Possible Coastal Storm Next Week

It's not time to panic just yet, but there is the potential for a prolonged coastal storm early next week. The two main weather models --- the European and the Global Forecast System --- have fashioned two completely different scenarios for next week. The Euro, which picked up on Hurricane Sandy more than a week before its arrival, has been the more accurate of the two. It shows the Northeast getting blasted for a prolonged period of time through the middle of next week. Click on the image to enlarge it.

Take a look at each of the different panels. The storm is just taking shape late Sunday, but by Monday evening, the center of low pressure begins to move North along the Atlantic coast. A steep pressure gradient develops between the low to the South and the high pressure system to the North and East, delivering a gusty East wind. That's certainly not good news for Long Island Sound and the coastal communities.

The GFS model, which didn't pick up on Sandy until much later, takes the center of the storm out to sea to the East. By Monday evening (Tuesday 00Z), the center of the storm has moved well to the East, and the gusty winds are just offshore. By Tuesday evening, the storm slowly pulls away to the East, and a drier North wind develops. Take a look at each of the panels.

Naturally, next week is the busiest travel week of the year. We'll certainly have a better gauge on the track of the storm by the end of this week. Fortunately, the local weather picture is fairly quiet the rest of the week and through the upcoming weekend. Today will be mostly sunny, breezy, and chilly with a high temperature in the mid-to-upper 40s. Tonight will be clear and cold with a low of 24 to 33 degrees. Make sure you bundle up before you head outside today.

Paul