High Winds, Heavy Rain May Soak Eastern PA Commute

EASTERN PA — Powerful winds and heavy rain could continue through the afternoon and evening Tuesday in the greater Philadelphia area, causing several area waterways to swell, forecasters said.

The rain could impact the commute home for some residents, as parts of the region, including much of central Montgomery County and parts of Chester County, experienced flash flood warnings earlier Tuesday.

Check out AccuWeather's Pennsylvania radar for the storm's path.

The National Weather Service has no active flood watches or warnings for the area as of 4 p.m. Tuesday. But the agency expects rain — potentially heavy at times — with gusts up to 20 mph in the greater Philadelphia area for the rest of the afternoon.

The Schuylkill River at Norristown was expected to rise more than two feet Tuesday, to a zenith of just over 10 feet by the late afternoon, according to the National Weather Service's Advanced Hydrologic Prediction. Due to the recent lack of precipitation, that is, fortunately, still three feet short of flood stage.

Other area bodies of water, including Perkiomen Creek, are predicted to experience similar rises late Tuesday.

The storm comes in the midst of a prolonged dry spell that has sent much of the region into drought or "abnormally dry" conditions. A drought watch as recently declared in nearly all of eastern Pennsylvania, and included 36 counties statewide.

Showers throughout the region remain likely through early Wednesday afternoon, with the chance of showers continuing in the evening.

Here's the latest forecast for the area:

Tuesday

Scattered showers. Cloudy, with a high near 76. East wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Tuesday night

Scattered showers. Cloudy, with a low around 67. Northeast wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Wednesday

Showers likely, mainly between 2pm and 4pm. Cloudy, with a high near 74. Northeast wind 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Wednesday night

Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Patchy fog after 2am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 64. North wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Thursday

Patchy fog before 8am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 80. North wind around 10 mph.

Thursday night

Mostly clear, with a low around 61.