Good morning,
As we track Tropical Storm Sandy into Jamaica today, it's a bit alarming to look toward the weekend and what this storm may become. We have the threat of a huge Nor'Easter developing this weekend and maintaining strength through early next week, with the worst impacts likely from New York to New England.
Check the alarming wording from the National Weather Service's Hydrological Prediction Center. This is a snippet of their discussion from late yesterday.
THEREIN LIES THE STORM'S MENACE- A POWERHOUSE CAPABLE OF WHIPPING
THE ATLANTIC INTO A FRENZY AND CHURNING UP DANGEROUS TIDES. OF
PARTICULAR NOTE IS THE COINCIDENCE OF THE FULL MOON ON SUNDAY,
OFTEN A SIGNIFICANT FACTOR IN HISTORICAL EVENTS. THE OCEAN EFFECTS
OF THE SYSTEM MAY STILL BE REALIZED EVEN IF POST-TROPICAL SANDY
DOES NOT MAKE LANDFALL IN THE UNITED STATES. BESIDES THE WIND, THE
OTHER SENSIBLE WEATHER THREAT IS HEAVY RAINS, WITH HEAVY SNOWS
POSSIBLE ON THE SOUTHWEST SIDE OF THE HYBRID CIRCULATION WHERE
CONTINENTAL POLAR AIR RUSHES ACROSS THE CENTRAL APPALACHIANS.
Here are a couple of images from the European weather model
First for Sunday afternoon, followed by one for Monday night. It shows heavy rain and driving winds in Central and Eastern Virginia. If I had a boat on the bay or a tidal river or steam, I'd carve out some time to get it out of the water Saturday, in case this forecast holds. If I had an event outside Sunday, I'd try to get it moved to Saturday.
And here's a run from Monday night, with the storm making landfall near NYC. Our impacts in VA will be lessening at this time but it's still windy and chilly with showers while the Northern Mid-Atlantic (New Jersey/New York) gets the worst of it.
*obviously a storm that bears watching with forecast confidence expected to go way up by midday tomorrow, as the computer models will be get a better grip on the strength of the dip in the jet stream developing now on our west coast.*
We'll keep you up-to-date on our TV Weathercasts. In fact, this morning, I'm devoting very little time to the current weather and short term forecast, which is GORGEOUS!
Have a good day,
Andrew Freiden
