‘Nasty’ NYC weekend expected as Ophelia delays travel, threatens flash floods
New York City will see the remnants of tropical storm Ophelia throughout the weekend, with showers that will linger into Monday morning.
New York City is in for a wet, windy and chilly weekend as the outer bands of Tropical Storm Ophelia churn to the south. The storm, which made landfall in North Carolina early Saturday morning, is expected to bring extended downpours, which will be heavy at times, along with winds gusts of 30 to 40 mph.
Ophelia already thwarted travel plans, with all three New York City area airports reporting delays early Saturday.
The city issued a travel warning Friday night and announced it was prepping for flash floods.
“Life-threatening” rip currents, rough surf and beach erosion are also expected.
“It’s going to be a really messy and nasty weekend,” said Fox Weather meteorologist Jordan Overton. “It’s a good weekend to stay inside.”
The bulk of the rainfall will drench the city through 8 p.m. Saturday, but expect rain to continue into Sunday. Lingering showers are possible into Monday, according to the National Weather Service.
“The good news is that the rain will be spread out,” said Overton.
“That reduces the overall flood threat, but definitely watch out for ponding on the roadways and a couple of other issues,” he warned.
Temperatures will be in the low to mid 60’s, rising to 66 by Monday.
LaGuardia reported departure delays of over four hours and at least three cancellations by late morning Saturday and JFK was reporting holdups of at least 30 to 45 minutes, and six cancelations so far, according to flight tracking site FlightAware. At Newark Liberty, there were 66 delays and 11 flights nixed.
The New York City Emergency Management Department issued a travel advisory for Saturday and Sunday. Crews from the Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Transportation are inspecting and cleaning catch basins in neighborhoods and roads prone to flooding.
Tropical storm warnings are in effect for several states and officials warn that storm surges could cause life-threatening floods.
Minor coastal flooding is expected along vulnerable locations of the New York and New Jersey harbor, Jamaica Bay, southern bays of Nassau County, and coastal Westchester, according to the weather service. “While the warmer summer days are behind us, New Yorkers should take precautions regarding the forecast for high winds and rain during our first fall weekend,” said NYC Emergency Management Commissioner Zach Iscol in a statement, adding that the weather is a reminder that the region is still in the thick of hurricane season.