Warmer temperatures will continue; some rain ahead

New Jersey got to enjoy a springlike weekend with sunny skies with mild temperatures; the week ahead will keep the mild temperatures with two chances for rain.

Here are your weather headlines for Monday, March 9, 2015...

Warm Temperatures! Woohoo!

High temperatures on Sunday reached 48° at Newark, 48° at Trenton, and 51° at Atlantic City... New Jersey’s warmest day since January 5! Solid snow and ice melt yesterday has resulted in the return of some green grass for part of the state. (Of course, poor Sussex County still has a foot of snow on the ground.)

So, will the mild temperatures continue? Yes! Although there will be a few hiccups along the way, and I certainly don’t want to rule out winter making a comeback later this month.

The warmest days of the week ahead will be today and perhaps Wednesday (depends on rain - see below) with widespread thermometer readings in the 50s. Overnight lows will mostly stay above freezing, although temperatures in a few spots on a few mornings will drop to around 30°.

It’s going to take a while before all the snow is gone, and before our memory of this cold and brutal winter disappears, but we’re on the right track!

Midweek Rain

Our next storm system arrives Tuesday afternoon, lasting through at least Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning. High temperatures on Tuesday will be in the 40s, and low temperatures Wednesday morning will be held to around 40°, so this one will be a rain-maker for most of the state. (I can’t rule out some snowflakes in colder North Jersey.) We’ll also have a two-fold flooding concern: first due to snow and ice melt, and the second due to the possibility of heavy rain.

The big question becomes whether the rain moves out by late Wednesday morning, or lingers through the day. If showers linger, highs on Wednesday will likely be held to the lower to mid 50s at best. If skies begin to clear on Wednesday, South Jersey will make a run for 60°! (I know which solution I’m hoping comes true!)

High pressure builds in for Thursday and Friday, leading to quiet weather and temperatures right around or just below seasonal averages in the mid to upper 40s.

Weekend Rain

Another storm system will slide up the Atlantic coast this weekend. Since this storm is still 5 to 6 days away, it’s still too early to pinpoint exact timing and weather impacts. Regardless, both Saturday and Sunday look potentially wet for New Jersey. I do see a chance for snow Saturday night through Sunday morning, as temperatures temporarily drop below the freezing mark. But for the most part, these mild temperatures in the 40s will persist and will keep most of that precipitation liquid, with some periods of heavy rain and flooding possible.