First Alert Weather: Yellow Alert for heavy rain during Tuesday morning commute
NEW YORK -- A Yellow Alert remains in place for Tuesday morning due to the threat of moderate to heavy rain coinciding with the morning commute.
A Red Alert has been issued for Wednesday evening into Thursday morning due to heavy rain and wind, which may lead to flooding.
After another mild day that was also dry, multiple rounds of rain will dominate the weather for the rest of the week. The first one, which has triggered the Yellow Alert, will move into the region during the overnight hours Monday. This system is expected to deliver moderate to heavy rain, with the heaviest rain occurring during the Tuesday morning rush.
After the first batch of heavy rain moves through, we'll see a break in the action around noon, with subsequent lighter bands of showers progressing through the early evening hours. Rainfall totals should average between a half-inch and 1 1/4 inches. It will also be on the breezy side, with gusts in the 15-25 mph range. Highs will reach the low 50s.
Our attention then turns to the Wednesday afternoon through Thursday morning timeframe. That is when the Red Alert will take effect. The storm associated with that alert will be much stronger and larger than the first one. It will be able to tap into some moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, so it will be capable of producing copious amounts of rain, likely 2-3 inches.
Given that the ground is now saturated once again from recent rains, flooding will definitely be a concern, especially across the river basins in northern New Jersey that are very prone to flooding. Winds will also be an issue with this storm, gusting between 25-45 mph at times. Higher gusts are possible along the coast.
Speaking of the coast, coastal flooding cannot be ruled out either, since those strong winds will be piling waves onshore.
In the wake of that storm, there will be a brief break from late Thursday through Friday. Then, more rain moves in for the weekend. Overall, temperatures will stay above average throughout the week as highs will top out in the 50s.
