Severe weather alert on Wednesday: NYC braces for heavy rain, gusty winds and strong storms
NEW YORK CITY - A powerful storm system sweeping across parts of the United States is expected to slam the New York City area on Wednesday with potentially severe weather.
Gusty winds and heavy rain are possible; there's also a threat of flash flooding. Parts of New Jersey are under a marginal and slight risk of severe weather.
"Tomorrow, watch out for afternoon showers and storms, some of them could be strong to severe," FOX 5 NY's Audrey Puente said.
Weather in NYC tomorrow: Timeline
Timeline:
The system will likely arrive in two waves: one in the morning and a second, heavier round in the afternoon and evening.
Hourly forecast NYC
- Wednesday: A chance of showers before noon, then rain, mainly after noon. High near 57. South wind 9 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 39 mph. The chance of precipitation is 100%.
- Wednesday night: Rain and possibly a thunderstorm before midnight, then rain likely between midnight and 3 a.m., then a chance of showers after 3 a.m. Low around 47. South wind 7 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 39 mph. The chance of precipitation is 80%.
- Thursday: A 20% chance of showers before noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 55. West wind 7 to 12 mph increasing to 13 to 18 mph in the afternoon.
Severe weather NYC: Impacts
What we know:
Much of New York City should expect a washout on Wednesday. The system will bring periods of rain, gusty winds and the potential for thunderstorms as a cold front approaches.
Rain is in the forecast in the East through Friday, March 7, 2025. (FOX Weather)
Areas of southern New Jersey have the best chance of seeing enough instability for stronger thunderstorms. If storms develop, the strong winds aloft could mix down to the surface, bringing a risk of damaging wind gusts.
Outside of thunderstorms, winds will be gusty throughout the day, with sustained winds of 25-35 mph and gusts potentially exceeding 40-50 mph. The cold front will move through Wednesday evening, bringing an end to precipitation and ushering in drier air, the FOX Forecast Center noted. Winds are likely to continue to be gusty as post-frontal winds move in.
A look at the flash flood threat in the Northeast on Wednesday, March 5, 2025. (FOX Weather)
Rain amounts will not be considerably high, with 1–2 inches expected. Some of the rain could fall in a short period, which has prompted a low-end flash flood threat across the region.
What they're saying:
"It looks like by the afternoon commute, that's when we'll start to see this line pushing in here, it's going to blossom too as it makes its approach to the Tri-State area," Puente said. "Along it, we're going to have the potential for strong to severe weather across our region. Unfortunately, the timing is at the time of the evening commute. So be prepared for that."
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