Floods, Wind Damage, Flash Freeze Plague NJ’s Christmas Travel

NEW JERSEY — A winter storm has reached New Jersey wreaking havoc on holiday travel. Weather forecasters expect heavy rains, flooding, freezing roads from a cold front and strong winds that will cause power outages on Friday.

AccuWeather said New Jersey’s travel outlook was “poor” on Friday and positive on Saturday. Falling rain and wet snow can freeze quickly, and rain can significantly reduce visibility, the weather platform said. Winter storms could cause major airline delays and numerous flight cancellations across the country, AccuWeather warns.

The New Jersey Department of Transportation issued travel restrictions for commercial vehicles that began Friday morning. This restriction remains in place until further notice and applies to both directions of Interstates 76, 78, 80, 195, 280, 287, 295, 676 and U.S. Route 440 (both directions from the Outerbridge Crossing to I-287). increase.

Precipitation will taper off by Friday evening, forecasters said. But with temperatures approaching -10 degrees Celsius or below, Friday night “is definitely going to be one of the coldest nights we’ve seen in a long time in years,” said the National Weather Service. A prognostic argument from the station’s mount said. Holly office.

Flooding rain and fallen trees were already affecting New Jersey roads as of Friday morning. Additionally, a Coastal Flood Warning along the New Jersey coastline is in effect until noon Friday. The National Weather Service has warned of flooding 1-2 feet above the ground in low-lying areas near coastlines and tidal channels during that time.

Widespread winds are expected to reach 40 to 50 mph through Friday, with 50 to 60 mph in some areas, according to the National Weather Service. The strongest gusts increase the chance of wind damage and power outages.

The Arctic front will enter New Jersey on Friday morning and sweep the coast by early afternoon, weather officials said. The rain could turn to snow before fading, according to the National Weather Service.

Temperatures could drop as low as 30 to 50 degrees on Friday, says AccuWeather. For example, temperatures in Philadelphia could hit the high 50s on Friday morning and hit the 20s by evening, according to the weather platform.

The cold weather will continue into the weekend, with Saturday being the coldest in two days, the National Weather Service said. Saturday temperatures will struggle to hit the 20s with sustained winds of 15-25 mph and gusts of 35 mph. According to the weather forecast, Sunday will be 5-10 degrees cooler and the wind will be a little lighter.

Here’s the latest Northern Jersey forecast from the National Weather Service:

• Friday: Rain before 1:00 PM and possible snow between 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM. Temperatures drop by 5pm until around 7pm. Wind chill values ​​are between 0 and 10. Light winds, 21 to 25 mph westerly winds with 46 mph gusts. The chance of rain is 100%. Little or no snow is expected.
• Friday night: Partly cloudy with minimum temperatures around 10 degrees. Wind chill values ​​are between -5 and 5. Winds are strong, with westerly winds of 17 to 24 mph and gusts of 39 mph.
• Saturday: It is mostly sunny and cold, with highs nearing 20°C. Wind chill values ​​range from -5 to 5. It’s refreshing, with westerly winds of 16 to 20 mph and gusts of up to 30 mph.
• Saturday night: Mostly sunny with a minimum temperature of about 14°C. Wind chill values ​​are between 0 and 5. West winds are 13 to 15 mph.
• Sunday (Christmas): Sunny, 27 mph top speed. Westerly winds 13 to 15 mph, gusts 26 mph.
• Sunday night: Mostly sunny with a minimum temperature of around 17°C.
• Monday: Sunny with a maximum temperature of 31°C.

Here are the agency’s latest South Jersey predictions:

• Friday: Rain before 1pm, then a small chance of snow between 1pm and 2pm. Winds can reach 55 mph with temperatures dropping to 23 degrees by 5pm. 80% chance of rain. Little or no snow is expected.
• Friday night: Mostly cloudy, minimum temperature around 11. Winds are strong, with 20-30 mph westerly winds and 40 mph gusts.
• Saturday: Occasionally sunny with highs around 22. The minimum wind chill value is -5. It’s breezy, with westerly winds around 20 mph and gusts of 30 mph.
• Saturday night: Partly cloudy with a minimum temperature of around 17. Westerly winds reach about 15 mph and gusts reach 25 mph.
• Sunday (Christmas): Mostly sunny with a maximum temperature of around 28°C. Light, westerly 15-20 mph.
• Sunday night: Mostly sunny with a minimum temperature of around 18°C.
• Monday: Mostly sunny with a maximum temperature of 31°C.