National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Wind and Rain in the Northeast; Atmospheric River to Impact the West

A cold front will cross the Great Lakes and Northeast U.S. through today with gusty winds and areas of rain showers. A strong atmospheric river is then expected to move into the Northwest by midweek bringing a threat for moderate to heavy rainfall and flooding, gusty winds, and mountain snows for parts of Washington, Oregon, northern California, and the Sierra Nevada. Read More >

Last week was quite wet for central and eastern Kentucky, where 2 to 5 inches of rain fell across many locations east of Interstate 65. And when the same upper-level low pressure system parked along the southeastern coast and interacted with Hurricane Joaquin, some parts of the Carolinas picked up over 20 inches of rainfall, which caused catastrophic flash flooding.

This map shows 7-day rainfall totals ending Monday. The area that received at least 2 inches of rainfall covers most of the eastern third of the nation! The blocking effect of the Appalachians in the easterly flow is also evident, as rain totals over 5 inches are much more widespread east of the mountains. Normal 7-day rain totals at this time of year are less than 1 inch.