Friday's powerhouse storm will bring heavy rains, with a widespread 1-2 inches, coastal flooding with astronomical high tides and a flash freeze as the storm pulls away. Despite all of this, the principal concern with this storm will be strong winds.
Much of New England is currently under a HIGH WIND WATCH. There will be widespread wind gusts of 50-60+mph wind gusts, which is enough for scattered tree damage and power outages. All of New England will see gusts of at least 35-40mph. This is generally not strong enough for any damage, but saturated grounds may allow for some minor tree damage in these areas.
The areas of New England with the greatest potential for tree damage and power outages will be the entire New England coastline, much of Maine and New Hampshire, as well as northern Vermont. Maine is the area with the biggest concern, as widespread outages are possible across the state. Unfortunately, there is a high likelihood that areas of Maine will be without power through Christmas weekend.
Winds will be the strongest Friday morning. This is when there is the greatest potential for damage to occur. There may be a lull around midday and early afternoon before the winds kick back up for a round two in the late afternoon and into the evening. Winds will slowly back off throughout the night Friday into Saturday. The HIGH WIND WATCH remains in effect through early Saturday morning for much of New England.
The winds will not be quite as strong during the Friday evening wave, but the combination of weakened trees from the morning, as well as saturated ground, may create more tree damage at this time. The evening wave of wind will usher in the flash freeze as a dramatic drop in temperatures will occur.
With strong winds expected across the entire region, now is the time to bring in unsecured objects. Deflate inflatable Christmas decorations, batten down or bring in other decorations by Thursday evening. Be prepared for power outages and, especially in Maine, prepare for the potential of being without power for a few days. Have a contingency plan in place for Christmas celebrations.
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