Update On Coastal Storm, 50-MPH Winds Expected In NJ

NEW JERSEY – New details have been released now that a coastal storm is expected to impact New Jersey this weekend, packing 40- to 50-mph winds and possibly causing "widespread" flooding by Sunday night, forecasters say.

Read the update: Winter Weather Advisory In 4 NJ Counties, Coastal Storm Expected

The National Weather Service has issued a hazardous weather outlook for all 21 New Jersey counties, saying the rough weather is expected to begin with rain on Saturday and possibly linger until Monday morning.

The rough weather could impact schools. Read more: New Jersey School Closings/Delays List For 11/18/19

A wintry mix – along with winds exceeding 20 mph – may impact North Jersey by Sunday night and Monday morning, perhaps causing problems for commuters, according to the National Weather Service.

A coastal flood advisory was also issued for Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, eastern Burlington and Salem counties, where flooding could be a problem at high tide on Saturday night and Sunday night.

Northeast wind gusts should reach 40 to perhaps 50 mph Saturday and Sunday, especially along the Atlantic coast, with areas from the Atlantic City region southward to the Delaware Beaches potentially receiving the strongest winds. A wind advisory may be needed for at least parts of the area, the NWS says.

Here is what the National Weather Service says you should specifically expect in the coastal counties:

• Moderate coastal flooding is expected for the Sunday and Monday high-tide cycles along the New Jersey and Delaware coasts.
• Minor coastal flooding will be possible on the tidal Delaware River Sunday into Monday. Minor flooding may be possible on the Eastern Shore of Maryland on Monday.
• Gale- to storm-force wind gusts of up to 40-50 knots are expected on the Atlantic coastal waters of New Jersey and Delaware, and on the Delaware Bay on Saturday through Monday. Additionally, seas will build to more than 12 feet on the Atlantic by Sunday.
• Wind gusts up to 45-50 mph will be possible along the immediate New Jersey and Delaware coasts Saturday and Sunday.
• Freezing rain and a wintry mix are possible for northeastern Pennsylvania and northwestern New Jersey on Sunday night and into Monday morning.

AccuWeather is calling the storm a "nor'easter," saying its impacts will expand to the coastal Northeast later this weekend to early next week.

Gale warnings are in effect along the coastline from South Carolina to New Jersey and storm watches are in place along the North Carolina coast, which was recently battered by Hurricane Dorian, according to AccuWeather.

The difference in pressure between the strengthening storm and high pressure over the interior Northeast will create strong winds from the northeast and north, according to AccuWeather.

Enough wind, waves and above-normal tides are in store to cause significant chill, minor coastal flooding and some beach erosion from Maryland and Delaware to New Jersey, southeastern New York state and eastern Massachusetts from the storm.

Here is the forecast:

• Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 42. Northeast wind 14 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.
• Saturday night: Increasing clouds, with a low around 29. Northeast wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
• Sunday: A chance of rain, mainly after 9am. Cloudy, with a high near 47. Northeast wind 15 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
• Sunday night: Rain likely. Cloudy, with a low around 37. North wind 16 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
• Monday: Rain likely, mainly before 1pm. Cloudy, with a high near 47. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
• Monday night: A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 33. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.