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Health & Fitness

Weather pattern change is on the way

Tired of the overcast skies and constant threat of showers and thunderstorms? Yeah, I am too, but I have some great news for everyone after we get through this evening!

Tired of the overcast skies and constant threat of showers and thunderstorms?  Yeah, I am too, but I have some great news for everyone after we get through this evening!  

Much of Monmouth County has been under the influence of a moisture loaded, warm air mass this week that is full of disturbances that have produced powerful thunderstorms.

These thunderstorms have been responsible for very heavy rainfall, frequent lightning strikes, wind damage, and even a tornado that brief tracked from northern Ocean county into extreme south-central Monmouth county before dissipating.

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Another round of strong to severe thunderstorms can be expected this afternoon, especially over central and western Monmouth County where the atmosphere will become very unstable.  A powerful cold front currently over Ohio will move through New Jersey this afternoon with thunderstorms capable of very heavy downpours, frequent lightning, large hail, and very strong wind gusts.  Given the nature of the atmosphere over Monmouth County this morning, I'm most concerned about the threat for strong wind gusts and very heavy downpours that could lead to very poor visibility and localized flash flooding at the heigh of rush hour this afternoon and evening.  However, once this cold front exits, the upper level pattern will start to shift to a far more tranquil weather pattern. 

For this weekend, high pressure over the northern Plains will shift to the Great Lakes and build into New Jersey.  As a result, humidity will crash like a rock this weekend, skies will clear, and temperatures will return to near normal levels with lows around 60 and highs around 80.  Meanwhile, an upper level ridge wills tart to build over the southern Plains and Mississippi River Valley.  This building ridge will have a significant impact on the weather pattern throughout the eastern United States.

Find out what's happening in Freeholdwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

A powerful heat wave will build over the Plains and Mississippi Valley this weekend and expand towards the Southeast.  However, the orientation of the upper level ridge will lead to a northwesterly wind pattern at the upper levels from the Great Lakes into Mid Atlantic, which will lead to surface high pressure over or just east of New Jersey for next week.  This shift in the pattern will lead to a prolong period of dry weather over Monmouth County, however the trade off will be a return to temperatures in the upper 80's to lower 90's for highs and lows in the upper 60's to lower 70's for much of next week.

So the thunderstorms will leave and more favorable beach conditions will return.  Just one more active afternoon and then far more enjoyable weather conditions will begin!

For more coverage of the severe weather threats for this evening, trust in NY NJ PA Weather, your local source for severe weather coverage!

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