Soggy weekends became a staple for us throughout April. And as we approach the first weekend of May, the trend is going to continue. We’re tracking shower and storm chances for both Saturday and Sunday. But this time it won’t be just a wet weekend. We are looking ahead to an extended stretch of soggy days, taking us through at least the middle of next week.
Actually, our shower chances start even before the weekend begins. We’re tracking showers and isolated storms as early as Thursday night into Friday morning. They won’t be widespread. Instead, they’ll be hit-and-miss, with most of us staying dry. Most of the day Friday will be dry, too. Spotty, light showers will pass through, but nothing that will hinder your day. If you’re an extra-cautious person, tuck the small umbrella in your bag on your way out the door. But if you leave the house without an umbrella, you’ll probably be okay.
Another round of scattered storms will move through Friday night and yet another Saturday afternoon, with plenty of dry time in between. The Saturday afternoon storms could be strong to severe. They are most likely between mid-afternoon and early evening and could produce isolated damaging wind gusts and small hail. On a scale from 1 to 5, Saturday’s risk threat is low, at 1.
By Sunday, the low-pressure system responsible for the rain is expected to stall, keeping rain in the picture not only for Sunday, but through the middle of next week. Make sure your umbrellas are in good working order! The persistent wet weather over several days will lead to some impressive rain totals. While the exact placement of the heaviest pockets of rain is likely to change over the coming days, forecast models are homing in on some impressive rainfall totals in and around the tri-state.
Two to three inches area-wide is likely, with some areas getting as much as four to five inches of rain or more. The good news is that that much rain is spread out over several days, which means the chance of widespread flash flooding are not high. Some localized flooding is possible, however, especially in low lying areas. River levels across the area are relatively low, but we will have to keep an eye on how those levels rise over the next week in response to the influx of rain.
The prolonged soaking will go a long way to alleviate the drought that has plagued the region since last fall. In fact, the areas set to receive the most rain correspond very well with the regions most in need of rain. So while it may be a very messy stretch of days coming up, area farmers and gardeners may be quite happy. Their plants will get a good drink. Speaking of plants, many of us have been feeling the pain of high tree pollen in tandem with rising levels of grass pollen recently.
That pollen has been collecting on surfaces and irritating our noses and eyes to no end. The rain will do wonders to help scrub the air of pollen and provide some much-needed, albeit brief, relief to those of us who are suffering. It won’t be the most fun week of weather ahead. Don’t expect much sunshine and unusually warm weather. If you haven’t already done so, invest in a good umbrella or raincoat; I promise you’ll get plenty of use out of it.
