Fiona to strengthen into a hurricane. Severe weather over Midwest. Winter arrives early in New England, heavy rain for West Coast, and a third year of La Niña and what it means–plus, weather alerts and the 3-day forecast.
Hurricane Fiona: How will it affect the US?
Tropical storm Fiona is currently tracking toward the northern Caribbean islands, including Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, where it could produce flooding rainfall and strong wind gusts this weekend, the Weather Channel reported. The storm is expected to become a hurricane next week, WPTV reported, but current forecast models show the storm remaining well east of Florida.
Severe weather over Midwest: Threat of damaging winds, hail, and tornadoes
The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has issued a level 2 severe weather risk over the upper Midwest for southwestern South Dakota, east-central Wyoming, and into western, northern, and central North Dakota. The storm has a risk of damaging winds (15%), large hail (5%), and isolated tornadoes (2%).
Winter arrives early at New England’s highest summit
On Thursday, winter arrived at New England’s highest summit – Mount Washington at 6,288 feet – when the peak iced over. It’s the highest mountain anywhere northeast of North Carolina. Mount Washington is forecast to reach nearly freezing on Friday night, MassLive reported.
Mount Washington Observatory tweeted a pic that definitely looked like winter.
Third year of La Niña and what it means
For the third year in a row, there is a 91% chance La Niña will arrive. Typically during a La Niña event, weather will be wetter and colder in the Pacific Northwest, as well as areas like the mid-South and the Ohio Valley. At the same time, weather will be drier and warmer over parts of the Southwest, particularly southeastern Arizona, most of New Mexico and Texas, southern Oklahoma, Louisiana, southern Mississippi, and throughout Florida.
The effects of a La Niña can last between 9-12 months, CBS reported, and they typically happen every 2-7 years, making the three consecutive years highly unusual. A La Niña can also bring drought conditions to Southern California and the Southwest.
The 3-day forecast and weather alerts
Here are Friday’s weather alerts from the National Weather Service (NWS).
Weather alerts for Friday
Frost advisory: northern Maine.
Air-quality alert: south-central, central, and northeastern Oregon; central Washington; northern Idaho; western Montana; eastern Texas.
Gale warning: Florida Panhandle coast and northwestern Florida.
3-day forecast
Here is the latest 3-day forecast from the NWS.
Friday: Severe weather over upper Midwest
Thunderstorms over the northern and central regions of the country into parts of the northern Rockies, upper Midwest, and the central US, as well as another system along the Gulf across the South from Texas to Florida.
Severe weather is possible over the upper Midwest (see above).
Saturday: Heavy rain for West Coast, thunderstorms for upper Midwest
Heavy rain for the West Coast over central and northern California, Oregon, Washington, and into parts of Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming.
Thunderstorms will stretch from the Northwest along the northern corridor to the Great Lakes region, as well as through the central US from the Dakotas to Texas.
Farther south, thunderstorms over the southern half of Texas along the Gulf and across the South, over all of Florida, and into southern Georgia and southern South Carolina.
Sunday: Heavy rain for West Coast, severe weather in Midwest
Heavy rain along the West Coast for central and northern California, Oregon, and Washington, into parts of Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and the Dakotas. Thunderstorms in the Southwest over parts of Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. Another line of thunderstorms stretches across southern Texas and the Gulf over all of Florida into southern Georgia and southern South Carolina.
Thunderstorms over the upper Midwest, Great Lakes, Ohio Valley, mid-Atlantic, and Northeast.
Severe weather is forecast over portions of northeastern Missouri, southeastern Iowa, into West-central and northwestern Illinois.
