(Alex Sosnowski) Another nor’easter will form and hover along the East coast during the week of Thanksgiving (Nov. 18 to 23). The storm raises travel and coastal flooding concerns.
How close to the coast the storm tracks will determine how unsettled the weather gets in the I-95 corridor to the Appalachians.
Major cities that could be within the storm’s reach include New York City, Philadelphia, Boston and Washington, D.C.
RELATED: Thanksgiving Travel Weather Trouble Spots Next Week
The early indications are the storm will not be as cold as the storm that brought last week’s fiasco. For most locations, it looks like a “rain or no” situation. The heaviest rain may have trouble backing westward over the central and southern Appalachians.
Some snow would be possible, if the storm were to spin into colder air farther north over part of New England.
One scenario has the possibility of rain and breezy conditions developing over the Carolinas, Virginia and the Delmarva Peninsula Sunday. Rain and wind would pick up and continue to spread slowly northward through the middle of the week.
At least during the early stages, the storm should not be as intense as last week’s nor’easter. However, it may get stronger during the middle of the week, at which point it could wobble into eastern New England or get kicked out to sea.
We will know more on the track and extent of the storm as this week progresses.
With the heavy load of travelers on the roads and at the airports, any inclement weather can put some extra stress on the situation, potentially leading to delays. The issue for aircraft would be low cloud ceilings and crosswinds. The issue for highway travelers would be the volume of traffic, poor visibility and wet roadways. (Photos.com image)
Coastal Flooding, Beach Erosion Concerns
Since the storm will be hovering along the coast or just offshore for days, it will kick up seas and near-coast wave action. Such a storm would raise the risk of beach erosion and minor coastal flooding, especially during times of high tide.
Depending on the angle of the wind relative to the shoreline, there is the potential for water levels to rise to between 1 and 3 feet above normal tides.
Fortunately next week, the first quarter phase of the moon should not have a significant impact on water levels. Tides are generally the highest a day or two after the full and new moon phases.