Northeast braces for wet weekend as cold front brings heavy rain, flooding threats

The Northeast and mid-Atlantic are looking at another wet weekend ahead courtesy of an approaching cold front. 

The FOX Forecast Center said the front approaches on Friday and will produce scattered showers and thunderstorms later in the day. With surface temperatures warming well into the 70s amid mid- to upper 60s dew points, scattered thunderstorms will trigger in the early afternoon. 

“It’s a low at potential, a 1 out of 5 alert, but it’s something that you really want to look out for this afternoon because we might see more than just your rumble of thunder,” FOX Weather meteorologist Britta Merwin said. “We’re talking about gusty winds and hail here.”

A few longer-lived individual and clusters of thunderstorms may organize, capable of supporting wet downbursts, a couple of which may approach severe criteria. Damaging winds will be the primary concern with any severe storms that fire up on Friday over the Northeast. 

The cold front will stall over the region on Saturday, sparking another round of scattered showers and thunderstorms – mainly in the afternoon, according to the FOX Forecast Center.

Then, more widespread storms and heavier rain are expected on Sunday as a second front rolls into the region. 

“It’s all going to kind of come to a head on Sunday … the wettest day out of the bunch,” Merwin said. “If you have outdoor plans, if you want to get your kids to the beach, head to the lake, do that on Saturday. Sunday looks to be more of a wash-out scenario.”

Some of the rain could be heavy, increasing flash flood concerns through Sunday night.

A widespread 1 to 2 inches of rain is expected through the weekend, but portions of the Northeast and New England, particularly the interior, could pick up 3 to 5 inches of rain. 

Additional showers and storms are expected on Monday and Tuesday as the cold front slowly moves through and off the coast.