Washington, D.C. – A mix of heavy rain, snow, and strong winds will impact large portions of the country on Columbus Day, as multiple storm systems move across both coasts, according to the National Weather Service.
A coastal low-pressure system along the Mid-Atlantic Coast will track north through New Jersey on Monday before moving out to sea Tuesday. The storm will deliver moderate to heavy rainfall across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, tapering off by Tuesday evening. Persistent onshore winds and high tides are expected to create significant coastal flooding, rip currents, and beach erosion in vulnerable East Coast communities.
Wind gusts topping 45 mph may also lead to scattered power outages, downed branches, and localized inland flooding, especially in low-lying urban areas. The National Weather Service urges residents along the coast to stay alert for updates and follow local emergency guidance.
Meanwhile, in the West, upper-level energy diving south from the Pacific Northwest will spark widespread rain and snow from Washington and Oregon to the Northern Rockies and Sierra Nevada. The Weather Prediction Center (WPC) has highlighted heavy snow potential Monday and Tuesday across the Sierra and parts of the Northern Rockies, where totals could reach a foot or more at higher elevations.
Farther south, an influx of Pacific moisture will bring showers and thunderstorms to Southern California, Arizona, and the Central Rockies, producing rainfall rates high enough to trigger localized flash flooding. The WPC has issued a Slight Risk (Level 2 of 4) for excessive rainfall over parts of Southern California through Tuesday night, where urban areas and burn scars face the highest threat of debris flows and mudslides.
Rain and thunderstorms will expand east into the Central Plains and Upper Midwest by midweek, while lingering mountain snow continues from the Great Basin to the Northern Rockies through Wednesday morning.
By late Tuesday, the combination of coastal flooding in the East and heavy mountain snow in the West underscores a busy national weather pattern, marking one of the first significant winter-like systems of the season.
