Stormy weekend unfolds as nor'easter grinds northward along Atlantic coast
By
Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Nov 14, 2019 5:18 PM EDT
High winds, heavy surf and drenching rain began pounding part of the southern Atlantic coast on Friday and into Saturday, and some impacts from the big nor'easter will expand to the coastal Northeast throughout the weekend and early this week.
Gale warnings are in effect along the coastline from South Carolina to Maine and storm warnings are in place along the North Carolina coast, which was recently battered by Hurricane Dorian.
In this Saturday, Sept. 3, 2016, file photo, water from Roanoke Sound pounds the Virginia Dare Trail in Manteo, N.C. (AP Photo/Tom Copeland)
After spreading rain eastward across the Deep South Friday night, impacts from the storm began to reach the Outer Banks of North Carolina on Saturday. The storm will continue to strengthen along the Carolina coast while pivoting northeastward on Sunday and Monday.
The difference in pressure between the strengthening storm and high pressure over the interior Northeast will create strong winds from the northeast and north.
Then, a second storm will ride quickly on the nor'easter's heels, and it is forecast to take aim farther north and focus on the Northeast next week.
Most severe impacts to be felt from coastal Carolinas to southeastern Virginia this weekend
The strongest winds are likely from the Outer Banks of North Carolina to the capes of Virginia, near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. In this area, winds are expected to average 25-50 mph with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ gust of 70 mph.
Winds of this strength can break tree limbs and cause sporadic power outages.
The persistent strong winds will push ocean, bay and sound water to levels that are likely to cause coastal flooding.
Saturday night, a maritime station south of Bogue Inlet Pier in Emerald Isle, North Carolina, recorded winds of 81 mph around 11 p.m. EST.
Large waves that build from the persistent winds will be a threat to small craft and lead to beach erosion and may damage roads on the barrier islands, including North Carolina Route 12 which was damaged during Hurricane Dorian.
"It's not a hurricane, but people are being told to prepare as if it were," AccuWeather's National Weather Reporter Jonathan Petramala said.
By late Saturday morning, crews from the North Carolina Department of Transportation had brought in front-end loaders and other equipment to the highway to keep the dunes at bay. The NCDOT closed a portion of NC12 on the Outer Banks at 5 p.m. EST due to the storm.
Overwash became a big problem in the Outer Banks of North Carolina as the Nor'easter skirted up the coast. (Twitter/NCDOT)
After just one high-tide cycle, Petramala reported an area of dunes that had been overtopped, allowing water to flood into a neighborhood. There will be two more high-tide cycles as the storm strengthens.
"The heaviest rain from the storm will fall along the coasts of North and South Carolina, where rainfall is anticipated to average 2-3 inches with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 8 inches," AccuWeather Meteorologist Clay Chaney said.
"While the rain will be beneficial in most areas of the Deep South and along the coast, too much can fall in coastal areas too fast and lead to urban style flooding," Chaney said.
The combination of wind and rain along the Carolina and Virginia coastline will create AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures in the upper 30s to the upper 40s.
In contrast, much of the weekend will be dry and sunny across the interior South, including around Birmingham, Alabama; Atlanta; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Roanoke, Virginia.
Impact in mid-Atlantic, southern New England to be less severe, but significant
Enough wind, waves and above-normal tides are in store to cause significant chill, minor coastal flooding and some beach erosion from Maryland and Delaware to New Jersey, southeastern New York state and eastern Massachusetts from the storm.
Wind-driven waves crash on a sea wall in front of Scituate Lighthouse in Scituate, Mass., Wednesday, March 26, 2014. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)'Wind-driven waves crash on a sea wall in front of Scituate Lighthouse in Scituate, Mass., Wednesday, March 26, 2014. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
Strong winds are forecast to create RealFeel Temperatures in the 20s and 30s along the coast much of the time.
Conditions including the risk of some rain will peak into Sunday night over the Delmarva Peninsula and New Jersey.
The rain is forecast to advance across eastern New York state and New England from late Sunday to Monday. Some areas of eastern Massachusetts, including Boston, could be thoroughly soaked by the storm on Monday.
As the storm tracks up the New England coast to start the work week, enough cold air will remain in place to change the rain into an icy mix in interior portions of the Northeast. This could lead to some icy spots for the morning commute Monday in southern New England.
