Add Wind to Water Concerns in Twin Tiers

The National Weather Service in Binghamton is adding on to its Flood Watch area and issuing a Wind Advisory for the region.

Get our free mobile app

The Flood Watch from 10 a.m. February 17 to 7 p.m. February 18 now includes not only the Southern Tier and Central New York but the Northern Tier of Pennsylvania with the addition in the afternoon February 16 of Susquehanna, Bradford and Wayne Counties.

Bob Joseph/WNBF News [file][/caption]

Melting snow and ice and potential for up to an inch of rain has concerns for possible ice jams and flooding.

The NOAA office at the Binghamton Regional Airport says “significant snowmelt” is expected from much warmer temperatures and a half inch to an inch of rain could result in rises in stream and rivers, ice breakup and potential jams. Damming of the waterways in the pinch-points under bridges, at narrows and bends in the river could quickly result in flooding.

 Meanwhile, forecasters have also issued a Wind Advisory from 6 p.m. February 17 through 9 a.m. Friday, February 18 with wind gusts of up to 50 miles an hour possible through the region.

The National Weather says steady southwest winds at up to 25 miles per hour could gust at 45 or even fifty miles per hour and blow around unsecured objects, causing road hazards.  Tree limbs could also be blown down and power lines taken out.

Officials say gusty winds are expected to develop ahead of a cold front moving through the area Thursday night. Some local forecasters have predicted the temperature behind that front could quickly drop by 20 degrees.  Moisture from melting snow and ice and from rain could flash-freeze in a sudden drop of temperature overnight tonight and into the morning commute Friday, February 18.