The record-breaking 80s are officially done, with some noticeable changes ahead for Thursday and Friday and a sharp cooldown expected for the weekend.

Daily record high temperatures were smashed on Wednesday, as the thermometer topped out at 87 in Newark, 86 in Trenton, and 86 in Atlantic City. The mid-October heat is now over, thanks to an impending shift in the winds. And autumn will roar back with a vengeance this weekend.

We're waking up Thursday to mostly cloudy skies, and a stiff easterly breeze will increase to 20 or 25 mph. I'm sure you will notice the day will have a very different feel than the past several. Having said that, high temperatures should still reach the lower to mid 70s by Thursday afternoon - certainly cooler than the first half of the week, but still above normal for mid-October.

Infrared satellite image of the Northeast U.S. as of Thursday morning, showing a band of thick clouds (blue) approaching New Jersey. (NOAA / NCAR)
Infrared satellite image of the Northeast U.S. as of Thursday morning, showing a band of thick clouds (blue) approaching New Jersey. (NOAA / NCAR)
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In addition, as a cold front slowly approaches from the west, some showers are possible. It appears the Garden State will just get clipped by the rain shield, so the best chance for light rain Thursday will probably be limited to the northwest corner of the state. Ultimately, I think most of New Jersey stays dry Thursday.

The better chance for statewide showers and even a few thunderstorms will be Friday, as we hold on to the 70s for one more day. Eventually, the aforementioned cold front will arrive, pushing through one more band of rain Friday night.

Fall will most certainly be in the air on Saturday, as much cooler and drier air "whooshes" in on a brisk northwest wind. Sustained winds of 15 to 25 mph are expected, with potential gusts to 40 or 50 mph.

So yes, it's going to be both blustery and chilly this weekend. Saturday afternoon's temperatures will only be around 55 to 60 degrees. (I hesitate to call it a "high" temperature, as Saturday's calendar day maximum temp will probably occur just after midnight.) On Sunday, thermometers will recover a bit to the lower 60s, but that's still a couple degrees below normal for this time of year.

The newly refreshed autumn chill will continue through early next week, with breezy and cool temperatures (50s-60s) in the forecast.

Dan Zarrow is Chief Meteorologist for Townsquare Media New Jersey. Follow him on Facebook or Twitter for the latest forecast and realtime weather updates.

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