Combined with the remnants of Tropical Depression Debby, more heavy rains are expected in the tri-state region on Friday, just days after fierce storms dumped two inches of rain per hour — and there’s even the possibility of tornadoes.
A tornado warning has been issued for more than half a dozen counties in New Jersey, as well as Sullivan and Orange counties in New York and Pike County in Pennsylvania. It will be in effect until early afternoon. Find the latest weather warnings for your area here. A tornado warning means conditions are favorable for the development of a tornado.
Only light and isolated rain will occur through Friday morning, but as the remnants of Debby pass just west of the tri-state line, heavier rain and strong to severe storms will become a problem.
Latest forecast from Storm Team 4
Debby will push tropical moisture ashore as it moves north and merges with a stalled front. Flooding threats will increase in the Northeastern U.S. as rainfall increases Friday afternoon and evening with Debby’s approach. Rain and storms will increase in the late afternoon and evening, when heavy rain and severe weather are likely.
As was the case earlier in the week, rainfall of 1 to 2 inches per hour is possible, making flooding a major concern for this system. The worst of the rain and storms are expected to pass west of the New York City metropolitan area, shifting the greatest flooding threat to the Mid-Hudson Valley, the Catskills and the Poconos.
Fortunately, Debby will not linger over our area as it did along the Carolina coast. Instead, it will move through quickly and keep rainfall to a minimum. For comparison, areas of North and South Carolina received nearly a foot of rain in 24 hours while Debby was overhead.
Rainfall amounts will remain below 5 cm in most areas near the coast.
Some remote inland areas could see a total of 3 to 4 inches of rainfall. This is in addition to the 2 to 5 inches of rain that fell on Tuesday.
In addition to the risk of flooding, severe storms could also cause damage on Friday. The biggest concern is the destructive straight-line winds. Gusts of nearly 60 mph could break tree limbs and down power lines.
Additionally, weak, short-lived tornadoes are possible, especially in Pennsylvania, western New Jersey, and the Catskills region. However, one or two isolated tornadoes could pop up anywhere in the tri-state region, so make sure you have a way to get severe weather alerts on your phone.
Heavy rain could occur in Pennsylvania and northern New York State for much of the day on Friday. In the New York City metropolitan area, the rainy season will be shorter – between the afternoon and evening.
The rain will linger until around midnight, and the good news is that by the start of the weekend, all precipitation will have cleared from the region, giving us sunshine, lower humidity, and pleasant temperatures on both Saturday and Sunday.
Sunday and the beginning of next week look wonderful.
Track approaching storms with our interactive radar below.
10-day weather forecast for NYC
