Bomb cyclone? East Coast braces for storm. Will it hit Rochester?

Sunday's forecast for the Rochester region will bring a mix of warm and breezy conditions – and potentially heavy rainfall.

Anticipated rainfall is set to move from west to east during the afternoon, with the potential for substantial amounts exceeding 2 inches, especially in areas east of Lake Ontario, according to the National Weather Service in Buffalo. The heaviest rainfall is expected late Sunday night into early Monday.

Rochester and areas further east may experience heavy rainfall at times, according to the Weather Service.

A flood watch is in effect through late Monday night for several New York counties, including Steuben, Broome, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Madison, Northern Oneida, Otsego, Schuyler, Southern Oneida, Sullivan, Tioga, and Tompkins.

Bills Game Forecast Weather for Bills vs Cowboys in Orchard Park may be windy, rainy

Excessive rainfall may lead to flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and low-lying areas, according to the Weather Service.

East Coast braces for possible 'bomb cyclone' as furious storm roars in

A powerful storm driving gale-force winds, heavy rains and flooding was roaring toward a long stretch of the East Coast on Sunday, a possible "bomb cyclone" poised to wreak havoc ahead of the holiday season.

More than 32 million Americans were under a wind advisory, the National Weather Service said. AccuWeather meteorologist Bernie Rayno said winds will reach from 40 and 70 mph along the coast, with gusts of up to 85 mph possible. Gusts of 74 mph or greater are considered hurricane-force winds − a bomb cyclone is essentially a winter hurricane.

"There is the likelihood of damage along the mid-Atlantic and New England coasts from this storm as it intensifies rapidly," Rayno said. "A zone of strong winds (will push) water from the Atlantic toward the shoreline, while at the same time, heavy rain pours down."

A stretch from North Carolina to Maine will see up to 4 inches of rain, and some highly localized areas could see up to 10 inches, AccuWeather said. Roads could become awash in water, snarling traffic Sunday night and for Monday's morning rush hour. The storm was rolling up from Florida and Georgia, and 35,000 homes and businesses in those states were without power early Sunday.

Developments:

∎ Rivers in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and much of New England could see flooding Monday and Tuesday as the runoff advances, AccuWeather said.

∎ Some areas of Philadelphia could see 4 inches of rain or more before the downpours end Tuesday, the National Weather Service said.

Will Rochester NY see a white Christmas? Here's what the Old Farmer's Almanac predicts

Will Rochester see a White Christmas? The Old Farmer's Almanac released its annual predictions for which parts of the country may see snow on Dec. 25. For the Rochester region and other parts of New York and western New England, the almanac predicts just over a 50-50 shot for a White Christmas this year. The temperature in December is predicted to be warmer than normal this year.

Some towns in northern New England, the northern Midwest and the Plains, however, are expected to see a white Christmas this year, but the Atlantic region and coastal areas will not, according to the Almanac's predictions.

However, some western and central New York communities have already seen significant snowfall this season. Parts of Lewis County saw more than 3 feet of snow in a late November storm. Parts of Chautauqua and Cattararagus counties, both south of Buffalo and along Lake Erie, saw nearly 2 feet of lake effect snow in the same storm, according to the Weather Service.

Contributor: USA Today Network reporter John Bacon

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Rochester NY Weather: Bomb cyclone? East Coast braces for storm