An upper air disturbance helped trigger a couple of strong to severe thunderstorms across central New Jersey during the afternoon of the 4th.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS PHI wrote it up.
An upper air disturbance helped trigger a couple of strong to severe thunderstorms across central New Jersey during the afternoon of the 4th.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 4, 2:45 PM EST, 0 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ 345 PM EDT TUE MAY 4 2010 .SYNOPSIS... HIGH PRESSURE WILL BRING FAIR WEATHER TO THE AREA FOR TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY. A RELATIVELY WEAK FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL CROSS THE REGION LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY MORNING...FOLLOWED BY MORE HIGH PRESSURE THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY. A STRONGER FRONT AND ASSOCIATED LOW PRESSURE WILL AFFECT THE AREA OVER THE WEEKEND FOLLOWED AGAIN BY HIGH PRESSURE FOR EARLY NEXT WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING/... THE UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE TROF CROSSING THE AREA THIS AFTN COMBINED WITH STEEP MID-LVL LAPSE RATES IS CAUSING SHRA AND TSRA WITH GUSTY WINDS...MAINLY OVER AREAS WELL NW OF PHILA. WE WILL MAINTAIN CHC POPS INTO THE EARLY EVE BUT THIS ACTVTY SHOULD DIE OUT QUICKLY AROUND SUNSET WITH LOSS OF HTG AND AS THE SHRTWV MOVES RPDLY BY. A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE ASSOCIATED WITH COOLER/DRIER AIR WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT. CLEAR SKIES AND DIMINISHING WINDS WILL ALLOW FOR MUCH COOLER TEMPS TONIGHT. && .SHORT TERM /6 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING THROUGH FRIDAY/... THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS WILL FEATURE SOME FAST MOVG WX SYSTEMS IN BASICALLY ZONAL FLOW ALOFT ACROSS THE NRN/CNTRL U.S. HIGH PRES OVER THE AREA ON WED WILL SLIDE OFFSHORE ALLOWING A RETURN TO SWLY WINDS AHD OF THE NEXT FRONTAL SYS. THIS FRONT WILL BE ASSOCD WITH THE UPPER SYS NOW AFFECTING MT AND THE DAKS...AND IS EXPECTED TO CROSS THE AREA LATE WED NIGHT AND EARLY THUR MORN. THERE SEEMS TO BE RATHER LIMITED MOISTURE AND WK FORCING WITH THIS SYS SO WE HAVE ONLY LOW CHC POPS ATTM. WE TRIED TO TIME THE HIGHER POPS IN SIX HR INCREMENTS ACCORDING TO THE FORECAST TIMING OF THE FRONT. AS THE FRONT MOVES OFFSHORE BY LATE FRIDAY IT WILL BE REPLACED BY ANOTHER RIDGE OF WEAK HIGH PRESS. A STRONGER SYSTEM IS FCST TO APPROACH ON FRIDAY WITH STRONGER LOW PRESSURE MOVING INTO THE GRTLKS AND A TRAILING COLD SWD. SOME SCT SHRA AND TSRA COULD DEVELOP BY FRI AFTN OVER NRN/WRN SECTIONS BUT THE BULK OF THE ACTIVITY SHOULD HOLD OFF UNTIL FRI NIGHT AND SAT. && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/... A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL BE CROSSING THE GREAT LAKES AREA FRIDAY NIGHT AND THEN IT WILL PROGRESS DOWN THE SAINT LAWRENCE VALLEY SATURDAY. THE LOW WILL BE RATHER INTENSE AND IT/S ACCOMPANYING FRONTS WILL BE SHARP. