Up to four rounds of coastal flooding; strong winds start Saturday

The result will be multiple rounds of coastal flooding, high surf, strong winds and a little bit of rain.

Northeast winds will develop Saturday morning. Sustained winds will be 15-20 mph throughout the day, with the sunshine present helping to mix down winds in the 30s. While it won’t be damaging wind, it’ll be enough to blow around loose objects.

A mostly sunny sky will be present to start the day. However, it’ll give way to additional cloud cover as the day goes on. Highs will be in the mid-40s during the afternoon. If you remember Thursday, it’ll feel pretty similar to that.

Our first round of coastal flooding will be present during the Saturday morning high tide, which will be minor stage. This will mainly be in Cape May County, closest to the low pressure system. High tide will be between 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. on the ocean side, occurring an hour or two later in the bays.

Minor flood stage is the nuisance flooding we see many times a year. The first block or two of bayside roads may have water on them. Move your cars if you need to and don’t drive through the flooded roads. However, no water inundation will be expected in dwellings.

Saturday night will not see coastal flooding. Only a mostly cloudy sky will be present. Temperatures will only slowly fall during the night. Come Sunday morning, it’ll be around 32 on the mainland with low 40s at the shore.

The high pressure will slide from New England to just offshore for Sunday and Monday. Low pressure will see the weakness and inch closer to us. Winds will pick up between Sunday and Monday morning. Expect northeast to east gusts in the 30s on the mainland with 40s at the shore. Spotty power outages and downed tree branches become possible with winds of this speed.

The bone dry air of the high pressure should push back the large shield of rain from the low pressure. A washout will not be likely in Buena, Vineland and Shiloh.

In fact, it should be more dry than not during the day, with just the occasional shower. At the shore, rain will be likely, though it doesn’t look to be a soaker either.

Rain will be most likely after dark. It should be steady at times along the shore, turning more showery inland. It should end between 7 and 10 a.m. Monday.

The coastal flooding will be the focus at the shore. The high tide Sunday midday, Sunday night and Monday midday will all be in widespread minor flood stage. Even spotty moderate flood stage will be likely during the two daytime high tides. This would be mainly south of Atlantic City.

Moderate flood stage is when water inundation starts in unraised dwellings. Bridges to and from the mainland could be impassable along with beach erosion.