Millions of people living along the Interstate 95 corridor in the Northeast are bracing for rounds of rain and thunderstorms over the next few days as a low pressure system approaches the area, and that's good news for a part of the country that has had below average precipitation.
While drought conditions in the region are not as bad as in other parts of the United States, some cities remain abnormally dry. That's the case in Baltimore, which falls about 10 inches behind the average rainfall for this time of year.
“This will do some good, but I don't think it will help us enough,” said FOX Weather meteorologist Jane Minnaar. “Over seven days and 2 to 3 inches of rain, I don't think that's enough to wipe out the moderate to severe drought that's already starting to settle in in Delmarva.”
How heavy is the rain?
The FOX Forecast Center expects 3-5 inches of rain to fall along the I-95 corridor, with some higher amounts locally, through early next week.
Severe weather is also likely across the mid-Atlantic into southern areas of the Northeast along the I-95 corridor on Monday, where damaging winds and hail are possible with any severe storms that may develop.
Although the rain will not be very heavy, there may still be a risk of flash flooding in some parts of the Northeast where heavy rain falls.
A flash flood warning was issued Friday evening for Philadelphia due to 2 to 4 inches of rain falling over a short period of time. Traffic cameras along Interstate 95 showed slow traffic and flooding along the highway during rush hour.
Other instances of flooding were reported around Washington and in central Virginia.