After a record-breaking cold struck the Northeast over President's Day weekend, temperatures rose into the 40s and 50s on Tuesday, turning most of the ice and snow from Winter Storm Olympia into heavy rains. Most of the Atlantic Seaboard will be struck by torrential downpours and risks of flash flooding, reports Accuweather.
Airline and highway delays are expected as the rain is mixing with the upwards of 12 inches of snow some areas in the Northeast received on Monday. That combination of melting snow and ice brings the risk of flooding to the I-95 corridor from northern North Carolina up through Washington, D.C., and New York City.
Strong winds are expected to accompany the rains along the coast, including gusts of 50 mph and higher, which present the potential of downed tree limbs and power lines, according to Weather Underground. The winds will push waters from the ocean, bays and sounds northward, upping the chances of coastal flooding during high tide on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the Midwest, which also saw frigid conditions over the weekend, is expected to see highs in the 60s and 70s from Colorado to northern Texas, while south of Dallas could see highs up into the 80s, The Weather Channel reported. These temperatures are 10 to 20 degrees higher than the average and should continue throughout the week into the weekend.
These highs should spread across the Midwest into the Mississippi, Ohio and Tennessee valleys later in the week. The Ohio and Tennessee valleys will see temperatures around the 60s by Friday, while the Mississippi Valley will see highs in the 70s.
In the Northeast, temperatures will eventually reach highs in the 50s and 60s over the weekend, while the Southeast experiences temperatures in the 70s.
