Good news! We’re pretty sure that Hurricane Joaquin is going to head out to sea, with the chance of landfall on the United States fairly low at this point. The bad news is that there will still be more than a foot of rain in parts of the Carolinas, and stiff onshore winds and high waves will create coastal flooding in the Mid-Atlantic much like a storm surge would.
While we’ve stressed over the eventual track of powerful Hurricane Joaquin over the next few days, a concerning number of people may not be aware that a significant—potentially devastating—flash flood event will take place with or without the hurricane coming close to land. Many spots could see more than a foot of rain this weekend.
All eyes gazed toward the Atlantic as brilliant white clouds billowed skyward, signaling the arrival of the long-awaited newcomer. The crowds rejoiced, and a voice shouted down: “Habemus precip!” And so it was. Rain in the southeast is a religious experience these days, and there’s going to be a lot of it hanging around through the weekend.
The accidental invention of the weather radar during World War II was one of the most important advances we’ve made in keeping people safe from severe storms. Today, the United States is covered by more than 150 Doppler radar sites, but there are some pretty dangerous gaps in that coverage. Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) recently introduced a bill ordering the construction of new radar sites to cover some of the country’s most vulnerable cities, but the bill might be worded just cleverly enough that it applies to exactly one city, which is coincidentally the largest in Burr’s home state.
Once upon a time, it used to get uncomfortably hot in June. Remember those days? It was just a few years ago, but after last year’s cakewalk they called “summer”, this year’s heat is going to seem downright brutal and unforgiving. A heat wave is cranking up in the southeast right now, and it’s going to get ugly.
Much of the southern United States is cleaning up this afternoon from last night's cute li'l snowfall that produced record-breaking totals from Texas to Virginia. Up to a foot of snow fell on some small towns in northern Alabama we never hear about unless there's a tornado outbreak.
Snow is spreading over the Carolinas and Mid-Atlantic this evening after producing damaging ice from freezing rain in Arkansas and Tennessee last night. Snow will change to ice in North and South Carolina tonight, while areas farther north could see up to ten inches of snow. Here's what to expect.
A disruptive ice storm is likely going to unfold across parts of North Carolina and Virginia tonight as a fast-moving disturbance skirts the coast and drops freezing rain. The system threatens to produce significant accretions of ice along I-95 from Florence, S.C. to Richmond, Virginia, making travel impossible at times.
There's a nasty cold air damming event going on across the Piedmont this afternoon. Here in Podunk, North Carolina, our high temperature was supposed to be 68°F. The current temperature is 48°F. The wedge is cruel and stubborn.
A tornado watch is in effect for some major cities in the southeastern United States this afternoon, including the eastern suburbs of Atlanta, as well as Charlotte, Greenville, Columbia, and Asheville. Any storms that form in the watch area are capable of producing tornadoes.
A stink bug triggered a false code red air quality alert in Charlotte, North Carolina yesterday after it landed on a sensor that monitors the city's air quality.
Hurricane Arthur just made landfall in Cape Lookout, North Carolina as a category two with winds of 100 MPH. Cape Lookout measured a sustained wind of 77 MPH a little while ago. The storm will rake the Outer Banks as it heads northeast through early tomorrow. This is the strongest hurricane to make landfall in the United States since Ike in 2008.
Hurricane Arthur is creeping closer to the North Carolina coast at this hour, with winds of more than 90 MPH hanging just a few dozen miles offshore. The system is expected to strengthen to category 2 status with 105 MPH winds over the next day as it pounds the Outer Banks.
Tropical Storm Arthur is on the verge of becoming a hurricane at this hour, with winds of 70 MPH. Hurricane warnings are now in effect for coastal North Carolina from Surf City, N.C. northward to Duck, N.C. Tropical storm warnings are in effect for coastal areas from South Santee River, S.C. to Surf City, N.C. and from Duck, N.C. to Cape Charles Light, Virginia.
Hurricane watches and tropical storm warnings are in effect as Tropical Storm Arthur continues to gather organization and strength as it swirls towards the Carolina coast. Meteorologists expect it Arthur hit coastal North Carolina as a hurricane with winds around 80 MPH on Thursday night.
The first tropical storm of the Atlantic hurricane season formed off the Florida coast last night, and the system is going to skim the east coast of the United States before heading out to sea next weekend. Even though the worst weather will affect mostly the Outer Banks, it could still have a dangerous impact on the beaches this holiday weekend.
A major winter storm blasted parts of the southeast last night and this morning, bringing over half an inch of freezing rain in some areas and even over 6 inches of sleet (frozen raindrops that often freeze into a thick layer of ice) in one North Carolina town north of Greensboro.
