Watching Slow, Very Contrasty Cold Front Raise Northeast Havoc

Ethereal clouds precede torrential thunderstorms
in South Burlington, Vermont Saturday afternoon.   

We have another weather whiplash to report, this time in the Northeast.

It had been very warm and very dry in the region in May, but things changed big time in just a couple days.

This past weekend, and continuing today, a strong cold front, pushing into warm, very humid air in the Northeast, has all but ended a dry spell, but is causing other weather woes such as flash flooding and scattered severe weather.

At least this isn't is bad as the drought to Biblical flood in Texas, but it's still impressive.

The cold front chased my husband and I as we ventured from Vermont to Frederick, Maryland to see our twin nieces graduate from high school. (Congratulations Sydney and Alex!)

The front moved through Vermont early Sunday, preceded Saturday by some drenching thunderstorms, gullywashers, lots of lightning and a few scattered reports of wind damage.

Thunderstorms rapidly fire up behind us, as seen on our
flight from Newark to DC. These storms ended up
causing flash floods in Newark and much of the Northeast.  

By Sunday, after a hot, humid day in the 80s Saturday, topping off the hottest May on record in Burlington, Vermont  temperatures stayed in the chilly upper 40s with rain.

We escaped the chill and flew through the cold front Sunday and landed in humid Newark early Sunday afternoon

We then caught a connecting flight to hot, steamy Washington, DC, south of the cold front. The temperature reached 92 degrees in the DC on Sunday.

As we left Newark, we could see the thunderstorms building rapidly just ahead of the cold front pressing into New York's Hudson Valley and southern New England.

Those storms would go on to produce flash flooding in an extensive, densely populated area, flooding basements, stranding cars in deep street water, prompting water rescues.

The flooding was widespread through the New York metro area, southern New England, New Jersey and Pennyslvania.

Storm clouds over Frederick, Maryland Sunday afternoon.  

More local floods are possible today from the Mid-Atlantic states to coastal New England. Where I am today in Frederick, Maryland, we are under a flash flood watch due to the expected torrential thunderstorms.

Last night we were under a severe thunderstorm warning in Frederick and the lightning light show was fantastic.

After we're done in Frederick, we fly off to South Dakota to visit family on Tuesday. Just in time for a round of severe thunderstorms and torrential rains arrive there.

I guess I'm the type of guy who brings the fireworks. And the water brigade. yeah, the wet times are sure following me.

I also like to chase storms, but in the case, the storms were chasing me all across the Northeastern United States. Go figure.

I probably will end up with more images of storms, if things work out as expected.