There will be abundant moisture in the remnants of Philippe, which will produce heavy rains in the northeast
Several inches of rain and tropical storm-force winds are possible across New England this weekend.
NEW YORK – Philippe has transitioned into a post-tropical storm and is moving north toward New England, bringing heavy rain and strong winds that could trigger flash flooding and isolated power outages.
The storm spent much of Friday devastating Bermuda with heavy rains, strong currents and winds of 40 miles per hour.
As Phillipe moves north, the next 36 hours will become a complex meteorological mess as the storm transitions from tropical in nature to producing energy from more traditional sources.
What is a post-tropical cyclone?
Former Tropical Storm Philippe strengthened into a post-tropical cyclone on Friday, but naming convention aside, the storm still poses a threat of flash flooding across New England this weekend. (FOX Weather)
The new shape of Philippe will soon encounter a cold front moving from west to northeast. Moisture from both will result in widespread, drenching rain across the region this weekend.
“The front will bring its own moisture and wind energy,” said FOX Weather Hurricane Specialist Bryan Norcross. “The net result will be rain from the front along the I-95 corridor in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast (Saturday) through Sunday, with heavier rain and stronger winds in New England (Saturday) through Sunday as a combined coastal storm” and frontal encounter.
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Many communities will see 1 to 3 inches of rain, with local rainfall totals exceeding half a foot. This could lead to flash flooding as most soils in New England and the Northeast are already saturated from a wet summer.
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A flood warning is in effect for portions of south-central and west-central Maine from Saturday afternoon through Sunday morning.
New York has already implemented its flash flood emergency plan as the risk of flooding increases for vulnerable areas. Cities like New York City, which flooded in record rainfall last week, could be spared serious water problems, but that’s no guarantee.
“There are places that could very easily be flooded because of the tipping point,” said FOX weather meteorologist Amy Freeze. “We also have a storm here that is accompanied by streams of moisture.”
According to the FOX Forecast Center, areas in Massachusetts and Connecticut will be particularly sensitive to heavy rain, having received 200-300% of average rainfall over the past two weeks.
“We’ve had 13 weekends of rain in the Northeast since June 1, and now it’s starting up again,” Freeze added. “We’re expecting downpours across New England, basically a weekend washout for the Northeast.”
Because Philippe is no longer a tropical system, the NHC said it will not issue a tropical storm watch or warning for the U.S. coast, leaving warnings up to individual NWS offices. The NHC has also stopped publishing forecast discussions and updated cone projections.
Wind gusts of 50 to 60 mph are expected Saturday night through Sunday
Due to the aforementioned jet stream intrusion, the remnants of Philippe will become a stronger storm than it was as a tropical storm. This will result in a small area of strong winds across eastern Maine.
Wind gusts of 50 to 60 mph are expected Saturday evening and Sunday as the low passes through. As a result, some power outages may occur.
Any gust of wind over 55 mph is considered damaging, but even one brisk day can cause smaller limbs to become dislodged and fall into power lines.