Worst of rare, multiday severe storms in Northeast brewing as thousands already left without power
As several disturbances ride along the northern edge of a heat dome anchored over the Central Mississippi Valley, a stormy stretch has taken shape across the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Great Lakes, with an increased threat of severe storms capable of destructive winds, large hail and perhaps a tornado or two.
THE TAKEAWAY
As several disturbances ride along the northern edge of a heat dome anchored over the Central Mississippi Valley, a stormy stretch has taken shape across the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Great Lakes, with an increased threat of severe storms capable of destructive winds, large hail and perhaps a tornado or two.
By early Wednesday morning, more than 65,000 customers were without power across Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey, with additional outages and damage possible as storms continue today, along with an ongoing risk of flash flooding.
The multiday severe-weather marathon erupted Tuesday, with numerous Severe Thunderstorm Warnings across Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey as storms brought damaging winds and heavy rain.
Flash flooding occurred across eastern Pennsylvania, while wind gusts topped 55 mph and trees and power lines came down.
As of right now, a Level 2 out of 5 severe storm threat has been issued through Friday for portions of the region.
This is likely the first time areas like Philadelphia have been under a Level 2 out of 5 storm threat for three consecutive days in September since 2023.
The last occurrence in 2023 was the only other time, along with a stretch in 2008, where a span of severe weather days had occurred, making this a rather rare stretch for some, the FOX Forecast Center said.
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As threats continue on Wednesday, the FOX Forecast Center said this will likely be the day with the most damaging wind reports and the greatest potential for power outages.
As clouds and early morning storms begin to break up, enough heating should develop through the afternoon to create a warm, humid, and increasingly unstable atmosphere, and with a more potent upper-level disturbance moving across the region, it will provide the support needed for storms to re-organize later in the day.
The main threats will be damaging wind gusts and large hail, although a couple of tornadoes will also be possible in the strongest storms.
Flash flooding will also be likely, especially across central New York and Pennsylvania, where amounts of moisture will pool up, allowing for storms to produce high rain rates of up to 2 inches per hour and rain totals exceeding 3 inches in some locations.
On Wednesday evening, severe thunderstorms ripped through New York, knocking out power for over 60,000 as of 10:30 p.m. ET.
A confirmed tornado was reported near Somerset, New York, as a waterspout moved onshore northeast of Buffalo.
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Numerous reports of tree damage, hail and strong winds came in from across the region.
These storms will continue to push southeast overnight, with the sights set on parts of the I-95 corridor into early Thursday.
On Thursday, the heat dome to the south will continue to strengthen and shift back west, while more dips in the jet stream will deepen along the East Coast, creating a more favorable pattern for severe thunderstorms across the Mid-Atlantic and eventually the Carolinas.
For the day on Thursday, storms will be ongoing around 6am across cities like New York City and Philadelphia before fizzling out ahead of more afternoon storms.
In addition, numerous record high temperatures will be possible in the exact areas expecting storms.
Thursday's severe threats shift slightly farther south in the Mid-Atlantic, encompassing Washington, D.C. Storms may develop near the Delmarva or areas farther west along boundaries left behind by earlier storms.
A level 2 out of 5 severe storm threat includes Ohio into southern Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland and Delaware, with damaging winds once again serving as the biggest storm threat.
"All the ingredients from the previous two days will come back into play as we head into Labor Day Weekend," the FOX Forecast Center noted.
Another round of severe storms is likely Friday as the dip in the jet stream strengthens further across the East Coast, with the focus shifting into the southern Mid-Atlantic states.
As this pattern begins to break down, storms will shift into the Carolinas into Saturday afternoon with, once again, a level 2 out of 5 severe storm threat present for North and South Carolina.
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