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE LOW AND FRONTS. RAIN CHANCES FOR FRI NIGHT AND SATURDAY ARE HIGHER IN THIS FCST THAN YESTERDAYS. LOW LIKELY POPS ARE IN THE FCST FOR THE NORTHER 2/3RDS OF THE REGION SAT WITH HIGH CHC POPS FURTHER SOUTH. THE HIGH TEMPERATURES ON SAT WILL BE IN THE LOW TO MID 70D NORTH AND MID TO UPPER 70S SOUTH. THESE TEMPERATURES ARE A FEW DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL FOR EARLY MAY. FAIR WEATHER WILL RETURN SUNDAY WITH COOLER TEMPERATURES ONCE THE COLD FRONT CROSSES THE AREA. HIGHS ON SUNDAY WILL GENERALLY BE IN THE UPPER 50S TO LOW 60S. THESE READINGS WILL BE ABOUT 10 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. THE FAIR WEATHER WILL PERSIST THROUGH TUESDAY OF NEXT WEEK AS THE HIGH PRESSURE AREA SINKS SOUTH OF OUR AREA. THE HIGH TEMPERATURES MON AND TUE WILL STILL BE 5 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL...BUT SLOW MODERATION WILL OCCUR BY MID-WEEK. LOW TEMPERATURES EARLY NEXT WEEK WILL BE IN THE UPPER 30S TO LOW 40S. THERE MAY BE THE POSSIBILITY FOR FROST ACROSS THE SRN POCONOS. && .AVIATION /19Z TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... THE FOLLOWING DISCUSSION IS FOR KPHL, KPNE, KTTN, KABE, KRDG, KILG, KMIV, KACY AND SURROUNDING AREAS. A SURFACE TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE AND ACCOMPANYING SHORT WAVE ALOFT WILL TRAVERSE THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON. CONVECTION HAS INITIATED OVER CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA AND WAS STARTING TO FORM OVER NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA AT EARLY AFTERNOON / 18Z TAF ISSUANCE TIME /, WITH ONE CELL NOTED JUST SOUTHEAST OF KLNS. MOST OF THE CONVECTION WAS NORTH OF KPHL'S LATITUDE, AS THE INSTABILITY WAS GREATER FURTHER NORTH, AS WAS THE FORCING ASSOCIATED WITH THE MID LEVEL TROUGH AND ASSOCIATED VORTICITY ADVECTION. THIS IS WHAT IS EXPECTED FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE AFTERNOON, UNTIL THE TROUGH AND UPPER WAVE SHIFT EASTWARD DIURNAL EFFECTS WANE BY OR AROUND DARK. SO, FOR NORTHERN TAF SITES OF KRDG, KABE, AND KTTN, WE WILL INSERT A THUNDERSTORM VICINITY REMARK AND CB FOR THE CUMULUS, AND FOR THE KPHL AREA JUST A SHOWER VICINITY REMARK AND CB. FOR THE SOUTHERN TAF SITES OF KMIV AND KACY, JUST A CB WILL BE USED TO ALLUDE TO SCATTERED BUILDUPS. THEN, ANY SCATTERED TO BROKEN HIGH-BASED CUMULUS AND ASSOCIATED HIGHER DEBRIS CLOUDS WILL DISSIPATE EARLY THIS EVENING, WITH WINDS VEERING SLIGHTLY TO WEST-NORTHWEST AND DIMINISHING FROM THE AFTERNOON GUSTINESS. THEN, CLEAR SKIES WILL OCCUR FOR MOST OF TONIGHT. A LIGHT WEST-NORTHWEST FLOW WILL OCCUR, OTHERWISE LIGHT AND VARIABLE OR CALM CONDITIONS WILL RESULT AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS OVER THE AREA TONIGHT. NO FOG OR HAZE WILL BE FORECAST, AS DEW POINTS ARE FORECAST TO LOWER DURING TONIGHT WITH SOME INTRUSION OF DRIER AIR. DEW POINT DEPRESSIONS SHOULD BE ENOUGH TO KEEP VISIBILITIES FROM DROPPING INTO MARGINAL VFR TERRITORY TOWARD MORNING. OUTLOOK... HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE AREA WEDNESDAY MORNING WILL MOVE OFFSHORE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND ALLOW WINDS TO BECOME MORE SOUTH- SOUTHWESTERLY OR SOUTHERLY. HOWEVER, WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY EVENING ARE EXPECTED TO BE CONVECTION-FREE. WARM ADVECTION OVERNIGHT WEDNESDAY NIGHT COULD BRING HIGH CLOUDS INTO THE AREA, AND A FRONT MOVING TOWARD THE COAST THURSDAY MAY BRING ADDITIONAL SCATTERED CONVECTION. ANOTHER COLD FRONT LOOKS TO AFFECT OUR AREA FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY. && .MARINE... A WEAK SURFACE TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE AND A SHORT WAVE ALOFT