An early-season nor’easter hammered the Northeast and mid-Atlantic all weekend, and the slow-moving storm will affect the East Coast for one more day on Monday.
Coastal flooding, high surf and gusty winds may continue, though conditions will improve as the week begins.
A full moon on Saturday made the coastal flooding situation worse, as tides were higher. For a complete tracker with all of the maps you need to stay updated on this storm, click here.
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The coastal flooding threat has been lowered but still is expected with moderate inundation from the mid-Atlantic to New England. Bands of moderate to heavy rain persist across parts of New England.
If you want to read more about some of the events of the nor’easter that unfolded on Sunday, click the link below.
(LIVE UPDATES RECAP: Deadly nor’easter deluges millions)
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The map below shows current winds and rain.
Forecast timing
Here’s a general timeline of the storm and its impacts over the next several days. Boston is in the area of highest concern for flooding and is now in a flood watch until late Monday night. A detailed breakdown of the timing for the city and the entire region is below:
Sunday night to early Monday morning: The nor’easter should meander back and forth just offshore. Rain should linger over much of the Northeast, especially in southern New England. The worst of the winds are done, though some coastal flooding may occur during high tides.Monday: The weakened nor’easter will continue to sit right on or just off the coast, with rain showers and some winds lingering over New England, Long Island and the Hudson Valley, including New York City. Heavier rainfall is expected for Boston, but this rain shouldn’t be as intense as Saturday and Sunday.
Potential impacts
Coastal flooding
The map below shows coastal flood warnings that have been issued by the National Weather Service. The majority have been allowed to expire but a few remain for Delaware and New Jersey.
(WATCH: Nor’easter waves slam stilt homes on the Outer Banks)
Given this repeated battering from high surf, beach erosion is expected along stretches of these beaches, potentially reaching extreme levels for some areas.
(MORE: Coastal flooding safety)
At least minor coastal high tide flooding will continue for parts of New England, lasting into Monday.
Rain
Much of the rainfall is beginning to wind down. You can see from the map below that only 1 to 3 inches of additional rain is expected. However, many of these areas are already saturated, so it won’t take much more to trigger flash flooding.
Winds
The worst of the wind is behind us, and all high wind warnings have expired. However, some strong wind gusts are still possible.
Soaked ground from the nor’easter’s rain, as well as leaves on trees, will enhance the threat of tree damage and power outages.
Travel impact
Here are some tips to keep in mind if you plan to travel in or to the Northeast through Monday:
Northeast major-hub airports: Delays are ongoing at Boston-Logan and at NYC’s three major airports on Sunday.Roads: Downed trees or tree limbs and localized flash flooding are possible in southeast and coastal New England, the New York City metro and New Jersey. The I-95 corridor will be slick, so take precautions and expect significant road delays. Avoid coastal areas from northern North Carolina to southeast New England around any high tides through Monday.
(MORE: Travel tracker)
(MORE: Nor’easter impacts on Major League Baseball’s weekend)
Recap
Some gusts topped 40 mph along the coast from southern Massachusetts down to the Virginia Tidewater Wednesday as the storm system started to develop in its early stages.
And those persistent winds piled up water from the ocean and bays along parts of the coast.
Minor to moderate coastal flooding was reported from parts of the Jersey Shore to southeast Virginia during Wednesday’s morning and evening high tides.
Flooding was reported Wednesday morning in downtown Norfolk, Smithfield and Suffolk, Virginia, according to the National Weather Service.
Widespread gusts of 30-45 mph were ongoing as of Thursday evening, with peak gusts over 45 mph reported along the coast of North Carolina.
Those persistent winds were piling up water from the ocean and bays along parts of the coast. Water levels reached major flood stage during high tide Thursday evening.
On Thursday, a 16-mile stretch of North Carolina Highway 12 on the Outer Banks is closed in both directions due to ocean overwash. Specifically, the road is closed from Sea Oats Drive to Oregon Inlet Road in Dare County.
Rising waters forced the cancellation of the Oceans Calling Festival in Maryland on Thursday.
Saturday brought a wind gust of 74 mph in Surf City, New Jersey. Another notable wind gust of 81 mph was reported at Montauk Point, New York. Wind gusts over 50 mph have been clocked across the Northeast Saturday, including from southern Cape Cod to parts of Long Island, coastal and southern New Jersey, the Delaware coast and the Delmarva Peninsula, and a few weather stations even recorded gusts over 60 mph, including one at Nantucket Memorial Airport.
New York City’s JFK Airport reported a gust of 56 mph. These winds have pushed water into numerous roads in the New York metro area and caused major travel delays. Saturday afternoon brought 25 river gauges to major flood stage during high tide.
The highest water levels happened with Saturday’s high tides, boosted by Saturday’s full moon. The moon has a direct impact on the tides, and during a full moon, it makes the high tides even higher.
With some of the highest astronomical tides of the month ongoing, this nor’easter’s coastal flooding is only exacerbated.
Widespread rainfall totals for this event were 2-5 inches, with the highest total being 6.73 at Plymouth, Massachusetts.
What is a nor’easter?
You might think it is too early for a nor’easter, but the criteria for a nor’easter are met more often than you would think.
A nor’easter simply means that the winds blow into an area from the northeast. For the Northeast, that usually means an area of low pressure is just off the coast, which brings the winds in this direction.
(MORE: What is a nor’easter?)
Most people usually think of snow and ice with nor’easters and that is because nor’easters do tend to occur more in the late fall and winter.
The most notable nor’easters tend to bring heavy snow because these lows move up along the Gulf Stream, tapping into the warm ocean. This warm, moist air then clashes with the cold air over the Northeast to create heavy snowfall. Fortunately, this one is occurring way earlier, so it is all rain this time.