Hurricane-force wind gusts to lash parts of US
By
Jake Sojda, AccuWeather meteorologist
Published Oct 29, 2019 2:40 PM EST
AccuWeather Chief Broadcast Meteorologist Bernie Rayno has the forecast for a strong storm system that will arrive in the Northeast on Halloween and possibly trigger a "widespread, damaging wind event."
As if soaking rain, accumulating snow and bitterly cold air weren't enough, strong winds will also whip a large swath of the nation as a potent storm system hits the United States at the end of October.
From Thursday through Friday gusty winds will blast across the Great Lakes as a powerful storm system moves through the region. As a cold front blasts across the Northeast, much colder air will also be ushered across the Great Lakes for the weekend.
Winds will intensify Thursday and persist into Friday across the Great Lakes, Ohio Valley and Northeast as the center of the strengthening storm shifts from the lower Mississippi Valley into the eastern Great Lakes. The strongest winds are expected to occur late Thursday and Thursday night.
Peak wind gusts will increase to 45-55 mph across a large area from the Great Lakes and eastern Ohio Valley through the Northeast and mid-Atlantic.
The combination of dangerous crosswinds for high-profile vehicles and precipitation will result in travel disruptions.
Unabated by the lake waters, some gusts along the coasts of the eastern Great Lakes can reach hurricane force (74 mph or greater).
"Farther away from shorelines, friction caused by trees, buildings and varying terrain help to reduce the magnitude of the wind some," Bill Deger, AccuWeather meteorologist, said. "The open waters of lakes or the ocean provide very little frictional resistance, allowing for stronger wind gusts to occur closer to the shore."
These gusts will pose a significant threat to high-profile vehicles traveling through the region. Interstate 90, running very near to the Lake Erie shore, could prove particularly hazardous to high-profile vehicles. Some of the strongest wind gusts of the event may occur from around Cleveland up the Lake Erie shore to Buffalo, New York, as southwesterly to westerly winds funnel up the lake.
Coastal flooding will also be significant problem, mainly along the eastern shores of the Great Lakes and along the Atlantic coast, especially at high tide. The worst coastal flooding will threaten the eastern ends of lakes Erie and Ontario, where an event called a seiche will occur.
"A seiche is when strong winds blowing largely parallel to a lake for an extending period cause water to 'pile up' at the end of the lake," Rossio said.
Even away from immediate coastlines, wind gusts will be plenty strong enough to pose a threat. Downed trees and power lines can occur throughout the Great Lakes and Northeast.
This windstorm will also expand the regions where peak fall foliage viewing will come to an end. Most of the Great Lakes and northern mid-Atlantic into southern New England is still at high or peak color, according to the Foliage Network. The gusty winds late this week will rip many of the leaves from the trees in this zone.
Winds will gradually subside across the Great Lakes and Northeast later Friday.
Download the free AccuWeather app to see the latest forecast for your region. Keep checking back for updates on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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News / Weather News
Hurricane-force wind gusts to lash parts of US
By Jake Sojda, AccuWeather meteorologist
Published Oct 29, 2019 2:40 PM EST
AccuWeather Chief Broadcast Meteorologist Bernie Rayno has the forecast for a strong storm system that will arrive in the Northeast on Halloween and possibly trigger a "widespread, damaging wind event."
As if soaking rain, accumulating snow and bitterly cold air weren't enough, strong winds will also whip a large swath of the nation as a potent storm system hits the United States at the end of October.
From Thursday through Friday gusty winds will blast across the Great Lakes as a powerful storm system moves through the region. As a cold front blasts across the Northeast, much colder air will also be ushered across the Great Lakes for the weekend.
Related:
Winds will intensify Thursday and persist into Friday across the Great Lakes, Ohio Valley and Northeast as the center of the strengthening storm shifts from the lower Mississippi Valley into the eastern Great Lakes. The strongest winds are expected to occur late Thursday and Thursday night.
Peak wind gusts will increase to 45-55 mph across a large area from the Great Lakes and eastern Ohio Valley through the Northeast and mid-Atlantic.
The combination of dangerous crosswinds for high-profile vehicles and precipitation will result in travel disruptions.
Unabated by the lake waters, some gusts along the coasts of the eastern Great Lakes can reach hurricane force (74 mph or greater).
"Farther away from shorelines, friction caused by trees, buildings and varying terrain help to reduce the magnitude of the wind some," Bill Deger, AccuWeather meteorologist, said. "The open waters of lakes or the ocean provide very little frictional resistance, allowing for stronger wind gusts to occur closer to the shore."
These gusts will pose a significant threat to high-profile vehicles traveling through the region. Interstate 90, running very near to the Lake Erie shore, could prove particularly hazardous to high-profile vehicles. Some of the strongest wind gusts of the event may occur from around Cleveland up the Lake Erie shore to Buffalo, New York, as southwesterly to westerly winds funnel up the lake.
Coastal flooding will also be significant problem, mainly along the eastern shores of the Great Lakes and along the Atlantic coast, especially at high tide. The worst coastal flooding will threaten the eastern ends of lakes Erie and Ontario, where an event called a seiche will occur.
"A seiche is when strong winds blowing largely parallel to a lake for an extending period cause water to 'pile up' at the end of the lake," Rossio said.
Even away from immediate coastlines, wind gusts will be plenty strong enough to pose a threat. Downed trees and power lines can occur throughout the Great Lakes and Northeast.
This windstorm will also expand the regions where peak fall foliage viewing will come to an end. Most of the Great Lakes and northern mid-Atlantic into southern New England is still at high or peak color, according to the Foliage Network. The gusty winds late this week will rip many of the leaves from the trees in this zone.
Winds will gradually subside across the Great Lakes and Northeast later Friday.
Download the free AccuWeather app to see the latest forecast for your region. Keep checking back for updates on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo