Soaking rain on the way today and tonight, quite gusty too
TODAY: Rainy & Breezy, 1-2′′. Hi 48. Winds: SE 10-20 mph. Gusts to 35 mph.
TONIGHT: Heavy Rain, Breezy. Lo 52. Winds: S 10-15 mph. Gusts to 25 mph.
WEDNESDAY: Partly Sunny, Breezy. Hi 58. Winds: NW 10-15 mph. Gusts to 25 mph.
Today is the day many have been waiting for here in Central PA. After weeks without any significant rain in a year that hasn’t featured much rain to begin with, today will bring a soaking rain to the entire region thanks to a strong area of low pressure moving northward from the Tennessee Valley. Thanks to cold air in place at the onset early today (temperatures are below freezing in many backyards!), the rain could start as a brief wintry mix (sleet pellets), especially in the elevations of our western counties. If this occurs, it won’t last long, however, as warmer air floods in and will turn everything to rain by lunchtime. This is the region’s best chance for a soaking rainfall in weeks. Between 1-2′′ is looking likely and this will help a drought-stricken region that’s almost 10′′ below average for the year. Again, while there could be a wintry mix at the onset of this storm, that won’t be a big deal. The headline here is: soaking rain! The heaviest rain will likely occur between 5-9pm this evening and the winds pick up throughout the day too. It’s going to be a stormy Tuesday. The rain will end overnight and conditions will be drier for Wednesday.
Tomorrow looks decent for travel weather. Some light clearing will occur and it will turn breezy once again behind today’s storm. Temperatures will actually be milder tomorrow too, getting into the upper 50s despite plenty of lingering clouds. Thanksgiving Day will be dry and seasonable with highs in the lower 50s. It will feature mostly sunny skies. Black Friday and most of the weekend look dry and pleasant too. By Sunday and Monday, a few stray showers are possible. We will continue to monitor the holiday weekend forecast, but for now, at least the biggest travel day should be dry across the Mid-Atlantic. Plus, we get a beneficial rain for the first time in a while! Enjoy it!
-Meteorologist Brett Thackara
