Heavy rains for East Coast, prolific tropics

Two different systems will impact both coasts. On Thursday, heavy rains and mountain snow will fall, affecting the commute to and from work. The Breakfast Brief is published every Monday through Friday at 5 a.m. ET.

A large rain system moves east, and the early morning will be stormy for the lower Ohio Valley through the Florida Panhandle. Scattered showers will arrive in the afternoon for New York City as the low pressure moves toward the Northeast. Cooler air could trigger a few flurries as some moisture moves over inland New Hampshire and Maine, where there could also be mixed precipitation and ice accumulating by early Friday morning.

The southern portion of the front will lose its moisture, but plenty of dry air will move south over Florida throughout the day on Friday. There is only a small chance of showers over the northern portion of the Peninsula, but it is mostly dry from Central Florida and southward. Much drier and cooler conditions for the weekend for the Sunshine State.

For the west, specifically the Pacific Northwest, that system entered on Wednesday, staying close enough to continue to provoke heavy rains and snow from the Pacific coast through the northern Rockies. This system will linger around the same area, holding back all the rain and winter precipitation over the same region until Saturday. Still, once it moves, another system arrives to continue the wet pattern.

The tropics continue to be prolific this season. Tropical Depression 19 formed, and is moving very slowly over the western Caribbean. It should become Tropical Storm Sara over the weekend. It will likely become a hurricane as it meanders over the Caribbean over the weekend. Weather conditions, such as low wind shear and warm sea surface temperatures, will sustain this system for intensification.

Honduras should prepare to receive around 20 inches of rain through the next 2 to 3 days as the system crawls near the country. It is forecast to push through the Yucatan Peninsula early next week and then it should pick up speed as a front will likely push Sara toward Florida. Please stay tuned and informed.

Our WeatherRadar goes with you wherever you go in the world. You can track storms and showers and see how a storm system moves up to 4 days in advance. This is all free and in your hands, always accessible. The WeatherRadar our most popular tool