Another warmup coming to NJ, along with clouds and raindrops

Snow shovels, snow blowers, and cold weather gear are inching their way into storage for the season. (Still a bit premature to really put them away though!) We have another springlike warmup in the forecast over the next few days. And I have to say, if not for the clouds, impending rain, and chilly Atlantic Ocean, thermometers would climb even warmer in the coming days. (Pretty typical of early Spring, by the way.)

Temperatures are pretty cold on this Wednesday morning, mainly in the 20s, thanks to that classic combination of crystal clear skies, bone dry air, and a chilly air mass. While the day will start with golden sunshine and blue skies (just like Monday and Tuesday), clouds will start rolling in by late morning. It's going to be a seasonable day - in other words, typical for the middle third of March. Look for high temperatures around 50 degrees, give or take.

Models are picking up on an isolated shower or sprinkle passing through New Jersey late Wednesday night, from a weak shortwave. I'm leaning toward a "total fizzle" kind of forecast, and we're really just talking about some sporadic raindrops at the most.

This warming trend kicks into high gear on Thursday, thanks to a southerly wind. High temperatures will make a run for 60 degrees away from the coast, with a mix of sun and clouds overnight.

Our next storm system comes into view Thursday night, with a spotty rain shower possible. (Don't worry about anything wintry, as temperatures won't drop below the 40s.)

Friday is still looking like the wet day of the week, but it's not going to be a washout. The most-fitting description I could come up with for the day is "scattered rain". With high temperatures in the lower to mid 60s, a few thunderstorms are possible through Friday night too.

Rain showers will wrap up early Saturday morning, let's say by about 5 a.m. Skies will quickly clear back to sunshine for the rest of the weekend, although temperatures will cool down again too.

Saturday might feel a bit brisk, despite above-normal high temperatures in the lower to mid 50s. Winds will be out of the west-northwest, potentially gusting to 30 mph.

Sunday will be even cooler, but less windy. High temperatures flip to below normal, in the mid to upper 40s. The bright sunshine will help to cut through the chill.

A little storm system pegged for Monday could produce some light rain and snow across the Garden State. (The GFS model in particular shows a snow situation, with just over an inch of accumulation. I don't quite buy it, given high temperatures in the 40s.)

Once again, there are no major snow storms or arctic blasts in the forecast. I am seeing signs of an even grander surge of warm air arriving late next week.

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