NYC Weather: Floods Could Strike Amid Holiday Travel Frenzy

NEW YORK — A nasty storm set to roll in Thursday could flood New York City around the height of the holiday travel frenzy, the National Weather Service says.

The storm is expected to soak the entire tri-state region in two to three inches of rain, according to the weather service. Central Park is expected to get more than two and a half inches by early Saturday morning, the forecast shows.

The heaviest showers will hit from after midnight to 8 a.m. Friday, the weather service says. The five boroughs will be under a flood watch from 1 a.m. Friday to 1 a.m. Saturday, as the deluge could cause flooding in urban areas and places with poor drainage, according to the weather service.

Wind gusts stronger than 30 MPH and patchy fog may accompany the rain on Friday, the forecast says.

The start of the soak will roughly coincide with the worst time to leave the city for Christmas. Drivers can expect trips to take more than three times as long Thursday night, with millions of travelers nationwide to hit the road for the year-end holidays, according to AAA and INRIX.

The weather will dry up over the weekend, making way for sunshine and a high temperature near 41 degrees on Christmas Day, the weather service says.

Here's a closer look at the forecast, courtesy of the National Weather Service.

Thursday
A 40 percent chance of rain, mainly after 3pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 48. Calm wind becoming east around 6 mph in the afternoon.

Thursday Night
Rain. The rain could be heavy at times. Temperature rising to around 57 by 5am. Southeast wind 7 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 32 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.

Friday
Rain and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce gusty winds and heavy rain. Patchy fog. Steady temperature around 58. South wind 11 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.

Friday Night
Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 9pm, then showers likely. Some of the storms could produce gusty winds and heavy rain. Patchy fog. Low around 46. South wind around 13 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Saturday
A 30 percent chance of showers before noon. Mostly cloudy, with a temperature falling to around 46 by 5pm. West wind 9 to 18 mph.

Saturday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 35.

Sunday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 44.

Sunday Night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 35.

Monday
Partly sunny, with a high near 44.

Monday Night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 32.

Tuesday (Christmas Day)
Mostly sunny, with a high near 41.

Tuesday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 33.

(Cars pause in a wintry mix of snow, rain and ice in Manhattan on Nov. 15, 2018. Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)