Hurricane Lee at Category 3: New England, Atlantic Canada Brace for Damaging Winds

Despite Hurricane Lee's drop to Category 3, New England and Atlantic Canada are preparing for the weekend's potential effects of its potentially devastating winds.

Intensification of Hurricane Lee

With sustained winds of 120 mph, Hurricane Lee regained Category 3 strength on Monday morning according to the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. A few hundred miles north of the Caribbean's Lesser Antilles, it was spinning. Meteorologists warn that even though it has been downgraded from Category 5, it will still have a substantial impact this weekend in eastern New England and Atlantic Canada.

Only six hurricanes have undergone this level of quick intensification, including Hurricane Lee, which has recently moved through multiple categories.

Hurricane Lee will have traveled over 3,000 miles since it formed last week over the middle Atlantic when it makes landfall in North America, where it is predicted to impact most likely.

Shifts in the eye of the hurricane, the upwelling of cold water beneath the storm, and the erratic gusts known as wind shear will all affect Lee's power.

Experts predicted that later this week, Hurricane Lee would experience strong winds at the height where jets fly, known as the jet stream, as it moved along the western side of a high-pressure system over the central Atlantic.

Bracing for Damaging Winds

Hurricane Lee's impact varies depending on its path. To the east, there's a significant risk of storm surge and property damage, but Maine and Canada's rocky coasts may limit surge flooding. To the west, a gentler coastline could bring more flooding.

North and west of Lee's landfall, heavy rain may cause river flooding. AccuWeather initially cleared Lee from Florida to North Carolina, later extending the all-clear to southeastern Virginia, but rip currents and coastal issues will persist.

Further north, from Delmarva to New Jersey, Lee could affect these areas, with a higher risk in New England and Nova Scotia. Offshore swells, erosion, and rip currents will be concerns.

Hurricane Lee's exact track late in the week will dictate conditions in eastern New England, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland. It may weaken over cooler waters but spread rain and winds, potentially influenced by the jet stream.

Nova Scotia faces a high risk of damage from winds and flooding, extending west to Rhode Island, eastern Massachusetts, southeastern New Hampshire, and coastal Maine. Any westward shift in Lee's path could amplify risks in New England and beyond.

Inland US

Meanwhile, a strengthening mid to upper-level trough will shift from the Upper Mississippi Valley to the Upper Great Lakes, advancing towards the Lower Lakes, Ohio Valley, and Mid-Atlantic from Monday night to Wednesday. This trough will push a potent frontal boundary eastward, which will trigger a series of showers and thunderstorms from the Southwest and Southern Plains to the Northeast.

Areas along and ahead of this front could experience heavy rainfall and isolated flash floods. Slow movement of the front may lead to prolonged heavy precipitation, particularly in parts of the Southern Plains and Southwest. Recent heavy rains also raise flash flood concerns from the Southern to Central Appalachians, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast.