Severe weather conditions are unfolding this Thursday afternoon in Southern New Jersey, where the National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm watch for Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, and Salem counties. The watch, which also extends to parts of eastern Pennsylvania, will remain in effect until 10 p.m. this evening.
Meteorologists are tracking scattered storms that could escalate into severe thunderstorms, bringing the potential for damaging wind gusts reaching up to 70 mph, frequent cloud-to-ground lightning, and large hail. The elevated risk is tied to the combination of intense heat and humidity that continues to grip the southwestern portion of the Garden State.
Forecasters at the Storm Prediction Center warn that storms forming throughout the afternoon and evening hours may intensify as they interact with a southwest-moving frontal boundary currently slicing through the region. As of early afternoon, that front extended from near Allentown, Pennsylvania, stretching southward to the Philadelphia metro area, and further southeast toward Atlantic City.
According to the National Weather Service, areas to the north and east of the front have already seen a notable drop in temperature and increased cloud cover, due to the influence of a backdoor front—a type of cold front that pushes in from the northeast, instead of the usual northwest.
Meanwhile, conditions to the south and west remain oppressively hot and humid, with temperatures soaring into the 90s°F (mid-30s°C). These sticky, warm air masses are creating high levels of atmospheric instability, giving storms the fuel they need to grow and potentially stall along the frontal boundary. That stalling could lead to localized flooding from heavy downpours.
As radar imagery begins to light up across the region, residents in Southern New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania should stay alert to rapidly changing weather conditions as Thursday night progresses.
