NJ Weather Update: Thunderstorms, 45-MPH Winds In NJ Forecast

NEW JERSEY – New Jersey is getting spring-like warmth, but some summer-like storms are still expected to hit the region this weekend, packing thunder, lightning and 45-mph winds.

The National Weather Service has issued a hazardous weather outlook across the state, saying a line of showers and some embedded thunderstorms may move across the region by mid-day Sunday.

Gusty winds near 45 mph will be possible just behind this line of showers and thunderstorms that are expected to begin after midnight, the NWS said.

The NWS also has issued a wind advisory for North and Central Jersey until 12 noon on Sunday, saying gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.

The strongest wind gusts are expected within a few hours after daybreak on Sunday. Winds will diminish into the afternoon, the NWS says.

The far-reaching storm will impact much of the eastern two-thirds of the nation with an array of impacts ranging from record warmth ahead of the storm to a wind-driven rain that will drench portions of the Northeast, according to AccuWeather.

The storm, which developed over southern plains on Friday, is spreading northeastward through the weekend, according to AccuWeather. The storm continues to draw copious amounts of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and deposited in the form of heavy rain.

Motorists should expect hazardous conditions on the highways in the heavy rain zone due to low visibility, excess water on the roads and increased stopping distance, according to AccuWeather.

While severe thunderstorms, some with tornadoes, have the potential to cause damage in the South, the strong wind gusts within the rain squalls will also have the potential to knock over trees, break large tree limbs and lead to power outages from the Ohio Valley and lower Great Lakes region to the coastal Northeast, according to AccuWeather.

Here is the forecast:

• Saturday afternoon: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 70. South wind around 16 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph.
• Saturday night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 4 a.m. Some of the storms could produce gusty winds. Low around 59. Breezy, with a south wind 13 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
• Sunday: Showers and thunderstorms before 10 a.m., then a slight chance of showers between 10 and 11 a.m. Some of the storms could produce gusty winds. Temperature falling to around 55 by 5 p.m. Breezy, with a southwest wind 15 to 22 mph, with gusts as high as 45 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
• Sunday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 35. West wind 5 to 9 mph becoming northeast after midnight.