Hurricane-force wind gusts to lash parts of US

By Jake Sojda, AccuWeather meteorologist

Updated Oct. 29, 2019 2:57 PM

As if soaking rain, accumulating snow and bitterly cold air weren't enough, strong winds will also whip a large swath of the nation as a potent storm system hits the United States at the end of October.

From late Wednesday through Friday gusty winds will spread and shift all the way from the central and southern Plains through the Northeast.

Regions from northern Illinois to eastern Kansas southward through Texas will be the first to experience the strong winds Wednesday, although these areas won't experience the strongest gusts of the entire storm system.

Cities and surrounding suburbs from Chicago to Kansas City through Oklahoma City, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio will feel gusts of 30-40 mph from Wednesday into Wednesday night.

"Aside from tossing about some unsecured lawn items, such as Halloween decorations or trash bins, winds of this magnitude in the region are unlikely to cause much damage," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Brett Rossio.

RELATED:

Wide stretch of Heartland to see significant snow on HalloweenTrick-or-treat forecast has mixed bag for American kidsWhy trees topple in high windsHalloween storm to drench areas from Deep South to northeastern US

However, adding in mid-winterlike cold, as well as soaking downpours or snow for some, this will make for a rather unpleasant day and night Wednesday for residents from the Midwest into the southern Plains.

The combination of dangerous crosswinds for high-profile vehicles and precipitation will result in travel disruptions.

Winds will intensify Thursday into Friday across the Great Lakes, Ohio Valley and Northeast as the center of the strengthening storm shifts from the lower Mississippi Valley into the eastern Great Lakes.

Peak wind gusts will increase to 45-55 mph across a large area from the Great Lakes and eastern Ohio Valley through the Northeast and mid-Atlantic. Even higher gusts are anticipated along the eastern shores of the Great Lakes, as well as along the Atlantic coast from Long Island into New England.

Unabated by the lake waters, some gusts along the coasts of the eastern Great Lakes, and perhaps Long Island and southern New England can reach hurricane force (74 mph or greater).

"Farther away from shorelines, friction caused by trees, buildings and varying terrain help to reduce the magnitude of the wind some," Bill Deger, AccuWeather meteorologist, said. "The open waters of lakes or the ocean provide very little frictional resistance, allowing for stronger wind gusts to occur closer to the shore."

These gusts will pose a significant threat to high-profile vehicles traveling through the region. Interstate 90, running very near to the Lake Erie shore, could prove particularly hazardous to high-profile vehicles. Some of the strongest wind gusts of the event may occur from around Cleveland up the Lake Erie shore to Buffalo, New York, as southwesterly to westerly winds funnel up the lake.

From the upper mid-Atlantic coast to central and coastal New England will also be at risk for some of the strongest wind gusts of the event. Southerly winds racing along across the Atlantic will blast coastal communities in this region.

"This could end up being a widespread damaging wind and power-outage event with gusts in the neighborhood of 60 mph from Delaware to Maine spanning late Thursday night to Friday morning," AccuWeather Chief Broadcast Meteorologist Bernie Rayno.

Coastal flooding will also be significant problem, mainly along the eastern shores of the Great Lakes and along the Atlantic coast, especially at high tide. The worst coastal flooding will threaten the eastern ends of lakes Erie and Ontario, where an event called a seiche will occur.

"A seiche is when strong winds blowing largely parallel to a lake for an extending period cause water to 'pile up' at the end of the lake," Rossio said.

Even away from immediate coastlines, wind gusts will be plenty strong enough to pose a threat. Downed trees and power lines can occur throughout the Great Lakes and Northeast.

This windstorm will also expand the regions where peak fall foliage viewing will come to an end. Most of the Great Lakes and northern mid-Atlantic into southern New England is still at high or peak color, according to the Foliage Network. The gusty winds late this week will rip many of the leaves from the trees in this zone.

Winds will gradually subside across the Great Lakes and Northeast later Friday.

Download the free AccuWeather app to see the latest forecast for your region. Keep checking back for updates on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.