Download the free AccuWeather app to get the latest updates on the storm and how it might affect your area. Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo
News / Severe Weather
Stormy weekend unfolds as nor'easter grinds northward along Atlantic coast
By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Nov 14, 2019 5:18 PM EDT
High winds, heavy surf and drenching rain began pounding part of the southern Atlantic coast on Friday and into Saturday, and some impacts from the big nor'easter will expand to the coastal Northeast throughout the weekend and early this week.
Gale warnings are in effect along the coastline from South Carolina to Maine and storm warnings are in place along the North Carolina coast, which was recently battered by Hurricane Dorian.
In this Saturday, Sept. 3, 2016, file photo, water from Roanoke Sound pounds the Virginia Dare Trail in Manteo, N.C. (AP Photo/Tom Copeland)
After spreading rain eastward across the Deep South Friday night, impacts from the storm began to reach the Outer Banks of North Carolina on Saturday. The storm will continue to strengthen along the Carolina coast while pivoting northeastward on Sunday and Monday.
The difference in pressure between the strengthening storm and high pressure over the interior Northeast will create strong winds from the northeast and north.
Then, a second storm will ride quickly on the nor'easter's heels, and it is forecast to take aim farther north and focus on the Northeast next week.
Most severe impacts to be felt from coastal Carolinas to southeastern Virginia this weekend
The strongest winds are likely from the Outer Banks of North Carolina to the capes of Virginia, near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. In this area, winds are expected to average 25-50 mph with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ gust of 70 mph.
Winds of this strength can break tree limbs and cause sporadic power outages.
The persistent strong winds will push ocean, bay and sound water to levels that are likely to cause coastal flooding.
Saturday night, a maritime station south of Bogue Inlet Pier in Emerald Isle, North Carolina, recorded winds of 81 mph around 11 p.m. EST.
Large waves that build from the persistent winds will be a threat to small craft and lead to beach erosion and may damage roads on the barrier islands, including North Carolina Route 12 which was damaged during Hurricane Dorian.
"It's not a hurricane, but people are being told to prepare as if it were," AccuWeather's National Weather Reporter Jonathan Petramala said.
By late Saturday morning, crews from the North Carolina Department of Transportation had brought in front-end loaders and other equipment to the highway to keep the dunes at bay. The NCDOT closed a portion of NC12 on the Outer Banks at 5 p.m. EST due to the storm.
Overwash became a big problem in the Outer Banks of North Carolina as the Nor'easter skirted up the coast. (Twitter/NCDOT)
After just one high-tide cycle, Petramala reported an area of dunes that had been overtopped, allowing water to flood into a neighborhood. There will be two more high-tide cycles as the storm strengthens.
"The heaviest rain from the storm will fall along the coasts of North and South Carolina, where rainfall is anticipated to average 2-3 inches with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 8 inches," AccuWeather Meteorologist Clay Chaney said.
"While the rain will be beneficial in most areas of the Deep South and along the coast, too much can fall in coastal areas too fast and lead to urban style flooding," Chaney said.
The combination of wind and rain along the Carolina and Virginia coastline will create AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures in the upper 30s to the upper 40s.
In contrast, much of the weekend will be dry and sunny across the interior South, including around Birmingham, Alabama; Atlanta; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Roanoke, Virginia.
Impact in mid-Atlantic, southern New England to be less severe, but significant
Enough wind, waves and above-normal tides are in store to cause significant chill, minor coastal flooding and some beach erosion from Maryland and Delaware to New Jersey, southeastern New York state and eastern Massachusetts from the storm.
Wind-driven waves crash on a sea wall in front of Scituate Lighthouse in Scituate, Mass., Wednesday, March 26, 2014. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)'Wind-driven waves crash on a sea wall in front of Scituate Lighthouse in Scituate, Mass., Wednesday, March 26, 2014. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
Strong winds are forecast to create RealFeel Temperatures in the 20s and 30s along the coast much of the time.
Conditions including the risk of some rain will peak into Sunday night over the Delmarva Peninsula and New Jersey.
The rain is forecast to advance across eastern New York state and New England from late Sunday to Monday. Some areas of eastern Massachusetts, including Boston, could be thoroughly soaked by the storm on Monday.
As the storm tracks up the New England coast to start the work week, enough cold air will remain in place to change the rain into an icy mix in interior portions of the Northeast. This could lead to some icy spots for the morning commute Monday in southern New England.
Related:
Download the free AccuWeather app to get the latest updates on the storm and how it might affect your area. Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo