Flash Flood Watch In Effect Until Monday; Storms Already In NE PA

As forecasted late last week, there is a strong possibility that there will be some form of severe weather on Sunday afternoon and evening.  The question is whether or not it will be of the variety that occurred on Wednesday afternoon, or the type that happened on July 26th and July 28th.  The air is very humid with plenty of low level moisture and a front is approaching from the west.  So, something will have to give on Sunday.

In anticipation of the clashing of these two air masses, the National Weather Service office in Mount Holly has issued a Flash Flood Watch for all of Northern New Jersey as well as Somerset and Middlesex counties in Central Jersey from 1:00 PM this afternoon to Monday morning.  Heavy rain is possible with the storms set to come through this afternoon.  Rainfall amounts could run as high as two inches per hour in some locations.  On Saturday afternoon, there was an isolated thunderstorm that was capable of producing hail and 60 mile per hour winds near Dunellen.   The storm, which moved to the north into Somerset and Morris counties, ended up bringing 0.43 inches of rain to South Plainfield.

Looking at the radar a little while ago, GWC was able to locate a batch of thunderstorms developing in Northeastern Pennsylvania near Scranton.  Meanwhile, the skies are going through some changes.  Darker and lower cumulus clouds are developing underneath the layer of cirrocumulus and altocumulus clouds over Northern Middlesex County.  Skies are also getting progressively darker to the north and west of the region.  Winds have picked up a bit from the southwest. 

Forecast for this afternoon is calling for storms to develop and some of them to have gusty winds and heavy rain.  The same goes for Sunday night into Monday morning before daybreak.