Heavy rain, high winds Thursday night

Update #426a

Good morning! This is a heads up about an impactful weather event coming on Thursday night.

A snow-eating atmospheric river of moisture has its sights set on the Hudson Valley. Originating from the tropical Atlantic Ocean, it will come with temperatures near 60 degrees, elevated humidity, drenching downpours, high winds, and a possible rumble of thunder on Thursday night.

An atmospheric river of moisture (green shades) will surge up the eastern seaboard on Thursday night | map valid: 11:00 pm Thursday

Possible impacts include:

• 1-3 inches of rain and rapidly melting snow can lead to surface flooding in places with blocked drains, on low-lying roads, and perhaps in basements if they have a history of flooding.

• Gusty winds Thursday evening will turn strong after 9:00 pm, especially during periods of heavy rainfall, lasting through much of the night. Gusts of 40-55 mph will be possible, which can blow around holiday decorations, bring down tree branches, and cause some power outages. The highest gusts will occur along hilltops and ridges. It would be a good idea to charge up your electronics during the day on Thursday just in case! The strong winds may also blow your car around on bridges.

Wind gusts of 40-55 mph shown over the Hudson Valley on Thursday night | map valid: 11:00 pm Thursday

Rain will end and winds will ease back on Friday, Christmas morning. Friday night will be quite cold and breezy.

Take a picture of the snow on the ground today and compare it to a photo of the same place on Friday morning. There will be a massive difference!