The tristate area will receive 2 to 3 inches of rain across the next three days, a major deluge for an area mired in several drought emergencies.
The rain began Monday morning across New York and New Jersey, and forecasters predicted about half an inch would fall in some areas throughout the day.
But Monday’s precipitation was described as just a prelude to a larger storm, which was predicted to arrive Tuesday night and continue dumping rain all the way through Wednesday.
“Rain will develop Tuesday night and become widespread and continue for most if not all of Wednesday,” National Weather Service forecasters wrote Monday. “As of now, 2 to 3 inches of rain is forecast across the region Tuesday afternoon through early Wednesday night.”
While precipitation on Monday was heavier in New York and North Jersey, the Tuesday to Wednesday downpour was expected to affect the entire region.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy declared a drought emergency in mid-November, and Mayor Adams followed suit days later.
New York was expecting about 2 inches from this week’s storm. Slightly heavier totals were forecast for southern Connecticut and Long Island.
The rain predicted for the tristate area was part of a larger system that was expected to dump significant rain across much of the East Coast.
“Because of the long-term drought, the rain should be well handled by most small streams and all of the major rivers,” AccuWeather meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said.
