Storms Kick Off Rainy Period
Saturday’s Scattered Storms Usher in Several Days of Much Needed Rain
SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ – Earlier this week, Greg’s Weather Center reported on the dry weather that ended the month of April. Since April 12th, there have been 17 days without any rain at GWC. This past week was a repeat of the week before except a bit warmer. Like last week, there was a little bit of wet weather courtesy of storms. However, these storms will kick off a rainy period in the form of several days of much needed rain.
Late Saturday afternoon, scattered storms developed around the Garden State. A sea breeze front developed along the Jersey Shore as temperatures climbed into the mid to upper 80s and even 90 around New Jersey. The sea breeze front sparked strong thunderstorms near Long Beach Island. Within an hour another cell of severe storms began to gather over Northern Hunterdon County that intensified as it moved eastward.
Saturday’s Storms Prompted Warnings
Both storms prompted warnings from the National Weather Service Office in Mount Holly, NJ. Meanwhile, the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch for nearly all of New Jersey as well as several counties in Eastern Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland until 11:00 PM on Saturday. GWC managed to capture the blossoming thunderstorm in Hunterdon County from its location in Montgomery. Radar also indicated significant intensification as the cell moved into Northern Somerset County.
The late afternoon storms didn’t strike Greg’s Weather Center in South Plainfield. However, there would be another round of storms that came up from Washington, D.C. and Baltimore that came through Southeastern Pennsylvania and moved through Central Jersey between 9:00 and 10:00 PM on Saturday night. This round of storms produced only 0.31 of an inch of rain at GWC, but kicked off a rainy period that will last to the middle of next week.
Omega Block Responsible for Rainy Period
The storms were the leading edge of a storm system that will linger across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast for several days. A storm system in the Ohio Valley is one of two storms across the United States creating problems. The two storm systems are part of what is called an Omega Block pattern. A trough in the Western U.S., a ridge in the Midwest, and another trough in the East have combined to create a weather pattern that is more like a traffic jam in the atmosphere.
This stuck pattern will cause our wet weather to persist for several days, and even get worse as the new week begins. Anywhere from one to three inches of rain is expected across New Jersey through Wednesday. The latest forecast indicates the heaviest rain will fall on Monday and Tuesday with nearly an inch and a half of rain during the period. Temperatures will likely range from the low 60s to around 70 over the next several days.
Much Needed Rain Halts Dry Stretch
So far in 2025, there has been less than 10 inches of rain at GWC. Much of the rain fell during the six week period from March 4th to April 12th. A total of 6.88 inches fell during the span. March was the wettest month of the year to date with 4.60 inches. The dry start to 2025 followed a drought that developed across New Jersey in the late summer and fall. From August 10th to November 9th, there was only 2.14 inches of rain at GWC. The three month dry spell included 41 straight days of no measurable rainfall.
Before this latest dry spell, there had been progress made in easing the drought. The dry end to April caused this progress to take a few steps back. So, while the rain puts a damper on the weekend, and the fun activities, it is much needed. Hopefully, next weekend will be better. Four of the last five Saturdays have produced rain.