Big Overnight Thunderstorms Eye Mid-Atlantic | WeatherBug
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Big Overnight Thunderstorms Eye Mid-Atlantic

June 15, 2021
UPDATED by WeatherBug Meteorologists
A few dangerous thunderstorms will march across the Mid-Atlantic’s Interstate 95 corridor tonight. While destructive wind gusts will be the primary risk, so could a few instances of large hail and a brief tornado be possible.

Even with unusual timing after sunset, a robust disturbance aloft and cold front will smash into a lingering unseasonably warm, moisture-rich atmosphere across the Mid-Atlantic tonight. These ingredients will likely lead to robust thunderstorm tracking from the Appalachian Spine and Blue Ridge into the Interstate 95 corridor from southern New York and New Jersey to northern Virginia.

Before finally fizzling out along the New Jersey and Delaware beaches a few hours after Midnight, places like Arlington, Va., Washington, D.C., Frederick and Baltimore, Md., Dover and Georgetown, Del., as well as Philadelphia to Newark, N.J., will be at risk for a gusty thunderstorm encounter. In addition to gusts of 60 to 70 mph, a brief tornado and hail larger than golf balls will be possible.

Severe Thunderstorm Watches stretch from northern New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania all the way to West Virginia and as far southeast as northern and eastern Virginia and the Delmarva Peninsula. Cities such as Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Salisbury, Md., Elkins and Martinsburg, W. Va., Philadelphia, Harrisburg, and Allentown, Pa., and Atlantic City, N.J., are all included.

A peppy thunderstorm or two could even develop outside the Mid-Atlantic for a time through early tonight from New York City and western Long Island to Raleigh-Durham and Charlotte, N.C., and as far south as Columbia, S.C. Here, the primary risk will be damaging wind gusts up to 60 mph.

So far today, more than 60 severe weather reports have been counted from Pennsylvania and far eastern Ohio to Upstate South Carolina and northern Georgia. In most cases, these thunderstorms downed trees and branches, which lead to downed power lines and power outages. Golf ball size hail fell near Hessville, N.Y., earlier today, while quarter size hail was reported in Brushton, N.Y., and Washington, Pa.,

Remember, lightning is one of Mother Nature’s most deadly killers. If you are close enough to a storm to hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning, even if the sun is still shining. Also, make sure you understand the difference between a watch and a warning. A watch means conditions are highly favorable for dangerous weather, and you should have a plan in place for acting. A warning means that dangerous weather has been observed, and you need to act quickly to protect life and property.

Flooding is a leading cause of weather-related fatalities, with more than half of flood-related casualties occurring in automobiles when attempting to cross high water. Just six inches of fast-flowing water can sweep a grown adult away, while twelve inches can overtake small cars. It is never safe to drive or walk-through floodwaters, always remember to "Turn Around, Don't Drown!"