…Dangerous flooding and severe weather continue as Debby accelerates
through the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast today…
…Below average temperatures persist across the Northern to Central
Plains, Upper to Mid Mississippi Valley…
…Above average temperatures continue across the West into the South, but
with less record highs compared to previous days…
…Elevated fire weather conditions and poor air quality continue across
Great Basin…
After a slow trek through the Carolinas over the last 24 hours, Debby is
simultaneously weakening and accelerating northeastward along the spine of
the Blue Ridge. Unfortunately, even in Debby’s weakened state, dangerous
flash flooding and severe weather will continue through tomorrow across
portions of the Carolinas, Mid-Atlantic, Interior Northeast, and New
England. Across the Carolinas, additional heavy rainfall is expected to
batter the region today, which will exacerbate ongoing catastrophic and
considerable flash flooding as storm total rainfall approaches 15-25
inches in spots. Closer to Debby’s immediate track, 3 to 7 inches of
rainfall across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast states will produce
considerable to locally catastrophic flooding impacts through tomorrow
morning. The same cells responsible for this dangerous and prolific
rainfall are also capable of producing a few tornadoes. In the short term
this morning, a few tornadoes remain possible across portions of the
Mid-Atlantic (North Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland), although the risk
will shift into the Northeast (New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania, and
southeast New York) later today.
The northeast acceleration of Debby is in response to the large scale
closed low associated with a strong cold front stretching from the Great
Lakes, southwestward through the Plains. Below average temperatures in
the wake of this strong front already encompass the Northern to Central
Plains, Upper to Middle Mississippi Valley and Great Lakes, which will
plunge southward into portions of the Southern Plains, Ohio Valley, and
Tennessee Valley today and tomorrow. The forecast remains on track for a
few record low maximum temperatures today across portions of the Central
Plains into the Middle Mississippi Valley and over northern Minnesota with
forecast high temperatures nearly 20-25 degrees below normal.
In contrast, above average temperatures will continue over the next few
days across much of the West into Texas, the South, and Gulf Coast as the
front stalls out to the north. A few record highs still possible across
portions of the central to eastern Gulf Coast over the next few days,
although the number of overall record highs across the country continue to
decrease from previous days. Even with less record high potential, the
current heat has led to a swath of Heat Advisories across portions of
southeast Texas and eastward along the Gulf coast.
In addition to the heat across portions of the Northwest and West, the dry
conditions, low relative humidities and gusty winds will maintain a fire
weather threat tomorrow over northern Nevada and southern Idaho. Smoke
from current fires will also continue to produce poor air quality across
the Pacific Northwest in general.
Asherman/Oravec
Graphics available at
https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php
