On the heels of a violent outbreak of storms that turned lethal in Pennsylvania Tuesday night, leading to the storm-related electrocution deaths of two people, New Jersey may be in for a walloping heading into the weekend.
A derecho, sometimes referred to as inland hurricanes, tore through the Ohio Valley and Keystone State with wind gusts in excess of 90 mph, stronger than some EF-0 and EF-1 tornadoes and across a much wider area, forecasters said. The system had spawned tornadoes across the Midwest and dropped five-inch hail in Texas before it marched east — sparing New Jersey its wrath Tuesday evening.
Could it be another repeat this weekend? A large swath of “dangerous, damaging and disruptive thunderstorms” are erupting in the central states on Wednesday, April 30, and are expected to head east by Friday.
Here’s what to know about the storm’s timing, what the radar shows and what to expect in New Jersey. Will it be a weekend washout, and will NJ get a derecho?
A stretch of rain and thunderstorms is headed to the Northeast by Friday.
NJ weather: Severe storms, hail, winds Friday, Saturday
The risk for severe storms may impact New Jersey on Friday, May 2, with rain and thunderstorms developing across parts of the state by the morning and into the afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.
Hail, downpours and localized damaging wind gusts between 55-65 mph are the primary concern, according to Accuweather.com, as well as local forecasts in New Jersey.
Another threat for storms comes Saturday, May 3, with showers and thunderstorms likely by afternoon and into the evening, forecasters say. Some showers are expected on Sunday, with the potential for flooding rain on Monday, dependent on the track and speed of a slow-moving storm developing in the South Central and Southwest states.
Live radar for New Jersey
Here’s a live radar map in New Jersey from the National Weather Service. You can check here as unsettled weather begins to head our way.
Severe weather alerts in NJ
Check this live map for weather alerts and warnings issued in New Jersey as rain and storms develop over the coming days.
What is a derecho? Here’s what derecho weather means
A derecho, which is Spanish for “straight,” are long-lived lines of thunderstorms that can produce lethal gusts of straight-line wind damage in excess of 58 mph over at least 400 miles in length, according to AccuWeather.com.
Meteorologists classified a line of severe thunderstorms that tore through the Ohio Valley and Pennsylvania Tuesday evening as the first derecho of 2025, where straight-line wind gusts reached 80 mph and tore off roofs, uprooted trees, and cut power to at least 700,000 people. The complex storm was classified as the first derecho of 2025 in the U.S. and led to the death of three people.
Forecasters said the weather phenomena could have been a “once-in-a-10-year or even a once-in-a-20-year-event.”
Lori Comstock is a New Jersey-based journalist with the Mid-Atlantic Connect Team.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Is NJ getting a derecho? Severe storms, hail, downpours; see radar
