More Thunderstorms Headed To Hudson Valley This Weekend

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — Let's just get through the weekend. After severe weather overnight Thursday and flood warnings Friday morning, additional showers and thunderstorms are forecast for Friday night, Saturday and Sunday — with flooding possible, especially considering all the water over the last week.

Monday is supposed to be sunny.

Meanwhile, flood watches remain in effect through Friday evening for Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Ulster and Westchester counties.

"It will be hard to pinpoint specific times but short range guidance displays significant concerns for both the afternoon and evening," said Bruce Furbeck of First Due Weather on Facebook. "Similar to last night, lots of lightning expected."

At times, a plume of moisture will extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Northeastern states. This setup is sometimes referred to as an atmospheric river, said Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist.

"As more rain pours down on the saturated ground, the potential for life-threatening and highly disruptive flooding will unfold in some areas recently inundated and expand to other locations that have dodged high water thus far," Sosnowski said.

Once again, the warm Atlantic waters will contribute to the dangerous flooding risks in the Northeast, he said. According to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dave Dombek, ocean temperatures in the mid-Atlantic region are several degrees above average this summer and are currently more like levels sometimes seen in late August.

Here's how much rain fell in the 24-hour period between noon Thursday and Friday (most of it overnight) according to the New York State Mesonet:

The 4-day forecast based on northern Westchester:

• Friday - Mostly cloudy with a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the lower 80s. East winds around 5 mph, becoming south this afternoon. Chance of rain 50 percent.
• Tonight - Mostly cloudy. Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly in the evening. Humid with lows around 70. South winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70 percent.
• Saturday - Mostly cloudy with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms in the morning, then partly sunny with a chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Humid with highs in the mid 80s. South winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30 percent.
• Saturday Night - Mostly cloudy. A chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening, then a chance of showers with isolated thunderstorms after midnight. Humid with lows around 70. Southeast winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.
• Sunday - Showers likely with a chance of thunderstorms. Some thunderstorms may produce heavy rainfall in the afternoon. Humid with highs in the lower 80s. South winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70 percent.
• Sunday Night - Mostly cloudy. Showers likely with a chance of thunderstorms in the evening, then a chance of showers after midnight. Some thunderstorms may produce heavy rainfall in the evening. Lows in the upper 60s. Chance of rain 70 percent.
• Monday - Mostly sunny. Highs in the upper 80s.

Here's the next 48 hours at a glance based on Orange County:

More than 13,000 customers lost power in the Thursday night-Friday morning storms. SEE: 13,000+ Without Power After Night Storm In the HV

The week's weather renewed calls for more climate-change action by some state lawmakers.

"For every 1.8°F the atmosphere warms, it holds an estimated 7% more moisture," said Assemblymember Sarahana Shrestha of Ulster County. "That means, accelerating climate change creates intense rainfalls, increases the frequency of severe storms, and subjects areas previously not considered a flood zone to severe flooding, like we saw in the Hudson Valley."

On Friday, she called on Gov. Kathy Hochul to include the NY HEAT Act in next year's budget. It did not pass the Assembly this year though it did pass the Senate.

"The NY HEAT Act includes determined and impactful initiatives to fight the climate crisis now. Most notably, it removes the 100-foot subsidy that incentivizes gas line expansion, and also will protect ratepayers with low incomes from shouldering too much of the transition costs to sustainable energy sources," said state Senator Peter Harckham of Westchester, Chair of the NYS Senate Environmental Conservation Committee. "This summer's severe, climate-change fueled storms and record-breaking heat are telling us to enact this legislation in a hurry."