Full Notification

From our Homeland Security Partners-

This information is sent to you in conjunction with NH Homeland Security and Emergency Management. Conference calls were held with the National Weather Services Offices in Gray, ME and Taunton, MA and the National River Forecast Center for an update on Tropical Storm Andrea’s potential impact to NH.  The impact to NH will be from Friday into Saturday morning with continued scattered showers throughout the weekend.  The precipitation is due to a combination of two moisture systems:  an approaching frontal system currently over western New York, and the remnants of Tropical Storm Andrea currently moving up across the Florida panhandle towards the northeast.

Predictions:

Rain:   
v                  Current precipitation forecasts range from a ½ inch in very northern New Hampshire to up to 3 inches in southeast New Hampshire and the seacoast.  Rainfall will be spread over a 12 to 18-hour period from mid-day Friday until mid to late morning on Saturday.  
v                  There may be localized higher amounts near 3 inches of rain across some of the east facing higher terrain in the mountains of foothills.

v                  The track of the storm and the bulk of the precipitation will be in southeast New England from Albany NY to the Cape Cod Canal.  Because we are northwest of that track, winds and coastal surge should not be a concern in New Hampshire.

Wind: 
v      East/Northeast wind around 10mph statewide with possibility of gusts to 25mph along seacoast.

 Rivers/Streams:
v      Generally, no rivers in New Hampshire are forecast to go into flood stage due to the precipitation currently forecast to fall on the state this weekend.
v      Current flash flood guidance indicates that, given current conditions, it would take approximately 3 inches of rain in a 6-hour period to produce flash flooding of our rivers and streams; rainfall for this period will be spread over a 12 to 18-hour period.
v      Due to recent precipitation, the soil moisture across the state is high, which will result in higher than normal runoff from the precipitation, and the capacity of our rivers and streams to accept more flow is a bit limited because they are currently flowing at average or above average flow rates.
v      Flood Watches have been issued for Hillsborough, Cheshire, Sullivan, Rockingham, Merrimack, Carroll, Grafton, Belknap, Strafford Counties for late Friday evening through Saturday morning.

Marine Forecast: 
v      There will be moderate rip currents along a few of the beaches as the winds and waves increase.  
v      A Small Craft Advisory has been issued as well for the period Friday Evening through Saturday.