Trenton, New Jersey – Another wet and windy weekend has descended upon the Garden State, with flood watches in place and high winds anticipated to sweep across New Jersey well into Sunday.
Two St. Patrick’s Day parades in Keyport and the Highlands have been delayed until September due to heavy rains and the looming threat of strong winds later in the day. The National Weather Service expanded its wind advisory Saturday morning to cover the entire state instead of just isolated coastal areas.
Forecasts predict that New Jersey could see as much as three to four inches of rain over the weekend, with most areas expected to receive at least one to two inches. The highest amounts of rain are forecasted along the western side of the I-95 corridor through the northeastern corner of the state, with potential flooding concerns along coastal regions and urban streams.
Areas along the Delaware River and spanning Essex, Passaic, and Bergen counties are likely to experience the highest rain totals, elevating the risk of flooding in urban areas. The deluge is expected to persist into Sunday in some parts of the state.
Northeastern New Jersey, including Bergen, Passaic, Hudson, and Union counties, could see rain totals between three and four inches, accompanied by wind gusts reaching up to 50 mph. Flood watches remain in effect for most of the state, with concerns of delayed crests in flood-prone areas as storm waters flow into streams and rivers.
Despite the impending inclement weather, mild temperatures and high winds are anticipated once the storm passes, with winds blowing at 20 to 30 mph and gusts potentially reaching 40 to 50 mph. The National Weather Service’s wind advisory is set to stay in place from 4 p.m. Saturday through 8 a.m. Sunday.
The combination of heavy rain and powerful winds poses a risk of power outages from fallen trees, prompting caution from the National Weather Service. As of early Saturday morning, only a small number of outages have been reported across the state.
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