Severe Weather Possible In Western Jersey On Friday

Good afternoon again. Earlier today, the Weather Channel indicated that there could be some severe weather in portions of the Garden State on Friday. A storm system is moving gradually eastward and has generated a number of severe weather watches and warnings including a Tornado Watch covering some 26 counties in Pennsylvania.

Weatherscan indicates that there will only be partly cloudy skies tonight in Newark while a chance for a stray thunderstorm on Friday. However, the farther west you go in the Garden State, the chances become greater. The forecast for Somerville, which is probably a good 12 miles west of South Plainfield, has a 20 percent chance of thunderstorms on Friday with temperatures peaking in the upper 80s. Whitehouse Station in Hunterdon County has the same probability.

Further west in Hunterdon County, the chance for thunderstorms increases to 30 percent at Clinton. The last exit on Interstate 78 West heading into Pennsylvania, Alpha, has a 30 percent chance as well. The tiny enclave in West Jersey also has a 20 percent chance of storms today. The National Weather Service office in Mount Holly, New Jersey issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook for Alpha as well as portions of West Jersey.

There is a chance for some of these thunderstorms to produce strong gusty winds and hail. Right now, much of the action is in Pennsylvania. Showers and storms are streaming up from Southwest to Northeast over the Keystone State this afternoon. Some of that activity could push further east into portions of West Jersey late in the afternoon today and tomorrow.