Weekend Weather Update from FOX Weather: Omega blocking pattern fuels thunderstorm, flooding threats across US
Top weather news for Sunday, May 4, 2025: A stubborn weather pattern known as an "Omega block" will dominate the weather headlines this week as it fuels flooding and thunderstorm threats in several parts of the U.S.
Northeast, mid-Atlantic face flash flood threat as region gets hit with more rain, thunderstorms
Millions of people in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic will be at risk of seeing flash flooding as we end the weekend and begin a new workweek. FOX Weather Meteorologist Ari Sarsalari breaks down the latest forecast on May 4, 2025.
Welcome to the Weekend Weather Update from FOX Weather. It's Sunday, May 4, 2025. Start your day with everything you need to know about today's weather. You can also get a quick briefing of national, regional and local weather whenever you like with the FOX Weather Update podcast.
Relentless rain from Omega blocking pattern fuels multiday flood threat in Northeast, mid-Atlantic
Tens of millions of people in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic are facing a flash flood risk as we close out the weekend and begin a new workweek due to relentless rounds of rain and some thunderstorms fueled by a stubborn Omega blocking pattern over the U.S.
An "Omega block" is named after the Greek letter Ω and disrupts the usual zonal flow of weather systems.
The FOX Forecast Center said the blocking pattern has caused a so-called cutoff low-pressure system to stall over the Ohio Valley. This system is feeding moisture off the Atlantic Ocean, funneling precipitation into the region.
This animated radar loop shows the relentless rounds of rain and thunderstorms slamming the mid-Atlantic, Northeast and New England this week. (FOX Weather)
Omega blocking pattern rules forecast across US this week
An Omega blocking weather pattern has set up across the U.S., with forecasters warning that it will lead to a stagnant pattern of prolonged periods of warmth in some areas and steady, flooding rain in others.
As a result, two distinct regions of precipitation are expected to dominate the workweek: one stretching from the Southwest to the southern Plains and Gulf Coast, with the other affecting the Northeast.
This type of pattern is not known to produce extensive severe weather outbreaks, as the dynamics aren’t in place, but localized bouts with hail and damaging wind gusts are possible.
Weather forecast map for the week ahead. (FOX Weather)
4 hurt in Georgia roof collapse as severe storms pummel a dozen states
Four people were injured as a roof partially collapsed during a severe thunderstorm in Georgia on Friday, one of nearly 200 damage reports filtering in after some 1,500 miles of thunderstorms swept across a dozen states from Texas to New York.
According to the Forsyth County Fire Department, the roof collapse happened just before 1 p.m. Friday in Alpharetta as a severe thunderstorm brought wind and hail.
Employees were inside the medical supply company at the time of the storm, and firefighters arrived to find all had made it out safely. However, four employees suffered minor injuries and were taken to a local hospital for treatment.
Part of building's roof collapsed in Forsythe County, Georgia during severe storms on May 2, 2025. (Forsythe County Fire Dept. / FOX Weather)
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