Mother Nature’s undefeated streak in disrupting my weekend plans is highly impressive.
Just when I thought I’d be enjoying a nice two-day journey across New York with my equally adventurous friends, I learned of a nasty Nor’easter set to make landfall on my beloved city. My mindset immediately went from “I can’t wait to experience Grade-A cinema and play some retro games!” to “Welp…guess I’ll be staring out the window all weekend…” Couple that depressing forecast with the cooler-than-usual September breezes and you have the perfect recipe for a “stay in, read a few books, and eat some leftovers for dinner” type of weekend.
Since I’ve gotten so accustomed to asking ChatGPT about anything and everything, I approached four chatbots with one question in mind: “How bad is the Nor'easter going to be this weekend?”
ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Muse didn’t sugarcoat their answers—here’s what they all had to say about the impending rainstorm.
What ChatGPT had to say
ChatGPT made it abundantly clear that New York City and the Tri-State Area should prepare for a rainy assault this coming weekend. It deemed Saturday the worst day for the entirety of the storm and also noted that the possibility of power outages & downed branches is expected to be high.
Here’s the rest of the chatbot’s predictions for just how severe this weekend’s Nor’easter will be:
- I'd characterize the NYC impacts as rough rather than catastrophic.
- The coast is where things could get genuinely troublesome: flooding, rough surf, beach erosion and stronger wind gusts. Inland NYC is more likely to experience a very wet, windy Saturday with unpleasant travel conditions rather than extreme storm damage.
- The storm's track still has some uncertainty, though. A modest shift closer to the coast could mean heavier rain and stronger winds for the city.
- If you have outdoor plans Saturday, I'd take them seriously. If you're driving, walking or using public transportation, I'd expect delays and poor conditions, especially Saturday afternoon/evening.
- If you tell me what part of NYC you're in (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx or Staten Island) and what you're planning to do this weekend, I can break down the specific risk by day and time.
What Gemini made me aware of
What stood out about Gemini’s weekend forecast for the Nor’easter is how it described the severity of it based on how close someone lives to the Mid-Atlantic and New England coastlines. And with the most recent updates on the storm taken from NYC.gov in mind, it noted how the storm is tracking slightly farther west (closer to shore), which could result in an increase in rainfall, stronger winds and coastal flooding risks to the 1-95 corridor and coastal communities through Sunday.
Gemini finalized its predictive weather takes by producing a helpful section entitled “Key Timeline” with the following info detailed below:
- Friday Afternoon: Clouds thicken; rain creeps into southeastern MA and the NYC tri-state area. Winds begin ramping up.
- Friday Night – Saturday Night: Peak Impact. Heaviest rain bands, highest wind gusts (up to 50–60 mph), and major coastal flooding threats around high tide.
- Sunday: Rain gradually tapers to showers, but gusty winds (30–45 mph) and rough seas persist.
- Monday: Storm pulls away offshore; conditions improve steadily.
What Claude told me
Claude gave me a bunch of predictive details worth mentioning, such as the strongest gusts are expected to hit southeast Connecticut & eastern Long Island. It also notified me that coastal flood warnings are in effect for the following areas: Nassau & Suffolk counties, Brooklyn, Queens, the Jersey Shore, coastal Connecticut and southern Westchester.
Claude’s final statement gave me an even clearer picture of what’s to come:
- Bottom line for the city: Think blustery, wet, and unpleasant rather than dangerous — secure anything loose on a balcony or rooftop, expect possible minor flooding if you're near the water, and don't plan on the beach or boardwalk. Some sporadic power outages and tree limb damage are possible especially in windier spots, but Manhattan itself should fare better than the coastal boroughs and Long Island. Things should clear out by Monday.
What Muse warned me about
To wrap up my weather forecast prediction experiment with AI, I wanted to see just how good Meta’s Muse AI agent could be when presented with forecast-related questions. Unsurprisingly, it provided me with all the essential information I needed, such as the expected start time of the worst part of the Nor’easter. To wrap up its findings, Muse laid out the following data to break down the storm through some easy-to-understand numbers and a key part of the storm that I need to keep an eye out for:
- 2–4 inches of rain for most of the Northeast (coast getting the worst of it), with flash flooding a risk — NYC's mayor issued a travel advisory after the track shifted west and closer to the city.
- Coastal wind gusts 45–60 mph, up to 65–70 mph on Cape Cod and the islands; inland gusts 30–45 mph, enough to drop trees and power lines.
- Waves up to 20 feet offshore, with coastal flooding around high tides — moderate flooding possible in southern Queens, the Rockaways, Jamaica Bay, and parts of the Brooklyn/Staten Island shorelines.
- Southeastern Virginia is already flooding from earlier high-tide cycles.
- One thing to watch: It's sitting over the very warm Gulf Stream, and AccuWeather says it could take on subtropical characteristics — meaning it could technically get named by the National Hurricane Center.
Bottom line
ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Muse’s outlook on this weekend’s Nor’easter was simple and straight to the point: it’s going to be a nasty one, so be sure to stay inside and push whatever plans you had for this weekend to the next one. As October officially begins next week, I have my hopes set on attending The Brooklyn Museum’s Art of Manga exhibition on October 3, with no chance of rain in sight.
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