Helene's Remnants Will Bring Rain to the Ohio Valley and Mid-Atlantic

Despite being thousands of miles away from the point of Hurricane Helene's landfall, dreary weather and scattered rain showers will impact the Ohio Valley and through the mid-Atlantic this weekend. Read on for the details of this gloomy forecast.

Helene's Leftovers Will Impact the Ohio Valley and the Mid-Atlantic

What is left of the former Hurricane Helene will push into the Ohio Valley and the mid-Atlantic over the next few days, bringing significant rainfall and dreary conditions. Helene made landfall late Thursday as a potent Category 4 hurricane in Big Bend region of Florida. The storm churned through the interior portions of the Southeast on Friday, unleashing flooding rainfall and whipping up winds.

What is left of Helene is forecast to be absorbed by a separate non-tropical storm positioned over the lower Ohio Valley. This large storm complex is predicted to remain entrenched over the region for the weekend, resulting in several straight days of cloudy conditions and rain. It will take a cold front coming down from Canada and into the Midwest to start the week to dislodge what is left of Helene and send it to the east.

Those in the Ohio Valley and beyond can expect poor weather for traditional fall activities this weekend. This will not be a good time to head out to the pumpkin patch or catch a football game in this part of the country.

Heading into the early part of next week, the absence of strong steering winds positioned over the upper levels of the atmosphere will translate to the threat of heavy rain and localized flooding in the mid-Atlantic. What is left of Helene's moisture machine will move to the coastal mid-Atlantic and sock in the region with persistent rain.

The moisture-rich air coming in from the Atlantic Ocean will amplify the rain over portions of Delaware, Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey to start the new work week. Air travelers using the busy hubs of Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. may experience disruptions due to low cloud ceilings.

The slow-moving pockets of rain will increase the threat of flash flooding issues in this part of the country over the next few days. As always, motorists are being urged to exercise caution while out on the roads. The heavy rain could trigger reduced visibility and standing water, posing dangers for drivers.

The silver lining of this steady stream of moisture is that the region could use any non-flooding rainfall. Pockets of severe to exceptional drought are still a concern for a large part of West Virginia and southern Ohio. This part of the valley is forecast to see 1 to 2 inches of rain over the next few days, helping to chip away at this ongoing drought.

Forecasters are predicting that while some areas will be hit with persistent rain, nearby communities could miss out entirely on any significant moisture. It is a good idea to check the hourly forecast for your local area before heading out for outdoor activities this weekend.

The cold front pushing through from the Midwest will serve to shove all of the lingering moisture out into the Atlantic Ocean by the middle of the week. In its place, the Ohio Valley and beyond will enjoy a stretch of sunny and dry conditions heading into the beginning of October.

Specific Forecasts

The weekend is shaping up to be a soggy affair for areas as far north as the Great Lakes. Both Chicago and Detroit are likely to pick up about a quarter of an inch of rain on Saturday. These cities will top out with high temperatures in the upper 60s and low 70s thanks to the cloud cover. Sunday will dawn with drier conditions for these two metro areas, however, the clouds will remain in place.

The Ohio and Tennessee valleys are also going to be under the gun for scattered rain showers this weekend. Cincinnati is anticipating rainfall of about a half of an inch on Saturday. Although the moisture machine will lighten up on Sunday in this part of southern Ohio, the light rain showers will linger throughout the day. Saturday's highs will settle in the upper 60s with Sunday's readings forecast to climb into the low 70s. Overnight lows will bottom out in the low 60s during this time period.

Nashville is also in store for a gray and wet day on Saturday. Extensive cloud cover will suppress the highs, expected to top out at about 67 degrees. Winds will be coming out of the south-southwest at 10 to 20 mph in the Music City. Sunday will bring a dry start to the day with the rain picking up again in the afternoon hours. It will be slightly warmer with a forecast high of about 72 degrees.

You can expect this line of rain showers to track into the mid-Atlantic by the start of the new work week. For instance, Richmond, Virginia is forecast to see rain showers in the morning developing into a steadier rainfall by the afternoon. The capital city is predicted to pick up about a quarter of an inch of rain on this day with more precipitation for Tuesday. Highs will bounce around in the low to mid 70s to start the week before inching up into the upper 70s by Friday.

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