NJ Weather: Severe Thunderstorms, Heavy Rain, Fierce Winds In Forecast

NEW JERSEY — A swath of stormy weather is expected Friday before a dry weekend in the Garden State, forecasters said, with severe thunderstorms, heavy rainfall, fierce winds and flash flooding all in the cards.

While showers are set to begin Friday morning, the greatest risk of severe storms isn’t expected until 5 to 9 p.m., the National Weather Service said. Friday will start off humid with temperatures in the low 80s, paving way for patchy fog and temperatures in the mid-60s at night.

The most intense impacts of the storms are slated to be felt northwest of I-95. Isolated severe storms and flash flooding will be possible north of I-95, the weather service said, with no severe thunderstorms expected south of I-95.

On the whole, New Jersey faces the highest severe weather risk in weeks, AccuWeather reported, with projected hail and wind gusts strong enough to tumble trees and power lines.

As of 7:30 a.m., four New Jersey counties are under a hazardous weather outlook through Friday night due to rip current risks at the Jersey Shore and scattered thunderstorms to the north. The affected counties are:

• Ocean
• Cape May
• Sussex
• Atlantic

A “dry, comfortable” weekend awaits, AccuWeather said, with temperatures and humidity levels reminiscent of early September.

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

North Jersey

Friday: A slight chance of showers, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 10 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 79. Southwest wind 6 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent.

Friday Night: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before midnight, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between midnight and 3 a.m., then a slight chance of showers after 3 a.m. Patchy fog after midnight. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 61. South wind around 6 mph becoming light and variable after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 83. North wind around 6 mph.

Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 59. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 85. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph.

Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 64.

South Jersey

Friday: A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 5 p.m. Cloudy, with a high near 76. South wind 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Friday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 3 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 67. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 84. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.

Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 65. Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 84. North wind 5 to 10 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon.

Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 68.