Lee Ushers In Hudson Valley Weekend With Gusty Winds, Coastal Flooding

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — Hurricane Lee will affect the Hudson Valley though it's not expected to get closer than 275 miles off Montauk Point.

As of Friday morning, Lee is "a very large tropical system with hurricane-force winds extending outward 105 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extending outward up to 320 miles," said Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist.

Wind gusts of 25 to 30 mph are likely to start as early as Friday morning across much of the region, possibly increasing to 30 to 35 mph into Saturday.

"Most of the higher wind gusts will be to our neighboring states east of us over Connecticut and Massachusetts," Todd Snow of Hudson Valley Weather said on Facebook.

Swells radiating outward from Lee will affect the upper mid-Atlantic and New England coast into the weekend and will lead to building seas and surf, Sowsnowski said.

New York City and Long Island, where breaking waves could reach 6-17 feet, will protect the Hudson Valley and Sound Shore.

The "reasonable worst case" is for minor coastal flooding (inundation of 1 to 2 ft above ground) for vulnerable coastal/shoreline locations shaded in blue across the local Tri-State, the NWS said, particularly along north facing shorelines along Jamaica Bay, the southern and eastern bays of LI, and Long Island Sound.

The coastal advisory stretches from southern Westchester to Maine.

Several roads and low-lying property including parking lots, parks, lawns and homes and businesses with basements near the waterfront will experience shallow flooding. Vehicles parked in vulnerable areas near the waterfront may become flooded during the times of high tide tonight into Saturday afternoon, possibly into Saturday night.

Also, though Lee is expected to continue weakening into the weekend, its wind field is expected to be very large.

Landfall is estimated to occur Saturday evening, perhaps over southern Nova Scotia.

In the Hudson Valley, conditions will be mild.

"Low dew points with cool starts and comfortable days are on our menu for the upcoming days," Bruce Furbeck of First Due Weather said on Facebook.

Furbeck said he had collected 8.02" of rainfall so far in September at his "compound" in Monroe, a month that typically collects 4.13" of rainfall total.

Friday will be the coolest day for the next five days — though temperatures are expected to drop into the 40s over Saturday night in the mid-Hudson.

Here's the forecast based on Yorktown:

• Friday - Mostly sunny. Highs around 70. North winds 10 to 15 mph.
• Tonight - Mostly cloudy. Lows in the mid 50s. North winds 10 to 15 mph.
• Saturday - Partly sunny. Highs in the lower 70s. Northwest winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph.
• Saturday Night - Mostly clear. Lows in the lower 50s. Northwest winds 10 to 15 mph.
• Sunday - Sunny. Highs in the mid 70s. West winds 5 to 10 mph.
• Sunday Night - Mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of showers. Lows in the upper 50s.
• Monday - Partly sunny with a 50 percent chance of showers. Highs in the lower 70s.
• Monday Night - Mostly clear. Lows in the mid 50s.
• Tuesday - Sunny. Highs in the lower 70s.
• Tuesday Night - Mostly clear. Lows in the lower 50s.

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