Tornadoes, Wind Gusts, Heavy Rain Possible Saturday: See Forecast

NEW JERSEY —Garden State residents may want to make sure holiday decorations are secure this weekend, as wind gusts are expected to pick up and reach speeds of 45 mph on Saturday, forecasters said.

The National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory for 16 counties starting Saturday afternoon through 1 a.m. Sunday. A gale warning has also been issued along the Jersey Shore and Delaware Bay.

The wind advisory starts at 1 p.m. Saturday in Atlantic, Burlington, Cape May, Camden, Cumberland, Gloucester, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean and Salem counties. The advisory begins at 4 p.m. in Hunterdon, Morris, Somerset, Sussex and Warren counties.

On Saturday evening, a line of showers and storms is expected to move through the region bringing damaging winds and possibly brief tornadoes, the weather service said.

Rainfall less than a tenth of an inch is expected on Saturday, though higher amounts could be possible during thunderstorms.

Forecasters expect skies to clear Sunday with sunshine and highs in the low 50s.

New Jersey is also expected to see record high temperatures for December starting this weekend.

Temperatures on Saturday could climb into the upper 60s, reaching record highs for Dec. 11, the National Weather Service said. Some areas may see highs in the low 70s, according to AccuWeather.

Here’s the forecast for this weekend:

Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 52. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

Friday Night: A chance of showers, mainly after 10 p.m. Patchy fog after 1 a.m. Otherwise, increasing clouds, with a low around 43. South wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50 percent. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Saturday: A slight chance of showers before 10 a.m., then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 4 p.m. Cloudy, with a high near 67. Breezy, with a south wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 45 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Saturday Night: Showers and thunderstorms before 1 a.m. then a chance of showers between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. Some of the storms could produce gusty winds. Low around 38. Breezy, with a southwest wind 15 to 25 mph becoming northwest after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 45 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 49. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph.

Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 31.