Kevin's Blog

On Tuesday November 4th, Americans will go to the polls in record numbers to select the 44th President of the United States. As noted last week, rain and snow has a documented impact on voter participation, and even the outcomes of elections. In the spirit of the Game Day Radar blogs on Fox Weather, today we bring you the White House Weather Watch.

Two storm systems will be the primary issues on Election Day.

The first is a coastal storm that will be stumping through eastern North Carolina and into Virginia and Maryland during polling hours. This storm will also bring rain to Washington, D.C. during the afternoon and evening hours. These states are typically Democratic strong holds, so having adverse weather will make these states especially interesting to watch, given the propensity of rain to help Republican candidates.

Here is the weather map for mid-day on Tuesday.

The second storm will be rolling onshore across the Pacific Northwest with heavy rain expected across portions of Washington, Oregon and Northern California. Again, these states have historically been blue, so rain could impact the number of voters that venture to the polls, again helping the Republican candidates.

In the case of weather, our red and blue states both mean rain! Here are the expected rainfall amounts on Election Day.

Now, before we claim that the Republicans will have the home weather advantage, there is something to keep in mind. A record number of voters cast absentee ballots this year. This absentee effect might diminish the impact of Election Day weather, as well as render moot any exit polls that the television networks use to call states.

If you have any questions about the weather in your state, blue or red, ask here at Fox Weather. We will be around all day watching the returns from our radars,

...and your votes!

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