Rainstorm to disrupt outdoor plans in northeastern US during last weekend of October

By Renee Duff, AccuWeather meteorologist

Updated Oct. 25, 2019 3:36 PM

Plans to leaf peep or attend sporting events in the northeastern United States this weekend are likely to be foiled by a soaking storm.

"The storm system soaking the Gulf Coast states will move into the Ohio Valley, mid-Atlantic and Northeast this weekend," AccuWeather Meteorologist Tyler Roys said.

As the storm moves northward, drenching rain, thunderstorms and the risk of travel delays and disruptions to outdoor plans will expand into larger metro areas, including Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, New York City and Boston. Airline delays are expected as the rain sweeps through the major hubs.

Game 3 of the World Series in the nation's capital will also be rain-free on Friday night with temperatures in the lower to middle 60s F.

The heaviest rain will move across the Ohio Valley on Saturday and spread into the Interstate 95 corridor from Washington, D.C., to Boston on Sunday, according to Roys.

Showers will break out as the storm pushes northward from near the Mason-Dixon Line (Maryland-Pennsylvania border) through the central Appalachians during Saturday afternoon.

Even if there is a spotty shower or two during Saturday afternoon, it should be dry for Game 4 of the World Series at Nationals Park with temperatures in the lower 60s.

Saturday will be the best day to hike, rake leaves or exercise outdoors in New England before rain spreads over the region on Sunday.

The Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots are expected to experience sloppy field conditions as the rain pours down during their game in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on Sunday afternoon.

Across the Northeast, a widespread 1-2 inches of rain is likely with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 4 inches.

"Localized flooding from the heavy rain and clogged drains from fallen leaves is likely," Roys said.

Motorists should use caution on the roadways as the rain will create a heightened risk of hydroplaning while traveling at highway speeds. Roadways will be extra slippery where leaves have fallen and become wet.

"Although the storm will pick up some forward speed over the weekend, the rain may take several hours to move out of the Martinsville, Virginia, area, where the NASCAR First Data 500 is scheduled for Sunday afternoon," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said.

As a result, delays to the start of the race are likely as crews work to dry the track, and it is not out of the question for the race to be postponed to Monday when it'll be much drier.

Despite the disruptions, the rain will help to continue to eat away at the abnormally dry to moderate drought conditions across the region. The pockets of severe drought in West Virginia and Maryland were wiped out by rain last weekend and earlier this week, the U.S. Drought Monitor showed in their latest outlook released on Thursday, Oct. 24.

Early next week, no immediate surge of cool air will follow the rain, according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Carl Babinski.

AccuWeather meteorologists are monitoring a plunge of cold air in the North Central states next week, but its arrival in the Northeast may be delayed.

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