Tranquil and perfect, a look at this evening

This is the second afternoon of perfect conditions with clear skies, low humidity, and temperatures pushing into the upper 50's to lower 60's along the immediate coast and lower to mid 60's throughout the rest of the Philadelphia and New York City metropolitan areas.

The tranquil conditions will continue into this evening as temperatures slowly fall through the 50's and into the 40's under clear skies and light winds.  With dew points in the teens throughout the Northeast and Mid Atlantic, temperatures will have no problem crashing in the early morning hours into the upper 20's to lower 30's over the northern interior and mid to upper 30's along the coast.  So expect a slightly chilly start to Thursday.

Otherwise, high pressure will remain in control with perfect Spring conditions through Friday and for much of the weekend.  In fact, high temperatures for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday will easily push into the 60's even along the immediate coast and may touch 70 degrees away from the beaches, especially over the Delaware River Valley.  Clearly a far different weather weekend than last weekend or compared to the past several weeks.

A cold front will approach late on Sunday with increasing clouds and showers late in the evening.  Periods of heavy rain and embedded thunderstorms can be expected through Monday afternoon with the potential for some flash flooding in areas already prone to flooding this afternoon.  Temperatures on Monday will likely linger in the 40's and 50's due to the rainfall.

High pressure will return on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday with clearing skies and temperatures rebounding into the 50's and 60's once again.

For the best analysis and coverage of New Jersey weather, trust in NY NJ PA Weather!  Do you need an edge in getting the most detailed analysis on how weather conditions will impact your traveling, boating and fishing, or energy needs? Then you need NY NJ PA Weather Premium Membership!

Brookside Residents Struggle Without Power

Among the damage and struggles of Freehold residents from last weekend's mamouth rain storm were the residents of Brookside Assisted Living, who lived without power for nearly 60 hours because of the storm.

www.thebrookside.com

The 175 residents huddled in the facility's theater with generators and heaters from Saturday afternoon until Tuesday morning, but power is now back at the assisted living facility.
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Kitty, Kitty Might Be Here: More Reports of Mountain Lion in Freehold Twp

Posted via APP.com:

Police responded to a possible mountain lion sighting Tuesday, but no animal or paw prints were found.

A Duchess Court resident called police to say a brown animal with a long tail had been spotted near a tree line some 25 to 30 yards away.
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Janice Venables Enters The Democratic Freeholder Mix

Posted via MoreMonmouthMusings

Spring Lake Councilwoman Janice Venables will compete with Vincent Solomeno of Hazlet to be Freeholder John D'Amico's running mate in this year's Monmouth County Freeholder race.

Venables, a practicing attorney in Manasquan, has served on the Spring Lake council since being appointed to fill a vacancy in 1999. She was elected to a full term in 2000 and re-elected in 2003, 2006 and 2009.

Monmouth Democratic Chairman Vic Scudiery told MoreMonmouthMusings that he doesn't have a favorite in the race. "Janice and Vincent will work the room at the convention. The winner will be our nominee." Scudiery did say that he was impressed that Venables was re-elected in Spring Lake last November despite Chris Christie's overwhelming plurality in Monmouth County on the top of the ticket.

The Democrats will choose their nominees for Freeholder, Sheriff and Congress at a "mini-convention" on March 27 for 10 am-noon. Delegates to the convention are comprised of elected officials, municipal chairs and vice chairs, club presidents and vice presidents and at-large delegates determined by a percentage of primary voters in the previous election.

In the GOP, Neptune City Mayor Thomas Arnone, former Middletown Committeeman Thomas Wilkens and Spring Lake Councilman Gary Rich are competing to be Freeholder Rob Clifton's running mate.

Republicans will select their nominees on March 29. The selection committee is comprised of present and former elected officials at the county and state level, municipal chairs and former county chairs.

Openness in Government webinar at Monmouth County Library Headquarters March 19

Attention all citizen journalists! Check out the "Openness in Government: Building Transparency" webinar at the Monmouth County Library Headquarters in Manalapan on Friday, March 19 from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

The webinar is co-sponsored by the Monmouth County League of Women Voters and the Monmouth County Library System, and is part of "Sunshine Week," an ongoing national nonpartisan initiative to engage in a dialogue about the importance of open government and freedom of information.

The "Building Transparency" webinar will focus on transparency in the Obama administration – what has changed and what remains to be done. High-level government officials - including Norm Eisen, Special Counsel to the President for Ethics and Government Reform, and Miriam Nisbet, Director of the new Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) - will discuss the Administration’s new initiatives and their effect on the public. Panelists will also take questions from the live and viewing audience.

Plan to join us at this webinar “Monmouth County viewing party!”
Contact 732-431-7220 for more information.

A well deserved break after a brutal end to winter

After a February and early March that produced historic heavy snowfall, heavy rain, flash flooding, wind damage, and all sorts of other issues; the Philadelphia and New York City metropolitan areas finally are going to get a nice and well deserved break.

High pressure this morning is producing clear skies with temperatures in the mid 30's to lower 40's throughout the northern Mid Atlantic.  Clear skies can be expected through the day and into tonight with temperatures this afternoon expected to break into the lower to mid 60's throughout the region.  The only exception will be the immediate coast where the Atlantic Ocean will keep temperatures slightly cooler in the upper 50's.  A perfect day for St. Patrick's Day!

High pressure will remain in control through this coming weekend with similar conditions.  In fact, there is a real potential for some locations to push close to if not to 70 degrees on Saturday and Sunday.  So clearly this weekend is the time to get outside and enjoy the comfortable conditions, unless you are watching basketball that is!
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Freehold Releases Snow Cost Estimates

This winter's unusually heavy series of snowstorms has cost Freehold $85,000, Borough Administrator Joseph Bellina reported Monday night.

