Storm Will Bring Rain, Wind, and Possible Severe Thunderstorms To Jersey

The nice weather across the Garden State continued through the weekend and into the start of the new week.  Despite the frontal passage that occurred on Friday night and early Saturday morning, no rain fell across Northwestern Middlesex County as the region continued to enjoy a nice dry spell.  So far this September, there has only been five days of measurable rainfall in South Plainfield and surrounding towns with less than an inch of total rainfall.  However, starting tonight, a change in the weather is coming.

A storm system situated across the Midwest and Gulf Coast states will be pushing eastward, and a significant rain and wind event is set for Tuesday.  Over the weekend, the National Weather Service in Mount Holly cited the Storm Prediction Center’s analysis that indicated a moderate risk of severe weather on Tuesday across the Mid-Atlantic as well as much of the East Coast.  Since then, the SPC has backed off that projection by only indicating a slight risk of severe thunderstorms on Tuesday afternoon and evening.

Regardless, there is still going to be a good deal of rain and wind.  Winds will be blowing between 20 and 30 miles per hour with higher gusts on Tuesday.  The timeline for the rain is set to begin around noon time on Tuesday with steady rain falling by rush hour on Tuesday afternoon, and heavier rain coming during prime time on Tuesday night.  Significant rain is expected to last until early Wednesday morning.  By the time the rain has ended anywhere from an inch and a half to nearly three inches could fall in Northwestern Middlesex County.  Some forecasts indicate anywhere from 2 to 3 inches is possible.

A Wind Advisory is already in effect for much if not all of New Jersey starting around noon time on Tuesday, and continuing until midnight Tuesday.  Sustained winds are expected to be between 20 and 25 miles per hour with gusts up to 45 miles per hour in inland locations, and 50 miles per hour along the coast.  Two things are combining to cause problems for Tuesday.  The first is a cold front, which will be approaching from the west while the second is moisture moving into the Gulf coast from an area of disturbed weather that spun up in the Gulf of Mexico. 

Winds will be increasing during the afternoon with the strongest winds occurring in the evening until late Tuesday night when the front passes through.