After soaking rains, strong winds, with gusts to 50 mph, are expected in the Philly region through Monday
Some power outages are possible: With their roots soaking in saturated soils, certain trees may be vulnerable to strong winds.
A flood watch remains in effect until 8 p.m. Sunday as runoff persists from Saturday’s heavy rains, and March evidently is about to live up to its reputation as the year’s windiest month, with some power outages possible.
In addition to the continued flood threat, the National Weather Service posted a wind advisory for the entire region through 8 p.m. Monday, to go along with advisories for minor flooding along the Delaware River and at the Jersey Shore on Sunday afternoon, with the approaching new moon giving the tides an extra kick.
Thunderstorms and downpours soaked parts of the region Saturday night, with rain amounts ranging from an inch in the Mantua section of Philly to 2.78 inches in the Avondale area, in Chester County. The Chester Creek, in Delaware County, approached moderate flood stage. The Perkiomen Creek, in Montgomery County, reached the minor-flood threshold.
But the rains backed off late Saturday night, and wind will become the bigger concern by Sunday afternoon as sustained breezes are forecast to be in the 20- to 30-mph range through the day Monday, with gusts to 45 and 50 mph.
After an extremely wet winter, with their roots soaking in saturated soils, some trees are vulnerable, said Jason Parker, a manager with the Davey Tree Expert Co.
The weather service said that at least scattered power outages could be in play.
“I think there definitely will be some,” said Patrick O’Hara, meteorologist with the weather service’s Mount Holly office.
Through Friday, rainfall has been dramatically above normal throughout the region. In well-wooded Chester County, for example, close to 20 inches has fallen in that period, according to Middle Atlantic River Forecast Service, almost double normal.
Fortunately, the trees haven’t leafed out yet, said Parker, so winds can sail through branches. Winds of the forecast intensity likely would be more of a threat if the trees had filled out.
Regarding March’s reputation, according to long-term climate records it is, on average, the windiest month with an average speed of 10.8 mph, as the remnants of winter try to hold their ground against the advancing spring.
But February, 10.2 mph, and April, 10.3, are close seconds.