Atlantic City, N.J. — A powerful coastal wind storm batters U.S. 13 and parallel shore corridors from northern Delaware through southern New Jersey on Saturday, hammering the region with wind gusts up to 60 mph from midmorning through late evening as Arctic air follows close behind.
The National Weather Service in Mount Holly said sustained northwest winds of 20 to 30 mph will surge higher along open coastal terrain, bay crossings, and barrier islands, placing the greatest risk on U.S. 13, Route 50, and the Garden State Parkway from Wilmington south through Dover, Atlantic City, and Cape May Court House. A High Wind Warning remains in effect from Saturday morning into Saturday night, overlapping with an Extreme Cold Warning that begins late in the day.
Transportation officials warned that crosswinds will shove high-profile vehicles across lanes on exposed stretches near Rehoboth Beach, Ocean City, and Long Beach Island, while falling tree limbs and blowing debris sharply reduce visibility. Inland impacts extend through Centreville, Denton, Chestertown, and Easton, where secondary highways funnel wind across open farmland and river crossings.
Power crews across Delaware, Maryland’s Eastern Shore, and southern New Jersey prepared for widespread outages as winds peak during the afternoon and early evening. Officials urged residents to remain indoors and avoid unnecessary travel as conditions deteriorate.
By late Saturday afternoon, dangerous cold tightens its grip. Wind chills plunge as low as 10 to 15 below zero across the coast and interior counties, cold enough to trigger hypothermia for anyone exposed without proper protection. The cold persists overnight into Sunday morning before slowly easing.
Winds gradually weaken late Saturday night, but bitter cold lingers into Sunday, marking a hard end to a high-impact weather corridor event along the Mid-Atlantic coast.
