Severe Weather Headed To NJ: Strong Winds, Thunderstorms Expected

NEW JERSEY — A rainy and windy weekend is in the cards across New Jersey, forecasters say, with two rounds of storms expected Saturday and severe thunderstorms possible.

This system will press eastward through the Appalachian region and a large part of the Atlantic Coast on Saturday, according to AccuWeather.

All of New Jersey is at risk of winds between 50 and 60 miles per hour from Friday night into Saturday, said AccuWeather forecasters.

“Very strong winds” in the upper atmosphere could be brought down to the ground, said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Adam Douty.

"Power outages and tree damage are possible, and any loose objects can blow around,” Douty said.

Then, there will be storms on Saturday too, with the National Weather Service calling for gusts of up to 40 miles per hour.

In NJ, showers and storms will occur "in two main rounds," said the National Weather Service, one in the late morning and another during the evening. The primary threat will be damaging wind gusts that will pop up locally.

The National Weather Service's Mount Holly office shows an elevated risk for scattered and severe thunderstorms for the entire state on Saturday. This means some storms will contain damaging winds and severe hail. There is the potential for tornado activity, too.

The Mount Holly office forecasts for most of NJ; the New York City office handles forecasting for the Garden State's northeastern counties, and also shows an elevated risk of severe storms in Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Passaic, and Union counties.

A strong cold front will approach the region from the northwest on Saturday afternoon, bringing wind gusts up to 40 mph according to the National Weather Service.

"It will be a fairly dynamic system and any thunderstorms have the potential to easily mix down some locally damaging wind gusts," explained the National Weather Service.

Here's a look at the local forecast for New Jersey this weekend:

North Jersey

Friday
A 30 percent chance of showers after 3pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 54. South wind 6 to 13 mph.

Friday Night
Showers likely, mainly after 2am. Patchy fog after 2am. Otherwise, cloudy, with a low around 51. Southwest wind around 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Saturday
Showers, mainly before 2pm. Patchy fog before 10am. High near 71. Breezy, with a southwest wind 15 to 21 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Saturday Night
Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 10pm, then a chance of showers between 10pm and 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 36. Breezy, with a west wind 17 to 21 mph, with gusts as high as 32 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Sunday
Sunny, with a high near 50. Breezy, with a northwest wind 14 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph.

Central Jersey

Friday
A slight chance of showers after 2pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 60. South wind 5 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Friday Night
Showers, mainly after 2am. Low around 52. Breezy, with a southwest wind 15 to 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Saturday
Showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 5pm. High near 72. Breezy, with a southwest wind 20 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Saturday Night
Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 11pm, then a slight chance of showers between 11pm and 2am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 37. Breezy, with a west wind 20 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Sunday
Sunny, with a high near 51. Breezy, with a northwest wind 15 to 20 mph.

South Jersey

Friday

Mostly cloudy, with a high near 56. Breezy, with a south wind 10 to 15 mph increasing to 20 to 25 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 35 mph.

Friday Night
Showers, mainly between 2am and 5am. Low around 50. Breezy, with a southwest wind 20 to 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Saturday
Showers and thunderstorms before 2pm, then a chance of showers between 2pm and 5pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 5pm. High near 63. Breezy, with a southwest wind 20 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Saturday Night
A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 11pm, then a chance of showers between 11pm and 2am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 42. Breezy, with a west wind around 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Sunday
Sunny, with a high near 53. Breezy, with a northwest wind 15 to 20 mph.