Radar image from wxunderground shows movement and intensity of precipitation over the last hour. Click to enlarge.

Rain continued to fall throughout much of the area today, and although it was not as steady or continuous as it  was on Tuesday it was enough to keep the day dreary and damp. High temperatures throughout the area only reached into the upper 60's to near 70 (67 at Central Park, 68 at LaGuardia, 71 at Newark and JFK), and winds remained stiff and out of the east, off the ocean. The maritime air kept dew points relatively high, and the atmosphere remains very moist. In fact, PW (precipitatble water) values are still near 2.0 which is fairly anomalous for our area this time of year. Over the next several hours, into the evening and overnight, moderate to heavy showers are expected to continue off and on. Forecast models are showing the potential for some steadier heavy rain over New Jersey, but remain highly inconsistent in regards to it's exact placement. With that said, it appears that regardless of where the heaviest rain falls, the showers will be relatively widespread and capable of producing moderate to heavy rain at any time. Temperatures are forecast to drop into the low to mid 60's overnight tonight, and the east wind will continue, making it another damp and dreary night this week.

THE FORECAST...


Through Tonight (Wednesday Night): Cloudy with showers likely throughout the evening. The rain could be heavy at times. East winds around 10 miles per hour and temperatures in the 60's will keep a raw feeling in the air. Bring a long sleeved shirt, jeans, or a sweatshirt and rain gear.


Thursday: Cloudy with rain likely, especially before 2pm. The rain may be heavy at times. The day will begin similarly to the last few: cloudy, rainy, and relatively cool outdoors. Bring rain gear and warm clothing. By late afternoon, we could see a decrease in shower activity and a bit of a warming trend in temperatures. Highs will be a few degrees warmer than Wednesday, reaching into the mid 70's.


TROPICAL UPDATE...

Forecast model tracks for Tropical Storm Maria (9/7/11)

Tropical Storm's Maria and Nate officially formed today in the Central Atlantic and Southwestern Gulf of Mexico, respectively. Maria has sustained winds near 50 miles per hour, and Nate with winds near 45 miles per hour, at the latest National Hurricane Center (NHC) update from 8:00pm. Maria will certainly be the bigger topic of conversation in our area, as she continues on a northwest heading from the south-central Atlantic towards the Carribean. She is currently forecast to pass north of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic this weekend. Although she is beginning farther south than Katia, early indications from forecast models are that Maria may take a similar path between the East Coast of the US and Bermuda, affecting neither. That being said, the system is still very far from land and several days away from her approach towards the United States. Much can change over that time span which could affect her ultimate path. We will certainly be keeping a close eye on her in the meantime.

Article written by John Homenuk,  September 7th, 2011 at 8:20pm. Looking for a forecast? See New York Metro Weather's Long Range Forecast for the current work week, or view our Technical Forecast Discussion for the more serious weather enthusiasts. Also, check out our new Forecast Overview tab. For up to the minute details on forecasts, watches, warnings, and alerts, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.