GWC Weather Timeline–Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Here is a weather timeline kept at GWC in South Plainfield as severe weather developed during the day on Tuesday.

3:13 AM–Round One. Woke up to the sound of the wind picking up. Then I saw flashes of lightning. The wind was so strong that it blew the back door open, and it was locked. Closed the back door. Rain coming down fairly hard.

3:16 AM–The Weather Channel App indicating that the NWS Office in Mount Holly issued a Special Weather Statement for a Gust Front moving through portions of Middlesex, Monmouth and Mercer counties. Checked the radar, and there was a fairly impressive cluster of thunderstorms that had just passed through.

8:00 AM–Woke up. Checked the conditions outside. Skies are overcast. Only received 0.04 inches of rain from the storm overnight.

9:13 AM–Checked the conditions outside again. Sun is out. Still some overcast though. Temperature is at 59 degrees with the humidity at 84 percent. Winds are calm, but the barometer is falling sharply at 29.67 inches of Hg. The Weather Channel app indicated that there could be severe weather today, and thunderstorms possible around 2:15 PM. Wind gusted to 33 mph overnight.

10:06 AM–Stepped outside for a few moments. Skies becoming more overcast. Checked the radar a while ago, and noticed a strong line of storms moving west to east through Northeastern Pennsylvania and New York. A bit chilly outside. NWS Mount Holly issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook for possible strong storms with hail and high winds this afternoon. Temperature is up to 61 degrees. Humidity at 80 percent. WInds are still calm, but the barometer has dropped a bit more to 29.66 inches of Hg.

11:06 AM–Departed Washington Rock in Green Brook where skies were mostly cloudy.

11:30 AM–Just left Watchung Lake, where skies were mostly overcast with some sprinkles.

12:15 PM–Leaving Washington Valley Park in Martinsville where clouds had just moved out and blue skies reappeared.

12:45 PM–Moving out from Colonial Park in Somerset, where skies were mostly sunny, but with some cirrocumulus. TWC radar indicated thunderstorms developing in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

1:45 PM–About to leave Round Valley near Lebanon in Hunterdon County. Things are beginning to get interesting with more cirrocumulus and cumulus cloud build-up with a little bit more of a breeze. Radar now showing storms extending southward in Eastern Pennsylvania near Allentown.

2:14 PM–Leaving Spruce Run in Northern Hunterdon County off Route 31 outside Lebanon. More grey and overcast skies are moving. A bit more breezy too with some sprinkles. Severe Thunderstorm Watch now in effect until 9:00 PM. Wind gusts up to 70 mph and hail up to 1″ in diameter possible.

3:11 PM–Just arrived home. Have a mixture of sun, blue sky, cirrocumulus clouds, and cumulus. Had some light rain fall as I was leaving Spruce Run. Temperature up to 78 with humidity at 48 percent for a few point of 58. Winds are light, but barometer continues to fall at 29.57 inches of Hg.

4:00 PM–Leaving South Plainfield’s Spring Lake Park. Had a lot of cumulus clouds overhead. Skies are looking more threatening, but no rain. TWC reported a lightning strike 19 miles away to the South-Southeast.

4:45 PM–Heading out of South Amboy’s Waterfront Park to get on Route 35 for Keyport. Skies did get quite dark for a while, but then the clouds broke apart and the sun came out. Still a good deal of cumulus to the north. Quite windy with an early fetch off Raritan Bay that made things chilly. No rain.

5:15 PM–Leaving Keyport. Still a Severe Thunderstorm Watch in effect until 9:00 PM. Storms from North Jersey have now pushed through New York City. However, conditions in Central Jersey appear to be stabilizing. Skies are clearing although there is a patch of clouds with beams of sunlight over Matawan Creek. No rain.

6:00 PM–Just arrived home. Barometer has been rising at 29.66 inches. Special Weather Statement indicating strong thunderstorm that formed outside of Trenton is now moving through Southern Middlesex and Monmouth counties as well as portions of Ocean and Burlington counties.

8:00 PM–Severe Thunderstorm Watch still in effect for another hour. Temperature down to 57 degrees. Humidity up to 84 percent. Barometer rising at 29.73 inches of Hg. Winds light at 5 to 10 mph. No rain.