May 9, 2012 Storm Updates

Below, updates will occasionally be posted regarding today's rain event.

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10:30 PM: Heavy Rain North Of NYC


Since the last update, a long lasting thunderstorm stalled over portions of northern Rockland/Westchester counties, with radar estimates showing isolated amounts of over 3 inches of rain over the last few hours in that area. Over the last hour, another slow moving storm developed near Ramsey, NJ (Bergen county), and is currently extending to the southeast, affecting eastern Bergen and Westchester counties with heavy rain. The storm continues to extend southeast, and will affect most of NYC with moderate-locally heavy rain over the next 1-2 hours as well.

The main rain from the storm continues to slowly approach from the southwest; while most of the rain will stay to the south and east of NYC, with over 1 inch of rain possible towards eastern Long Island/SE CT, another round of light-moderate rain and thunder is expected again later tonight but covering a more widespread area, with up to 1/4 inch north/west of NYC, near to locally above 1/4 inch in NYC and above 1/2 inch further east. The rain will end later in the overnight hours, with dry conditions for Thursday.

Unless any large changes with tonight's storms take place, tonight's discussion will be posted by 12 AM, with an update on the forecast.




5:00 PM: Steadier Rain Approaches


Throughout the late overnight and morning hours, steady rain fell across parts of Long Island and southern CT, with cloudy skies and isolated showers across the rest of the area. Breaks in the cloud cover have been reported west of NYC, with places further east still under cloudy skies.

As a cold front continues to slowly approach NYC, additional showers currently near Virginia will continue to expand while moving ENE/NE. Scattered thunderstorms will develop west of NYC from now until the evening hours, with a steadier rain developing by the evening and the first half of the overnight hours. Most of the rain will focus to the east of NYC, with locally heavy rain in Long Island and southern CT, while western parts of the area likely see a period of light-moderate rain. Additional rain amounts are expected, up to 1/4 inch inland, 1/2 inch in the immediate NYC area, and 3/4-1 inch in Long Island/S CT, ending up locally higher east of NYC and lower in some spots west of NYC. Most of the rain will clear by early Thursday morning as a developing low pressure moves into New England, with a breezy NW wind developing for Thursday and Friday, gusting up to 30-35 mph.

A few more updates will be posted later today, otherwise the next update will be posted tonight, including an update on the 80 degree weather this weekend along with mostly-partly sunny skies and an explanation of why this weekend won't end up cloudy and chilly as the previous weekend did.