WILL MOVE PAST THE COAST LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY THIS EVENING. HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING INTO THE AREA WILL CLEAR OUT ANY CLOUDS OR SCATTERED SHOWER OR THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY EARLY TONIGHT. THE PRESSURE GRADIENT IS NOT SUFFICIENT TO GENERATE ANY WINDS NEAR SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY TERRITORY, SO MARINE CONDITIONS WILL REMAIN BENIGN OUTSIDE OF ANY SCATTERED CONVECTION EARLY THIS EVENING. FAIR WEATHER WEDNESDAY MAY DEGRADE BY THURSDAY AS ANOTHER FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA. A STRONGER COLD FRONT WILL IMPACT THE COASTAL WATERS WITH MORE VIGOR FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY, AND THE LIKELIHOOD OF SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CONDITIONS WILL GROW FOR THAT TIME PERIOD. && .PHI WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... PA...NONE. NJ...NONE. DE...NONE. MD...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...AMC NEAR TERM...AMC SHORT TERM...AMC LONG TERM...O'HARA AVIATION.../ MARINE.../
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ 529 AM EDT TUE MAY 4 2010 DEZ001-MDZ008-012-NJZ001-007>010-012>020-026-027-PAZ054-055-060>062- 067>071-050900- NEW CASTLE-CECIL-KENT MD-SUSSEX-WARREN-MORRIS-HUNTERDON-SOMERSET- MIDDLESEX-WESTERN MONMOUTH-EASTERN MONMOUTH-MERCER-SALEM-GLOUCESTER- CAMDEN-NORTHWESTERN BURLINGTON-OCEAN-COASTAL OCEAN- SOUTHEASTERN BURLINGTON-CARBON-MONROE-BERKS-LEHIGH-NORTHAMPTON- CHESTER-MONTGOMERY-BUCKS-DELAWARE-PHILADELPHIA- 529 AM EDT TUE MAY 4 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHERN DELAWARE...NORTHEAST MARYLAND...CENTRAL NEW JERSEY...NORTHERN NEW JERSEY...NORTHWEST NEW JERSEY...SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY...EAST CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA...NORTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA AND SOUTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. THERE ARE ENHANCED FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS TODAY AS WINDS WILL GUST ABOVE 20 MPH AND RELATIVE HUMIDITY LEVELS WILL APPROACH OR REACH 30 PERCENT. RELATIVELY MOIST FINE FUELS DUE TO RECENT RAINFALL WOULD BE THE LIMITING FACTOR. ANY THUNDERSTORMS THAT DEVELOP TODAY COULD GENERATE GUSTY WINDS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. DEZ002>004-MDZ015-019-020-NJZ021>025-050900- KENT-INLAND SUSSEX-DELAWARE BEACHES-QUEEN ANNES-TALBOT-CAROLINE- CUMBERLAND-ATLANTIC-CAPE MAY-ATLANTIC COASTAL CAPE MAY- COASTAL ATLANTIC- 529 AM EDT TUE MAY 4 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL DELAWARE...SOUTHERN DELAWARE...NORTHEAST MARYLAND AND SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. THERE ARE ENHANCED FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS TODAY AS RELATIVE HUMIDITY LEVELS WILL APPROACH OR REACH 30 PERCENT AND FINE FUELS WILL BE DRY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS BELOW 20 MPH WOULD BE THE LIMITING FACTOR. ANY THUNDERSTORMS THAT DEVELOP TODAY COULD GENERATE GUSTY WINDS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. ANZ430-431-450>455-050900- DELAWARE BAY WATERS NORTH OF EAST POINT NJ TO SLAUGHTER BEACH DE- DELAWARE BAY WATERS SOUTH OF EAST POINT NJ TO SLAUGHTER BEACH DE- COASTAL WATERS FROM SANDY HOOK TO MANASQUAN INLET NJ OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM