4 Inches Of Rain Possible In Hopatcong, Sparta Through Tuesday

HOPATCONG, NJ — Thunderstorms, gusty winds and heavy rainfall could pummel Hopatcong and Sparta, with an upcoming Flash Flood Watch in effect and up to four inches of rain possible.

The National Weather Service issued the watch ahead of the storm on Monday, along with a “Hazardous Weather Outlook,” calling for heavy rain through Tuesday afternoon, anticipated to begin overnight.

“Flash flooding of creeks, streams, urban areas and areas of poor drainage is possible with the heaviest rains,” the National Weather Service wrote in its statement with the Flash Flood Watch.

By Tuesday, up to 4 inches of rain could accumulate, “with locally higher amounts possible,” according to the National Weather Service.

The forecast's timeline, as of Monday afternoon, includes:

• Monday night - a chance of showers and thunderstorms, with a possible thunderstorm, possibly after 10 p.m. Damaging winds and heavy rains may be a part of the storm, with rain up to two inches possible. Temperatures, after rising to 69 degrees, may dip overnight to 53 in both Hopatcong and Sparta.
• Tuesday - A 90 percent chance of rain, including thunderstorms and heavy rainfall, may continue, with up to two inches of rain again a possibility. Temperatures are expected to climb to 56 degrees in Hopatcong and 58 in Sparta, during the day.
• Tuesday night - Showers may persist, with an 70 percent chance and gusts up to 25 mph. Temperatures may fall back again overnight to 48 degrees in Hopatcong and 50 in Sparta.
• Wednesday - There’s a small chance of showers at 30 percent, with temperatures back to 59 degrees in Hopatcong and 62 in Sparta, expected under mostly cloudy skies.
• On Thursday, sunny skies are predicted to return, after temps plunge again to 41 degrees in Sparta and 43 in Hopatcong overnight, with showers expected to come back on Friday.

The Flash Flood Watch area includes northern and northwest New Jersey, sections of central New Jersey and the southern part of the state, including: Morris, Middlesex, Somerset, Sussex, Warren, Hunterdon, Eastern Monmouth, Western Monmouth, Coastal Ocean Northwestern Burlington, Ocean and Southeastern Burlington Counties.

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