A nor'easter in late May? Yes, they aren't just wintertime events as one impacting the Northeast with a nasty mix of rain, gusty winds and chilly temperatures will continue to demonstrate into Friday. -The Setup:Two areas of low pressure will affect the Northeast through late week – one across the eastern Great Lakes, and another low that's developed along the coast. The coastal low is the nor'easter that will continue to strengthen as it lifts northward along the coast of New England into Friday. -Remember:The only requirement for a coastal storm to become a nor'easter is winds coming from a northeast direction off the Atlantic. Nor'easters can range from intense, with heavy snow like we sometimes see in winter, to nuisance ones like this, which mainly bring rain and gusty winds. (MORE:Nor'easters 101) -Timing The Rain:Periods of rainfall will affect much of the Northeast through Thursday night, but the most soaking downpours will be in New England, including Boston, Hartford and Providence. Maine will continue to see wind-driven rain early Friday as widely-scattered showers affect the rest of the Northeast, especially across the interior. The highest summits of northern New England could also see snowfall at times Thursday into Friday. -Rain Impacts:Rainfall could be heavy at times, so pencil in extra time if you are traveling. Some locations could see totals of 1 to 2 inches. Localized nuisance flooding is possible, especially in urban and poor drainage areas of southern New England, but we don't expect a widespread threat. -Wind:Gusts over 45 mph are possible on the New England coastline Thursday, and some minor coastal flooding can't be ruled out from Chesapeake Bay to southern New England. -Keep That Jacket Handy:This weather pattern will also keep high temperatures 10 to 15 degrees colder than average, with highs only in the 50s for much of the region. Eventually, highs will rise into the still somewhat cool60s through the Memorial Day weekend. Chris Dolcehas been a senior digital meteorologist with weather.com for nearly 15 years after beginning his career with The Weather Channel in the early 2000s.
