Potential Hurricane Targets U.S.: See Possible NJ Impacts

NEW JERSEY — A strengthening tropical cyclone that forecasters believe will form up into a hurricane could bring some much-needed rain to New Jersey this week, according to the latest data.

The Garden State has seen an unusually dry September, according to National Weather Service data. Areas across the state are on track to see the driest or one of the driest Septembers on record, the data shows.

The slow-moving storm system churning its way through the Caribbean could change all that.

"The center of the system is forecast to move across the northwestern Caribbean Sea through tonight, and then over the eastern Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday and Thursday," the National Hurricane Center said.

The NHC said the system is forecast to become a hurricane on Wednesday and continue strengthening on Thursday as it moves across the eastern Gulf of Mexico. The next named storm of the 2024 hurricane season is Helene.

In New Jersey, after a cloudy Tuesday, Wednesday into Thursday will be "a bit unsettled," the National Weather Service said in their daily forecast discussion, as a storm system from the Great Lakes reaches the area and brings some "much needed rainfall."

But not everyone will see precipitation - the National Weather Service said that showers will be heaviest and most persistent northwest of the urban corridor and more scattered to isolated farther southeast.

"In fact the coast may not see anything," National Weather Service forecasters said.

By Friday, the forecast is a little more uncertain, depending on the behavior of what forecasters believe will become Hurricane Helene.

"There is some risk that the eventual Helene will throw some moisture northward to give quite a wet late-week period to the East Coast, but this is currently not the favored outcome, as it may end up more likely that another storm over the Mississippi Valley can capture the eventual tropical feature and pull its moisture in that direction instead," AccuWeather Meteorologist La Troy Thornton said.

The National Weather Service gave a 20 to 30 percent chance of rain for late Friday into Saturday and Sunday.

Forecasters will have a more solid idea of what will happen later in the week.

Here's the latest forecast.

North Jersey

Tuesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 70. East wind around 9 mph.

Tuesday Night: A chance of sprinkles before 2 a.m., then a slight chance of showers after 2 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 61. East wind 6 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent.

Wednesday: A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly after 2pm. Cloudy, with a high near 67. Southeast wind 8 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Wednesday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers. Cloudy, with a low around 63. Southeast wind 6 to 8 mph.

Thursday: A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly before 2 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 77. South wind 5 to 7 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon.

Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 63.

Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 78.

Friday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 61.

Central Jersey

Tuesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 69. East wind around 10 mph.

Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 61. East wind around 5 mph.

Wednesday: A chance of showers, mainly after 7 a.m. Cloudy, with a high near 70. East wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Wednesday Night: A chance of showers. Cloudy, with a low around 63. Southeast wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Thursday: A slight chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 80. South wind around 5 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent.

Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 61.

Friday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 78.

Friday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 60.

South Jersey

Tuesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 70. East wind 5 to 10 mph.

Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 62. East wind around 5 mph.

Wednesday: A chance of showers, mainly after 7 a.m. Cloudy, with a high near 74. Southeast wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.

Wednesday Night: A chance of showers, mainly before 2 a.m. Cloudy, with a low around 65. Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent.

Thursday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 81. Southwest wind around 5 mph.

Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 63.

Friday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 78.

Friday Night: A chance of showers between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 62. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.