Good morning from Southern Connecticut Weather.
GP first noted the need for watching the tropics on June 24th, and today, the coastal area from New Haven east to the New Hampshire border is under a tropical storm warning. What we've been mentioning and tracking for the last few weeks has come to fruition.
Tropical Storm Elsa formed from a strong tropical wave in the Atlantic and was able to take advantage of a steering pattern that will allow it to continue its trek up the East Coast after making landfall yesterday in Florida.
This will be a quick hitter, and we are expecting minor impacts in NW CT and moderate impacts elsewhere due to a combination of heavy rain and wind.
GP first noted the need for watching the tropics on June 24th, and today, the coastal area from New Haven east to the New Hampshire border is under a tropical storm warning. What we've been mentioning and tracking for the last few weeks has come to fruition.
Tropical Storm Elsa formed from a strong tropical wave in the Atlantic and was able to take advantage of a steering pattern that will allow it to continue its trek up the East Coast after making landfall yesterday in Florida.
This will be a quick hitter, and we are expecting minor impacts in NW CT and moderate impacts elsewhere due to a combination of heavy rain and wind.
Above: the latest National Hurricane Center (NHC) track. The NHC has done a phenomenal job forecasting Elsa.
Above: the current watches and warnings for CT. As I mentioned, a Tropical Storm Warning is in effect just east of Bridgeport to the edge of CT, including inland New London County. Flash Flood Watches are up for all of CT.
Timing & Impacts
GP will be back later with an updated forecast, but right now we expect a minor impact in NW CT and moderate impacts in central and SE CT. There is going to be more storms today in advance of Elsa, but we expect Elsa's impacts to begin after midnight. The worst of the storm is likely to be in the overnight and early morning period and clear of Connecticut by Friday evening.
The biggest hazard will be heavy rain, as much of CT has been in an unusually wet period. In fact, the WPC has issued a moderate risk of excessive rainfall for much of central CT.
This is a reminder--since I saw it while in Florida documenting Elsa--that it is never a good idea to drive through a flooded road, especially if the water is moving. If you encounter a flooded road, turn around, and never go around barricades! Yes, believe it or not, people do this.
With regard to wind, we do anticipate gusts between 25-35mph inland and 40-50mph in coastal and SE CT. This isn't likely to be anywhere close to Isaias, though scattered power outages are possible.
Finally, there is a conditional tornado threat in SE CT, depending on the exact track.
Overall, this isn't a storm to rush to the supermarket and stock up over, but you should be reviewing your emergency preparedness supplies and be prepared for a moderate impact storm.
As always, please like, share, and interact with us on our social media--on Facebook to share our discussions, and follow us on Twitter @southernctwx to retweet our posts. Hit the buttons below to join.
Thank you for reading.
-SCW Team (written by DB)
Timing & Impacts
GP will be back later with an updated forecast, but right now we expect a minor impact in NW CT and moderate impacts in central and SE CT. There is going to be more storms today in advance of Elsa, but we expect Elsa's impacts to begin after midnight. The worst of the storm is likely to be in the overnight and early morning period and clear of Connecticut by Friday evening.
The biggest hazard will be heavy rain, as much of CT has been in an unusually wet period. In fact, the WPC has issued a moderate risk of excessive rainfall for much of central CT.
This is a reminder--since I saw it while in Florida documenting Elsa--that it is never a good idea to drive through a flooded road, especially if the water is moving. If you encounter a flooded road, turn around, and never go around barricades! Yes, believe it or not, people do this.
With regard to wind, we do anticipate gusts between 25-35mph inland and 40-50mph in coastal and SE CT. This isn't likely to be anywhere close to Isaias, though scattered power outages are possible.
Finally, there is a conditional tornado threat in SE CT, depending on the exact track.
Overall, this isn't a storm to rush to the supermarket and stock up over, but you should be reviewing your emergency preparedness supplies and be prepared for a moderate impact storm.
As always, please like, share, and interact with us on our social media--on Facebook to share our discussions, and follow us on Twitter @southernctwx to retweet our posts. Hit the buttons below to join.
Thank you for reading.
-SCW Team (written by DB)
