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Storm With Heavy Rain, Strong Winds Will Be Followed By Rapid Freeze: Here's What's Coming

A potent pre-Christmas storm packed with damaging wind gusts that will bring a mix of heavy rain, sleet, and snow to the region will be followed by a rapid freeze as temperatures plummet.

Temperatures will fall rapidly as the storm system moves off the coast.

Temperatures will fall rapidly as the storm system moves off the coast.

Photo Credit: AccuWeather.com
Widespread wind gusts on Friday, Dec. 23 will be between 40 and 50 miles per hour with gusts in some spots up to 70 mph.

Widespread wind gusts on Friday, Dec. 23 will be between 40 and 50 miles per hour with gusts in some spots up to 70 mph.

Photo Credit: AccuWeather.com

The time frame for the storm is from Thursday afternoon, Dec. 22 to Friday evening, Dec. 23.

With blizzard-like conditions in much of the Midwest, more than 1,000 flights have been canceled as of early Thursday morning.

A total of between 2 to 3 inches or more of rainfall is possible.

"Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects," the National Weather Service said in a Hazardous Weather Outlook statement issued early Thursday morning. "Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result."

As the storm system moves off the coast, temperatures "will plummet from Friday afternoon to Friday night," according to AccuWeather.com, which noted that, "in some cases, a temperature drop of 30-50 degrees can occur in a matter of several hours." (See the first image above.)

"This is about as extreme of a temperature drop there can be in the Northeast," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Joe Lundberg.

The wind-chill factor on Christmas Eve on Saturday morning, Dec. 24 will be around zero degrees.

It will be mostly sunny during the day, but. the high temperature will only be in the upper teens to low 20s and wind gusts of around 20 mph will make it feel colder.

Christmas Eve night will be clear and bitterly cold with the overnight low in the teens.

The current outlook for Christmas Day on Sunday, Dec. 25 calls for dry and brisk conditions, with mostly sunny skies and a high temperature in the mid to upper 20s.

This continues to be a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.

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