep a vehicle away. In 2003, a Texas forecaster developed the "Turn Around, Don't Drown" slogan after witnessing people venturing through water of unknown depths in inland communities such as Austin and San Antiono. According to the NWS, flash flooding is one of the deadliest weather-related killers in the U.S. every year, with about a hundred fatalities that are tied to sudden flooding article source: Texas faces threat of 'significant' flash flooding starting Wednesday
Yahoo
02-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
37 million from Plains to Southeast face dangerous severe weather threat with tornadoes likely
Tens of millions of people across the U.s. from the Plains to the Southeast are preparing for a potential multiday severe weather outbreak this week, with forecasters warning of threats of large hail, damaging wind gusts and even some strong tornadoes. Strong to severe thunderstorms will be possible across portions of Oklahoma and Texas as we end the weekend on Sunday, but the FOX Forecast Center said the more significant severe weather threat will start on Monday and last through at least Wednesday. How To Watch Fox Weather "We actually do have a little bit of a chance for some severe storms later on this afternoon and evening up in parts of the Texas Panhandle and Oklahoma," FOX Weather Meteorologist Ari Sarsalari said. "But, that's not going to be a big deal compared to this." The FOX Forecast Center said computer forecast models are showing high confidence that ingredients will come together to produce a widespread severe weather event. This includes a strong area of low pressure developing in the Plains, which will then pull in warm and humid air from the Gulf. That will provide the atmospheric energy needed for storms to develop and strengthen. In addition, forecasters are concerned that strong winds aloft moving over the air mass will provide ample wind shear – the change in wind speed and direction with height – to allow for those storms to rotate. Download The Free Fox Weather App According to NOAA's Storm Prediction Center (SPC), a rapidly developing line of thunderstorms could produce severe hail, damaging wind gusts and maybe a tornado or two across portions of the southern Plains by Monday night. Forecasters say some supercell thunderstorms could develop before the storms combine into an organized line, and strong to severe thunderstorms could develop south-southeastward into and across the Interstate 35 corridor from south of the Wichita, Kansas, area, through Oklahoma City and into North Texas. As we head into Tuesday, the severe weather threat will explode in population and coverage, with the SPC placing more than 37 million people from eastern portions of Texas and Oklahoma into western Georgia and the Florida Panhandle at risk of severe weather. However, more than 3.6 million people in southern Arkansas, northern and central Louisiana and central and southern Mississippi have been placed in a level 3 out of 5 risk on the SPC's 5-point severe thunderstorm risk scale. Cities in the threat zone include Shreveport and Bossier City in Louisiana, Little Rock in Arkansas and Jackson in Mississippi. "Expect severe weather," Sarsalari said. "How bad is it going to be? It's a little bit early to be super specific about that, but I think we're going to have at least some tornadoes. We'll have straight-line damaging winds. Is this going to be some kind of big tornado outbreak? I know that's still a little bit uncertain." The severe weather threat will continue to barrel across the U.S. by Wednesday, putting more than 23 million people along the East Coast from the Southeast to the mid-Atlantic at risk of some powerful storms. The FOX Forecast Center said the line of storms on Wednesday may reenergize with the heating of the day, and that has forecasters concerned about the renewed severe weather risk. The SPC placed that region in a level 2 out of 5 threat, including cities like Baltimore, Washington, Virginia Beach and Norfolk in Virginia, Wilmington and Raleigh in North Carolina, Myrtle Beach in South Carolina and Savannah in article source: 37 million from Plains to Southeast face dangerous severe weather threat with tornadoes likely
