Labor Day Flood Watch Issued For 18 NJ Counties: NWS

NEW JERSEY - Labor Day travel – as well as Tuesday’s commute back to work – is set to be rainier than expected, forecasters say.

Severe thunderstorms and heavy rainfall bringing one to three inches of rainfall are slated to hit most of the Garden State Monday evening into Tuesday, causing travel delays and possible flooding hazards.

As of Monday afternoon, 18 New Jersey counties are under a flood watch through Tuesday. They are:

• Camden
• Ocean
• Monmouth
• Gloucester
• Mercer
• Middlesex
• Burlington
• Salem
• Passaic
• Hudson
• Bergen
• Essex
• Union
• Sussex
• Warren
• Morris
• Hunterdon
• Somerset

“Confidence continues to increase that moderate to heavy rainfall will impact the area, beginning this evening and continuing through Tuesday,” the National Weather Service said in a tweet Monday. “The showers and storms will spread from north to south into Tuesday morning. Areas of flooding may develop.”

Showers are slated to begin Monday at 5 p.m. and continue through 8 p.m. Tuesday, moving north to south.

Locally heavy rainfall is possible, bringing the potential for localized flooding.

“Rainfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour are possible,” the National Weather Service added. “This may result in flash flooding of urbanized and low-lying areas despite recently dry conditions across the area.”

Here’s the latest forecast, per the National Weather Service:

Labor Day: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 84. South wind around 5 mph.

Monday Night: A slight chance of showers between midnight and 2 a.m., then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 a.m. Cloudy, with a low around 68. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Tuesday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 7 a.m. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. High near 77. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph in the morning. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.

Tuesday Night: Showers likely, mainly before 2 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66. Northeast wind around 5 mph. New precipitation amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.

Wednesday: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 75. Northeast wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.