newjerseynewsroom.com

BY STEVEN DiMARTINO

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

High pressure over northern New England this morning has built down the coast, leading to tranquil yet cloudy conditions over much of the Philadelphia and New York City metropolitan areas this morning.

High pressure will shift towards the Canadian Maritimes today, leading to a continued weak easterly fetch off the Atlantic Ocean throughout the Philadelphia and New York City metropolitan areas. The high pressure increase will continue on through Saturday leading to variable cloud cover and generally near to slightly above normal temperatures. Temperatures this afternoon will rise into the mid to upper 60's for highs and then fall into the upper 40's to lower 50's over the interior and mid 50's along the coast for lows by tomorrow morning. Temperatures will remain warm through Saturday with lows in the lower to mid 50's and highs in the upper 60's to lower 70's throughout the entire region.

While the Philadelphia and New York City metropolitan areas will experience tranquil weather conditions, trouble will be brewing over the coastal waters of the Southeastern United States as Hurricane Sandy lifts northwards from the Bahamas. By Sunday morning, a trough over the Ohio River Valley will start to interact and pull Sandy up the coast leading to periods of moderate to heavy rainfall and increasingly windy conditions.

Hurricane Sandy and this trough are expected to phase or merge into one storm on Sunday evening and will produce very heavy rainfall, coastal flooding, and strong winds Sunday evening on through Tuesday morning. Rainfall amounts of over three inches can be expected with wind damage and coastal flood damage a significant threat. While the details of this storm are still uncertain, including the exact track, the potential for a significant impact of this storm is becoming increasingly likely. Temperatures through this period will be steadily falling from the mid 60's on Sunday down into the 40's as the storm pulls away on Tuesday afternoon. There may even be a potential for some snow mixing in with the rain at the very end of the storm as cold air races towards the coastal plain.

High pressure will gradually take hold Tuesday night through Wednesday, however windy conditions can still be expected for Halloween. Temperatures will range from the upper 30's to lower 40's for lows and upper 40's for highs.