Residents in North Jersey experienced wet conditions early on December 19 as a storm advanced from the western direction. Meteorological reports indicate that rainfall and strong winds will persist for much of the day.
Dominic Ramunni, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said that an umbrella is going to be necessary throughout the rest of the morning as rain continues to move through the region.
Transportation officials noted several disruptions, including fallen trees on Route 17 in Ridgewood and Route 208 in Wyckoff, water accumulation on Route 3 in Secaucus and U.S. 1&9 in Kearny, and an accident on Route 287 in Oakland.
While precipitation is predicted to cease by the afternoon, wind speeds are anticipated to increase significantly.
A wind advisory remains active across North Jersey for the entire day and into the night, with gusts potentially reaching 55 mph. According to Ramunni, this is "strong enough to blow around anything that might be unsecured outside, any sort of holiday decorations, things like that, even some of the weakened trees, huge tree limbs."
He also mentioned that scattered power interruptions may occur due to the windy conditions.
Power Disruptions Reported
By approximately 8:30 a.m., utility companies reported numerous outages. PSE&G listed 80 active incidents statewide, while JCP&L indicated over 8,600 affected customers, with Sussex County experiencing 2,584 outages. Bergen County had more than 1,000 customers without electricity.
Temperature Changes Expected
December 19 is forecast to see near-record warmth in North Jersey, with highs in the mid to upper 50s. However, Ramunni stated that temperatures will decline to the 30s by Friday evening and drop into the 20s overnight.
