National Weather at 845am May 25 2005

[Jeb]

Nor’easter whips New England

8:47 A.M. ET 5/25/2005

 

Matthew Newman, Senior Meteorologist, The Weather Channel

 

 

Northeast

Wind-driven rain and battering waves will continue to pound the New England coast today as a slow-moving late-season nor'easter sits off the coast. Coastal flooding will remain a concern, especially at times of high tide. Gusts over 40 mph will be common along the coast at times. In addition, temperatures will run more than 20 degrees below average for late May. To make matters worse, the wind will make it feel like the 30s. Expect lighter wind and milder temperatures across areas well inland. Highs will range from the 60s across western New York and western Pennsylvania to the 40s across southern New England. Expect these conditions to linger into Thursday with slight improvement possible into the holiday weekend.

 

Midwest

More stormy weather is expected across the Plains and Upper Midwest today as a cold front plods eastward across the region. Severe weather could again threaten areas from eastern Colorado to Kansas. Meanwhile, high pressure will rule from the Great Lakes to the Ohio Valley with widespread sunshine. Highs across the region will reach the 60s and 70s.

 

South

Showers and storms in the South today will focus along a front that stretches from Florida across the lower Mississippi Valley into the Red River Valley. A few of these storms may become strong to severe. Across the Southeast, comfortable temperatures and low humidity will make for a nice day as a northerly flow around a nor’easter impacting New England keeps Gulf-of-Mexico moisture suppressed to the south. Highs will range from the 70s across the Carolinas and north Georgia to the hot 90s across south and West Texas.

 

West

Dry and warm weather is once again expected across the West today. The heat is letting up slightly across the Southwest, but the Northwest is actually warming up. Snowmelt will continue to pose problems by resulting in high rivers and streams and the possibility of flooding. Highs in the 80s are likely as far north as Portland, Oregon. Parts of the Desert Southwest will continue to see highs over 100 degrees. Meanwhile, highs in the 60s will be widespread in Montana, Wyoming and eastern Colorado.

 

 

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Still stormy in Northeast

8:29 A.M. ET 5/25/2005

 

B. Bernard, Senior Meteorologist, The Weather Channel

 

 

A late-season nor'easter continues to whip much of the Northeast--New England, Long Island and New Jersey, in particular--with periods of rain, gusty winds and high tides today. High wind warnings are posted for coastal locations of eastern Massachusetts. And coastal flood watches are in effect from Maine to New Jersey. The biggest concern is for minor to moderate flooding at time of high tide tonight which ranges from this evening in New Jersey to late tonight from Massachusetts to Maine.

 

Elsewhere, isolated severe thunderstorms may erupt this afternoon anywhere from eastern New Mexico and southeastern Colorado through Texas and western Oklahoma into southwestern Louisiana. The greatest threat is expected to focus on northern Texas and southwestern Oklahoma near a stalled front. A few nasty storms may also pop up over the southern half of the Florida Peninsula.

 

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Tropical Season 2005

5:59 a.m. ET ET Sat.,May21,105

 

James Wilson, Meteorologist, The Weather Channel

 

 

The following is a recap of the historic 2004 Atlantic hurricane season:

 

Fifteen tropical or subtropical storms formed in the North Atlantic during the 2004 hurricane season. Nine of these became hurricanes with six becoming major hurricanes, category three or higher on the Saffer-Simpson Hurricane Scale. The strongest hurricane was Ivan which reached category five status. There was one additional tropical depression.

 

Six hurricanes...Alex, Charley, Frances, Gaston, Ivan, and Jeanne struck the United States in 2004. Three tropical storms also hit the United States. Charley also hit western Cuba while Frances and Jeanne also hit the Bahamas; all as major hurricanes.

 

Ivan hit Grenada and had significant impact on Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and western Cuba. Jeanne also hit the Dominican Republic as a hurricane and Puerto Rico as a strong tropical storm.

 

Atlantic tropical cyclones were directly responsible for more than 3000 deaths in 2004. The vast majority of these were in Haiti due to rain and flooding from Jeanne. Unadjusted property damage in the U.S. is estimated at more than 42 billion dollars making 2004 the costliest hurricane season on record. In Florida, the damage totaled up to 25 billion of the estimated 42 billion dollar total, making it the hardest hit state in 2004. Charley is now the second costliest U.S. hurricane on record (behind Andrew in 1992), while Ivan is now the third costliest hurricane bumping Hugo (1989) down to the fourth-place spot.

 

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