Timing, Expectations for Tri-State Weather Nightmare

USA Topics

What to Know

  • Dreaming of a white Christmas? Storm Team 4 says not so fast, but lots of rain and strong winds may make your holiday travel a pain [hhmc]

  • Anywhere from 1 to 3+ inches of rain could swamp the tri-state area from late Thursday into early Saturday[hhmc]

  • Christmas Eve may see a few showers or snow flurries, but Christmas Day will be sunny with highs in the 40s[hhmc]

Traveling for the holidays? Storm Team 4 is tracking a powerful storm that could slow down your trip into Saturday morning.

Showers associated with this system began to dampen parts of the tri-state area by mid-afternoon Thursday, and the weather only worsened over the evening. The rain will intensify and winds will pick up overnight as the storm tracks over the region, bringing periods of heavy rain and raging winds overnight and through part of the day Friday, Storm Team 4 says.

Friday's morning commute will be rough as well, Storm Team 4 says. Powerful winds out of the southeast could produce gusts up to 45 mph in spots, which could take down trees and power lines and cause outages across the region.

Rain, Winds Threaten Christmas TravelRain, Winds Threaten Christmas Travel

A widespread 1-2 inches of rain is expected by the time the showers move out Saturday, but some spots could see up to 3 inches or more. Flooding remains a concern for a large portion of the area through Friday night. A flood watch is in effect for the entire tri-state from late Thursday night through late Friday night. Click here for all severe weather alerts for your neighborhood.

If there's an upside, it's that it won't be as cold. A southerly flow will push milder air back into the region, sending highs near 60 degrees on Friday.

Extreme Weather Photos: Mount Etna, NairobiExtreme Weather Photos: Mount Etna, Nairobi

Travel is expected to be difficult through much of Saturday, returning to normal holiday gridlock later in the day into Sunday.

Christmas Eve may see a few showers or snow flurries, but Christmas Day will be sunny with highs in the 40s, Storm Team 4 says.

Top Tri-State News PhotosTop Tri-State News Photos

[contf] [contfnew]

USA Today

[contfnewc] [contfnewc]