THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, November 17, 1994 TAG: 9411170501
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A18 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE STONE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 81 lines
A cold front caught between a high pressure center to the north and Tropical Storm Gordon to the south is expected to hold Hampton Roads in its rainy, gray, windy grasp through Sunday.
Folks who are worried about Thanksgiving, however, should take heart. The long-range forecast is for above-normal temperatures and normal precipitation next week. And Gordon should have moved into the history books, or at least out to sea.
Meanwhile, motorists should be cautious. Patchy fog is expected day and night in Hampton Roads, and some coastal roads could flood in North Carolina. The wind will continue from the northeast.
Hampton Roads is by no means alone in being soggy. Rainy weather covered the East Coast from southern New England through Florida on Wednesday, and it's expected to stay through the weekend.
And along the coast, the combined effect of the two major weather systems north and south of the region could push tides higher than usual along beaches in North Carolina and Virginia.
A coastal flood watch is in effect in North Carolina through Friday. None was posted for Virginia as of Wednesday night.
The flood watch comes as the strong high pressure system centered over the Northeast was producing an onshore wind flow. Winds will strengthen as the system pushes south and interacts with the counterclockwise winds spinning around Tropical Storm Gordon.
Winds were to increase to 30 mph on the North Carolina Outer Banks this morning and to 40 to 50 mph by tonight and near 55 mph on Friday. Seas will build to 8 to 10 feet today and to 10 to 12 feet tonight.
The National Weather Service warned that ocean tides on the Outer Banks may be 2 to 4 feet above normal tonight and 3 to 5 feet above normal by Friday morning. Beach erosion is possible through Friday.
Soundside flooding in North Carolina is possible late today and Friday, mainly on the south end of Pamlico Sound. Water levels on the Pamlico may rise to 2 to 4 feet above normal by Friday morning.
Whether those conditions improve or deteriorate depends almost entirely on what Gordon does. Forecasts have the tropical storm moving steadily northeast with the center staying far offshore. And while Gordon has, up to now, meandered, the cold front that has settled over the mid-Atlantic could guide the storm safely out into the Atlantic.
In the meantime, most residents are just trying to keep dry.
By 5 p.m. Wednesday, almost an inch of rain had fallen at the National Weather Service office at Norfolk International Airport. That brought November rainfall to 1.14 inches, just shy of the 1.45 inches that has normally fallen by this date. And given the forecast, that should easily be surpassed by this morning.
Annual rainfall to date is still well ahead of normal, at 47.09. The average to date is usually 40.01 inches.
Reservoirs could use a little rain, although water levels are only slightly below normal. On Wednesday afternoon, for instance, Norfolk's extensive reservoir system was at 75.7 percent of capacity. The average for this time of year is 78 percent.
``If we were off by 20 instead of 2, we might be concerned,'' said Bob Cox, a water chemist for the city. ``But if it's somewhere around that normal curve, we're happy. This time last year we were down around 50 percent.''
HERE'S THE FORECAST for Hampton Roads:
Today - Rain, drizzle and fog. Cloudy, breezy and cool. The high should be near 60 with northeast winds of 15 to 25 mph. The chance of rain is 80 percent.
Tonight - Rain and fog. Cloudy, breezy and not as cool. Low in mid- to upper 50s. Northeast winds at 15 to 25 mph. The chance of rain is 80 percent.
Friday - Rain and fog. Cloudy, breezy and mild. The high will be in the mid- to upper 60s; the chance of rain is 80 percent.
Saturday - Mostly cloudy with a chance of showers. High in the mid- to upper 60s. Low 50 to 55.
Sunday - Partly to mostly cloudy with a chance of showers. High in the mid- to upper 60s. Low 50 to 55.
KEYWORDS: STORM WEATHER
by CNB