Will New Jersey hit 70 degrees on Thursday?

A warmup, a cooldown, a few raindrops, and more. Spring is a season of transition, and we've got several on the way over the next few days.

For the first time in a long time, there's only a minor chill in the air Thursday morning, with temperatures in the 40s. It's our warmest morning since March 1 for most of the state, and the warmest since February 21 in spots. You can thank the cloudy skies and more humid atmosphere for the mild temps.

A warm front will slowly lift northward through New Jersey Thursday. As the name implies, that will lead to warmer temperatures — but not for everyone! The warmest air will struggle to make it north of Interstate 78, limiting temperatures for the northern part of the state. My high temperature forecasts puts North Jersey around 50 degrees Thursday afternoon. Central Jersey and the Jersey Shore should make it to near 60 degrees. And for inland South Jersey, we may see a few 70-degree readings! (But don't get too excited, as those 70s probably won't be that widespread.)

Meanwhile, spotty showers will pop through the Garden State throughout the day (especially early on). Skies will be mostly cloudy, although models suggest a pocket of sunshine in South Jersey during the afternoon hours.

We'll stay mild overnight, again thanks to humidity and clouds. There could be a few upper 40s in the northern part of NJ, but most of the state should stay above 50 degrees all night. A few sprinkles and some fog are possible as well.

Friday will begin with one more brief shot of rain, before clearing skies and a gusty northwest wind take over Friday afternoon. The day will start out warm, with widespread 60s across the state. (Once again, scattered 70s are possible in South Jersey.) But I think thermometers will start to tumble during the afternoon hours, so Friday evening will probably end up significantly cooler than the morning — be sure to dress appropriately.

So yes, we return to the cooler side of the world on Saturday. But you know what? It looks like an incredibly pleasant early Spring day! High temperatures will be close to normal for this time of year in the mid to upper 50s. Models show abundant sunshine, light winds, and dry skies all day. Not a complaint to be found.

A weak front will enter New Jersey early Easter Sunday morning, dragging a broken line of rain and snow showers through the state. Guidance has really backed off on that shower potential, so I don't think they're going to be widespread or all that significant.

After the morning showers, we'll partially clear to partly sunny skies. Wind gusts over 30 mph might make the day a bit blustery. Temperatures will be cooler, but I think we'll still get widespread 50s for Easter Sunday afternoon.

Next chance of showers is progged for Tuesday morning. Next chance of steadier rain appears to be next Wednesday.

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