Wind Advisory Replaces Warning As Strongest Winds Pass

The high wind warning has been downgraded to a wind advisory. The wind advisory is in effect until Midnight. The sustained winds are 15 to 25 MPH, with frequent wind gusts between 40 and 50 MPH being reported. Lakehurst and Atlantic City reported a wind gust of 47 MPH at around 7:55 p.m. A wind advisory implies hazardous winds are imminent or occurring. While it may not be as severe as a warning, trees and branches still will come down in some communities. Temperatures have fallen as rapidly as had been expected and are now in the middle-thirties. This is allowing wind chill values to be in the upper twenties and lower thirties, making it uncomfortable for those without electricity tonight.

The highest wind gusts have now passed. Roaring winds came across New Jersey this afternoon and early this evening. The first round was localized damaging wind gusts within a dangerous squall-line of thunderstorms. The thunderstorms were able to transport damaging winds to the surface in the form of downdrafts and microbursts. Around 1:12 p.m. there was a 55 MPH wind gust associated with a thunderstorm in Highland Park which is in Middlesex County. The storm then took trees down in Woodbury and Washington in Gloucester County and Audubon in Camden County. The most impressive damage of this event occurred in Ocean County. In Lakewood, Ocean County windows were smashed and singles were torn off the roofs of structures. The radar showed a very clear microburst structure form in Lakewood. This same thunderstorm then impacted Seaside Heights, Ocean County. Here, a roof was blown off a building, shingles were peeled off others, and fences were taken down.

Then there was a lull until the actual cold front swept through the region about an hour after the thunderstorms passed through. Impressive sustained wind speeds were recorded. Philadelphia International Airport (which is actually in New Jersey), reported a sustained wind speed of 46 MPH and observed a peak wind gust of 63 MPH. That is pretty impressive considering it is rare to reach or exceed the high wind warning threshold of 40 MPH sustained winds. Brick recorded a wind gust of 59 MPH and Tuckerton recorded a wind gust of 61 MPH. Atlantic City reached 54 MPH in a peak gust and Lakehurst reached 52 MPH.

Another potential wind event is expected on Monday into Tuesday. This will come after another inch or two of rain. At this time it could be more convective in nature, but even the cold front itself may generate strong…if not high winds. High wind warning events are not common, but yet we have had two in the past week. We’ll wait to see if we have number three in less than one month.