Freehold Borough Administrator Joseph Bellina

Most of the expenses came from rock salt purchases and overtime, Bellina told the Borough Council.

Those costs will be minimized thanks to the borough's "snow trust," where officials had put aside money for just such an emergency.

Overtime payouts will come from the borough's operating budget, but Bellina was confident the snowstorms would not have a severe impact on the budget.

"We should be fine," he said in a follow-up interview Tuesday.

As for the havoc wreaked by last weekend's rainstorm, Bellina said Tuesday it was too early to tell how much it had cost the borough.

Spring-like conditions return!

It's amazing how much weather conditions can change in less than 24 hours!  Just this morning, overcast conditions dominated and the regions was still soaked from the five day rainfall event!  This afternoon, conditions could not be much different with clear skies and much warmer temperatures as highs blew past forecasted temperatures into the upper 50's to mid 60's throughout the Philadelphia and New York City metropolitan area.
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Spotted: Mountain Lion Migrating to Freehold?

The mountain lion--or creature like it--that has been spotted around Manalapan over the last week may be migrating into Freehold territory, according to chatter on Facebook today.

The footprint of the mysterious creature spotted around Manalapan--and now possibly Freehold--during the last week is believed to be feline.

Though the cat was most recently seen off Taylors Mills Road, Millford Brook, and Tennent Road, readers today reported that it crept to Durand Park in Freehold Township most recently.
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Pole Still Teetering on Kozloski; St. Rose Still Without Power

As cleanup continues from the heavy rain and wind of last weekend, a telephone pole on busy Kozloski Road remains unstable.

As of 1PM Tuesday, Jersey Central Power and Light (JCP&L) workers held the pole in place while diverting traffic around its trucks. The pole was dislodged from the ground following torrential rains that moistened the ground and winds that pulled it out.
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Two Freehold Twp. men facing attempted robbery charge

Posted via APP.com:

Police arrested two township men who they say tried to rob another man during a prescription drug sale that went bad.

Robert Mason, 19, of Sodahouse Court, and Mark Chilton, 18, of Andrews Court, were arrested Friday.
Police said Mason and the victim, a 32-year-old township man, got into a tussle in the a parking lot of a condominium complex on Sodahouse Court around 11 a.m. Friday. Mason slashed the tires and smashed a window on the man's car, said Detective Sgt. Jerry Kiwit.
Both Mason and Chilton were arrested on an attempted robbery charge. Mason was also charged with weapons offenses, terroristic threats and criminal mischief.
Bail for Mason was set at $295,000, and bail for Chilton was set at $102,500.

Ahoy! Pirates aplenty at Monmouth County Library’s annual Children’s Book Fair

Walk the plank, dig for buried treasure and borrow a book at Monmouth County Library System’s 2010 Children’s Book Fair from 1 to 4 p.m., Saturday, March 20, at the Library Headquarters, 125 Symmes Drive.

This year’s theme is Pirates! Hooked on Books. A pair of swashbuckling buccaneers from Period Productions will cross swords and share tales of the pirate life. A variety of children’s books will be available for purchase, and pirate-themed books will be on display to borrow.

Readers of all ages can enjoy crafts, movies, pirate booty raffles and pirate activities such as walking the plank and throwing cannonballs at a pirate schooner. Children can meet a parrot, a wallaby and other rescued animals in “Parrots of the Caribbean,” presented by Eyes of the Wild.

The event is free and no prior registration is required. For more information, please call the Children’s Department at 732-431-7226.

Clearing skies expected as warmer conditions take hold

For the first time in five days I can say that no rain is falling at any locations throughout the New York City and Philadelphia metropolitan area!

The IR satellite picture basically tells the tale for today as clouds will continue to break up and skies will clear throughout the region.  The slow moving, rainfall record breaking low pressure system over the Atlantic is finally exiting stage right and will produce plenty of rain for mariners in the Atlantic.  High pressure will take hold through the day today as temperatures rebound into the 50's for many locations.

Through the rest of this week, high pressure will become the dominant weather feature for the northern Mid Atlantic.  The Pacific air mass that has built into the Philadelphia and New York City metropolitan area this morning will continue to moderate steadily with high temperatures approaching the 60's by the end of this week and breaking through the 60's over the Delaware River Valley by this weekend.
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Low pressure on the way out, but one more round of rain expected

There are signs that the low pressure system that has brought over 3 inches of rain or more throughout the New York City and Philadelphia metropolitan area is finally starting to exit.

Pressure rises are being observed throughout the northern Mid Atlantic ranging from 1 to 3 MB per hour and the center of the low pressure system has weakened by rough 2 MB in the past hour up to 998 MB as of 4 PM.  The upper and mid level low pressure systems are currently positioned off the Delaware Coast and slowly drifting south and east this afternoon.  In particular, the 700 and 850 MB low pressure system are driving deep Atlantic moisture right into southern New England down through Delaware, leading to the development of widespread showers.  These showers range in intensity from light rain and drizzle to a brief yet impressive heavy downpour.  Overall, it is just plain wet and raw out side with temperatures in the 40's and what seems to be no end in sight.
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Mallet Rips Budget Requests at Freeholder Meeting

One Freeholder is not happy with the budget requests of certain Monmouth County departments--including the library system and park system, according to the APP.

Mallet, second from left, spoke out against the proposed budget at last week's meeting.

From the report:

Democrat Amy A. Mallet during the Monmouth County Board of Freeholders meeting Thursday night said the County Library System tucked $82,000 into its budget request for employee travel and meetings and $43,000 for a new delivery van. Library officials later admitted they didn't really need the money for travel or for a van.
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