Coastal Flood Watch Remains In Effect for Wednesday Nor'easter

A few days into the month, March will come in like a lion at the Jersey Shore, where a nor'easter is forecast to spur flooding, high winds and extremely rough surf.

The National Weather Service in Mount Holly has issued a coastal flood watch that remains in effect for the entire Shore area, as well as a storm watch and small craft advisory for offshore waters.

The storm is forecast to begin as a rain event in coastal areas after 8 a.m. Wednesday and continue through late Thursday, with the potential for the precipitation to turn to snow.

Forecast models are largely unsure of the rain-snow line for the storm.

But the big story in the Shore area, already weakened by Superstorm Sandy, will be the potential for "moderate" coastal flooding, prompting the NWS to issue a coastal flood watch.

The great potential for flooding will come at the Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning high tides.

The storm will also bring the potential for strong winds, NWS said in an advisrory issued Tuesday morning. The nor'easter could pack gusts of up to 60 m.p.h. with sustained winds near 40 m.p.h. in coastal areas.

Offshore, a storm watch has been issued that carries a prediction of wave height between 10 to 15 feet Wednesday and 11 to 16 feet Wednesday night. Wave heights at local beaches will range from 7 to 15 feet, the forecast said.

The following is the National Weather Service's forecast for the Long Branch-Eatontown area:

• Tuesday Night: A slight chance of rain and snow after 3am. Increasing clouds, with a low around 33. Breezy, with a east wind 7 to 12 mph increasing to 15 to 20 mph after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

• Wednesday: Rain, mainly after 11am. High near 40. Windy, with a northeast wind 26 to 30 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

• Wednesday Night: Rain before 10pm, then snow. Low around 33. Windy, with a north wind 28 to 31 mph, with gusts as high as 41 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

• Thursday: A chance of snow showers before 10am, then a chance of rain showers. Cloudy, with a high near 41. Windy, with a north wind 29 to 31 mph, with gusts as high as 41 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

• Thursday Night: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 33. Windy. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

• Friday: A chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 43. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

• Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 34.