How much of US eastern seaboard to face rain, wind from strengthening coastal storm next week?
How extensive rain, wind and rough surf will be along the Eastern Seaboard of the United States Tuesday into Wednesday will be determined by how close a strengthening storm tracks to the coast.
The worst-case scenario for the storm would be for it to develop into a potent nor'easter, spreading a 12-hour period of heavy rain and gusty winds up the East Coast. Pounding seas will create added dangers at the beaches.
On the other hand, the Northeast may escape most of the storm and the middle of the week can be quiet if the storm tracks far enough offshore.
Even in this solution, the Southeast may still experience impacts as the storm first takes shape.
Storm to strengthen near the Atlantic coast of the southeastern US
In the wake of the cold front set to sweep the May-like warmth away from the East Coast later this weekend, a new storm is expected to intensify near the Atlantic beaches of the Southeast on Tuesday.
The storm may be preceded by a band of soaking rain threatening to ruin outdoor plans in northern Florida and neighboring southern Georgia on Monday.
Gusty winds can stir rough surf at many Atlantic beaches of the Southeast this day. Rip currents may threaten anyone brave enough to enter the cool weather at Tybee Island, Georgia, as well as Jacksonville Beach and Daytona Beach, Florida.
Related: Snow hits New York in early April storm
Coastal hazards may increase at the Southeast beaches on Tuesday as the storm strengthens. Beach erosion and coastal flooding can occur, especially at high tide, where persistent onshore winds drive the ocean water onto the coast.
Exactly where the storm strengthens along the coast will determine the expansiveness of heavy rain in the Southeast.
A track closer to the beaches may allow rain to soak areas back to the Interstate-85 corridor from Atlanta to Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina. Downpours and gusty winds would be confined to or just graze the coast if the storm intensifies farther offshore.
Impacts for the Northeast depends on storm's track
Residents of the mid-Atlantic and New England may only notice an increase in clouds and can keep umbrellas home if the storm tracks out to sea Tuesday night into Wednesday.
Travelers and anyone with plans to attend the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C., or baseball games across the Northeast will not have to worry about delays in this scenario.
More significant disruptions can be expected if the worst-case scenario pans out and the storm tracks much closer to the coast.
In this event, a 12-hour period of heavy rain and strong winds can spread up the coast and the I-95 corridor later Tuesday into Wednesday.
"Winds may become strong enough along the coast to break tree limbs and cause sporadic power outages," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.
Coastal areas can also be faced with coastal flooding, beach erosion and dangerous seas.
"Communities that typically take on water during coastal storms, such as Norfolk, Virginia; Wildwood, New Jersey; and Scituate, Massachusetts, should be prepared for some flooding," Sosnowski added.
Another scenario is that the storm tracks far enough offshore for the worst of the rain and wind to remain over open water, but close enough for some rain to graze the coasts of the mid-Atlantic and New England.
In this scenario, there may still be a period of minor coastal flooding for one high-tide cycle.
Regardless of how the storm tracks near the Eastern Seaboard and its impacts on the mid-Atlantic and New England, another storm may quickly follow on its heels for Friday into Saturday.
This storm can spread soaking rain across a large area of the East with the potential for increasing winds in the Northeast and even snow in the interior of northern New England.
