Tropical Storm Elsa Brings Wind and Rain to Northeast U.S.

Tropical Storm Elsa brought wind and rain to the northeast U.S. on Friday morning. At 8:00 p.m. EDT on Friday the center of Tropical Storm Elsa was located at latitude 40.2°N and longitude 73.1°W which put it about 90 miles (145 km) southwest of Montauk Point, New York. Elsa was moving toward the northeast at 31 m.p.h. (50 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 50 m.p.h. (80 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 65 m.p.h. (105 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 1000 mb.

A Tropical Storm Warning was in effect for the eastern portion of Long Island from East Rockaway Inlet to Port Jefferson Harbor. A Tropical Storm Warning was also in effect for the portion of the coast from New Haven, Connecticut to Sagamore Beach, Massachusetts including Block Island, Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, and Cape Cod.

Tropical Storm Elsa was buffeting the northeastern U.S. with gusty winds and locally heavy rain on Friday morning. The center of Elsa was passing south of Long Island, but rain was falling over an area that extended from New York City to southern Maine. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 150 miles (240 km) to the southeast of the center of Elsa. Winds to tropical storm force also extended out 80 miles (130 km) to the northeast of the center of circulation. Winds in the western half of Tropical Storm Elsa were not as strong. Elsa could cause sporadic power outages and flash floods in the northeastern U.S. on Friday.

Tropical Storm Elsa will make a transition to an extratropical cyclone during the next 24 hours, while it moves quickly toward the northeast. Elsa will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 22°C. An upper level trough over the Great Lakes will produce strong southwesterly winds that will blow toward the top of Elsa’s circulation. Those winds will cause strong vertical wind shear. The combination of cooler Sea Surface Temperatures and strong wind shear will cause the structure of Tropical Storm Elsa to change to the structure of an extratropical cyclone. The center of Elsa will pass near Cape Cod on Friday afternoon. Elsa will pass over the Canadian Maritime Provinces on Friday night. It could be near Labrador and eastern Newfoundland on Saturday.