By: Kristina Pydynowski, Senior Meteorologist, AccuWeather.com
With sizzling warmth in place and cooler air advancing, the stage will be set for severe thunderstorms to erupt and potentially cause damage across the mid-Atlantic today into tonight.
The powerful thunderstorms will ignite from Lake Ontario to New York City and Philadelphia today. This includes Rochester, N.Y., and Harrisburg, Pa.
The thunderstorms will be most numerous in the afternoon, then drop southward into Washington, D.C., and the Delmarva Peninsula tonight.
The strongest thunderstorms will unleash intense winds, hail, downpours and frequent lightning. An isolated tornado cannot be ruled out.
The strength of the winds could down numerous trees and power lines, as well as damage some structures. Additional damage or injury could result if the trees land on vehicles and buildings.
The downpours threaten to create problems for motorists, including those on heavily traveled Interstate 95. The downpours will dramatically reduce visibility and will heighten the danger of vehicles hydroplaning.
Localized flash flooding is another concern, especially in urban areas.
Airline passengers should prepare for delays due to the thunderstorms. Problems, however, at Philadelphia’s International Airport will not occur until the afternoon.
The potentially damaging thunderstorms will erupt as invading cooler air clashes with temperatures that are more typical of midsummer than late May.
Highs today will again approach or crack the 90-degree mark across most of the mid-Atlantic. The warmth will challenge record highs in some cities and towns.
The cooler air pushing towards the mid-Atlantic is already flowing across New England and upstate New York. That more seasonable air is a welcome change from Wednesday’s record heat and severe weather.
Today’s severe thunderstorms across the mid-Atlantic will get replaced by the cooler air on Friday. Highs in the 70s will be common across the region.
The threat for potentially damaging thunderstorms will shift southward on Friday, targeting places from southern Virginia to northern Georgia. Among the cities at risk are Roanoke, Raleigh, Charlotte and Atlanta.
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