Warm, windy, and wet: Heavy rain pushes through NJ Tuesday
1:24 p.m. UPDATE:
A Severe Thunderstorm Warning is in effect for Mercer, Monmouth, Somerset, Ocean, Middlesex, eastern Hunterdon, southeastern Morris, eastern Burlington and southeastern Altantic counties until 2:45 p.m. A line of severe thunderstorms with a history of producing damaging winds in excess of 60 mph with tree and wire damage. The storm is moving east at 45 mph.
There will be some slush and ice concerns Tuesday morning in New Jersey, but temperatures near 60 degrees will fuel heavy rain for Tuesday afternoon.
Here are your weather headlines for Tuesday, February 16, 2016...
Tuesday Morning: Icy and/or Wet
Anywhere from 1 to 3 inches of snow fell across the Garden State on President's Day. Additionally, up to two-tenths of an inch of ice accumulation occurred, due to freezing rain. The good news: Monday night's freezing rain was light enough to avoid widespread downed trees and power outages, which can be the worst impacts of an ice storm. The bad news: the degree of ice accretion was a worst-case scenario, making many roadways, driveways, sidewalks, and parking lots treacherous.
Overnight, a warm front drifted northward. That has bumped New Jersey's temperatures into the 50s for the first time in almost two weeks - a nice change from the weekend's record low temperatures!
As of this writing, North Jersey has yet to see the warming temperatures and so ice is still an issue. It will take some time, but the glaze and icing concerns should melt away quickly as temperatures continue to rise.
Fog will also be a problem along the warm/cold transition line, with visibilities noted as low as a quarter-mile in spots.
Tuesday Afternoon/Evening: Just Wet
After Tuesday morning's ice, our attention turns to an approaching cold front that will bring another round of precipitation to New Jersey. With high temperatures approaching 60 (yes, 60!) degrees Tuesday, anything that falls from the sky will be rain, and only rain. The timeline for this wet weather looks to be from late morning (starting around 9 a.m.) through early evening (clearing by around 6 p.m.)
Some of Tuesday's rainfall will likely be on the heavy side, and an inch or two will be possible. Rumbles of thunder are possible. Minor flooding may occur, especially where ice is blocking storm drains. Driving throughout Tuesday afternoon and evening may be challenging, due to reduced visibility and wet roads.
Once the rain finishes Tuesday evening, skies will clear a bit through Tuesday night. As temperatures fall to right around the freezing mark by Wednesday morning, there could be some icy spots due to refreeze. I do not think icing will be a widespread problem, since we won't experience a widespread hard freeze overnight.
What's Next?
I'm happy to report New Jersey will be able to catch its breath from the recent wintry weather, as things will quiet down for a few days!
Wednesday looks like a delightful mid-February day, with seasonable highs in the lower to mid 40s, partly sunny skies, and a light breeze. Thursday gets a little cooler, a little sunnier, and a little breezier.
Clouds will increase on Friday ahead of our next weather maker, a clipper system that will push through New Jersey early Sunday morning. A few showers will be possible - mainly in the northern half of the Garden State, and mainly rain.
So the weather is looking pretty good for Saturday's Polar Bear Plunge in Seaside Heights! Air temperatures should top out in the 50s, with a stiff land breeze through the first part of the day. Don't let the mild air fool you, though: The ocean temperature is currently frigid, between 31 and 36 degrees along the Jersey Shore. See you there!
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