Nor'easter Expected to Bring Rain, Strong Winds and Coastal Flooding to New England Weekend
A developing system off the East Coast is projected to intensify into a nor'easter, delivering rain, gusty winds, high waves and coastal flooding from the Mid-Atlantic to New England through Monday.
A low-pressure system forming off the Atlantic coast is forecast to strengthen into a nor'easter this weekend, bringing rain, wind, high waves, coastal flooding and beach erosion from the Mid-Atlantic up through New England. The storm is expected to focus on New England, with rain beginning Friday and persisting through Monday. Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Maine are projected to experience the most intense conditions, including widespread rain and wind gusts up to 50 mph.
Rainfall totals of at least five inches are possible in eastern Massachusetts, Boston, Cape Cod and parts of Maine, though the flood risk for Boston remains low. New York City is likely to see only about one inch of rain from scattered showers and will largely avoid the strongest winds.
Large waves are already affecting the Mid-Atlantic coast, and forecasts call for 6-15-foot seas from North Carolina’s Outer Banks to the New Jersey shoreline from Wednesday through at least Saturday, with wind gusts of up to 50 mph across the same stretch. Coastal flood alerts have been issued from Virginia to New Jersey, where a combination of high tides and strong waves could produce water levels one to three feet above ground. Dangerous rip currents are also anticipated from the Mid-Atlantic to New England throughout the weekend.
Air travel may be disrupted, particularly on routes between New York City and Boston. Nor'easters, named for their typical northeast winds, can occur year-round but are most common and severe between September and April, usually delivering heavy precipitation, gale-force winds, rough seas and coastal flooding.