Lee's Downpours Migrate Inland, Eye Eastern Seaboard
UPDATED By WeatherBug Sr. Meteorologist, John Bateman
UPDATED 6 PM EDT, September 5, 2011
The remnants of Tropical Depression Lee will combine forces with an eastward-trudging cold front this week, producing prolific rainfall amounts from the Gulf Coast to New England. Already producing more than 16 inches along the Gulf Coast, soaking rain will migrate northeastward, creating major headaches this week.
WeatherBug Meteorologist Jason Parkin has the latest in this exclusive WeatherBug Severe Outlook.
Having lashed the central Gulf Coast as a Tropical Storm earlier this Labor Day weekend, Lee`s moisture will be picked up by a painstakingly slow-moving cold front and transported from the Gulf states northeast into New England. The rainy deluge will persist even into Thursday morning, with large swaths of the East receiving more than 3 inches.
All of this rain is expected to cause widespread flooding, especially where rivers are still high from rainfall received during Hurricane Irene. Flood Watches and Flash Flood Watches stretch from the Gulf Coast to southwestern Virginia and central North Carolina, as well as from West Virginia into Pennsylvania and most of New England.
Cities including Atlanta, Knoxville, Tenn., Charleston, W. Va., Philadelphia, New York, and Montpelier, Vt., are included in these flood-related watches and warnings.
Another danger posed by Lee`s remnants will come from brief tornadoes that spin up with relatively little advanced warning. Tornado Watches are now in effect for central Alabama, central and northern Georgia, and the upstates of North and South Carolina. Residents in the watch area should be on alert for tornado warnings and be ready to take immediate shelter.
Severe Thunderstorm Watches are also in effect for parts of northern Florida, southeastern Alabama, southwestern Georgia, central South Carolina, and southern North Carolina. The cities of Charlotte, N.C., and Columbia, S.C. are included in the watch.
The heaviest rain will pelt residents from the Gulf Coast to the North Carolina Blue Ridge today through early tomorrow. Easily, up to 10 inches of rain will fall from northern Alabama into southwestern North Carolina. Locally heavy thunderstorm downpours will produce 1 to 2 inches of rain along the Appalachian Ridge into upstate New York.
On Tuesday, 2 to 4 inches of rain will be dumped on the Carolinas, with similar totals expected across the Mid-Atlantic. Even New England will get in on the tropical downpours, with more than 2 inches expected.
For those keeping score at home, Lee`s rainfall will bring as much as a foot of rainfall to cities such as Asheville, N.C., and Huntsville, Ala., through Thursday, while soaking much of the Interstate 81 corridor in upwards of 4 inches. The Interstate 95 corridor will also so rainfall amounts closing in on 4 inches by Thursday morning.
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