MANASQUAN INLET TO LITTLE EGG INLET NJ OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM LITTLE EGG INLET TO GREAT EGG INLET NJ OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM GREAT EGG INLET TO CAPE MAY NJ OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM CAPE MAY NJ TO CAPE HENLOPEN DE OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM CAPE HENLOPEN TO FENWICK ISLAND DE OUT 20 NM- 529 AM EDT TUE MAY 4 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS AND DELAWARE BAY WATERS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ 255 PM EDT TUE MAY 4 2010 NJZ001-007-PAZ054-055-060>062-042015- BERKS PA-CARBON PA-LEHIGH PA-MONROE PA-NORTHAMPTON PA-SUSSEX NJ- WARREN NJ- 255 PM EDT TUE MAY 4 2010 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT BERKS...CARBON...LEHIGH... MONROE...NORTHAMPTON...SUSSEX AND WARREN COUNTIES... AT 248 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM 14 MILES NORTHWEST OF MONTAGUE TO 37 MILES NORTHWEST OF READING. THE STORMS ARE MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH. ONE OF THE STRONGEST STORMS WILL BE NEAR HIGH POINT AROUND 310 PM. OTHER STORMS WILL BE NEAR TOBYHANNA...BLAKESLEE AROUND 300 PM...LAKE HARMONY...WEATHERLY AROUND 315 PM...STRAUSSTOWN...SKYTOP AROUND 330 PM...LONG POND AND MECKESVILLE AROUND 345 PM. WIND GUSTS TO AROUND 40 MPH AND BRIEF DOWNPOURS ARE POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGER SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. IF YOU SEE THREATENING WEATHER, PLEASE MOVE INDOORS QUICKLY. RPW
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ 332 PM EDT TUE MAY 4 2010 NJZ008>010-015-PAZ068-069-042100- BUCKS PA-HUNTERDON NJ-MERCER NJ-MONTGOMERY PA-MORRIS NJ-SOMERSET NJ- 332 PM EDT TUE MAY 4 2010 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT BUCKS...HUNTERDON...MERCER... MONTGOMERY...MORRIS AND SOMERSET COUNTIES... AT 330 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM 15 MILES EAST OF MONTAGUE TO 10 MILES NORTH OF READING...MOVING EAST SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH. WIND GUSTS TO AROUND 50 MPH, SMALL HAIL, AND BRIEF DOWNPOURS ARE POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGER SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. IF YOU SEE THREATENING WEATHER, PLEASE MOVE INDOORS QUICKLY. RPW
The Philadelphia radar (KDIX), 89 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:44 UTC.
6 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A line of severe thunderstorms knocked down several trees and wires throughout Hunterdon County.
A severe thunderstorm and its advancing gust front knocked down several trees in Lawrenceville (Lawrence Township) and Princeton Junction (West Windsor Township).
A severe thunderstorm knocked down several trees and wires in Montgomery Township.
A severe thunderstorm knocked down several trees in East Brunswick and also on Davidson Road in South Brunswick.
A severe thunderstorm knocked down several trees and wires in Far Hills Borough.
A severe thunderstorm knocked down a few trees and wires in Jamesburg Borough and Monroe Township in southern Middlesex County.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Jersey in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in New Jersey, May 2010
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 226187, 226184, 226186, 226183, 226185, 226188.