Miserable Monday morning with more rain and wind for New Jersey
As you probably noticed, our two weekend days featured two very different weather scenarios. Saturday was wonderfully warm, and Sunday was not. Bottom line: The wet and windy weather continues (and peaks) through Monday morning, before improvements take over by the afternoon. Umbrellas up!
Monday Morning: Yuck
Here comes a cold front. Attached to the same powerful area of low pressure that drove Sunday's less-than-stellar weather, we're in for a wild ride Monday morning. Here's a rundown...
--Rain: A band of heavy rain will drive through New Jersey, from southwest to northeast, between 5 a.m. and Noon Monday. All of NJ will likely see 1 to 2 inches of additional rainfall, raising flash flood concerns. Embedded thunderstorms are possible.
--Wind: Top gusts so far have been over 40 mph. Similar wind gusts will continue through the morning.
--Coast: High tide along the Atlantic Ocean will be around 8 a.m. Monday, with back bays peaking up to a few hours later. Moderate flooding is forecast for the Monmouth and Ocean county coast. Minor flooding is expected for the Atlantic and Cape May county oceanfront, the Delaware Bay, and the Delaware River.
--Temperatures: A piece of good news! The band of rain also carries warmer, more humid air. So, during the wettest weather Monday morning, temperatures should spike into the lower to mid 60s for most of the state. (North Jersey and the Jersey Shore may get stuck in the mid to upper 50s.) Compare to Sunday's chilly 40s, and it'll be much more bearable.
Monday Afternoon: Improvements
Immediately after the rain departs, we'll see weather improvements sweep through the state. Winds will lighten up, as skies start clear. I can't rule out a few lingering showers through Monday evening. Meanwhile, thermometers will start to slide from our midday high temperatures.
For Monday night, I'll call it partly cloudy and breezy. Overnight low temperatures should dip to about 35 to 40 degrees. (Far northern NJ could experience a light freeze, but most of the state should stay above the freezing mark.)
The Rest of the Week: Not Terrible
We'll be back on the cool side of the world on Tuesday, but it won't be too bad of a day. We'll see a mix of sun and clouds overhead, with a westerly wind of 10 to 20 mph (occasional gusts to 30 mph). High temperatures will end up in the mid 50s for most of New Jersey, including at the Shore. Again, not terrible — that's about 5 degrees below normal for mid-April.
On the backside of the Sunday-Monday storm system, models are picking up a few showers that could pass through the Garden State Tuesday afternoon and evening. It looks light, but still worth mentioning. As temperatures drop Tuesday evening, there could be a few snowflakes in northern NJ, although no accumulation or travel impacts are anticipated.
If you're looking for a nice weather day this week, Wednesday may be your best show. An isolated shower could clip New Jersey in the early morning hours. Then, I'm optimistically calling for mostly sunny skies for all but far North Jersey. We'll feel a stiff breeze and seasonable high temperatures, on either side of 60.
Thursday gets even warming, in the lower to mid 60s across the Garden State. Following a chance for showers in the morning, we'll enjoy partial sunshine and a continuing breeze.
The early preview at Friday into the weekend looks good. A dry forecast, with daily temperatures between about 55 and 65 degrees.
Looking for more warmth like Friday and Saturday? You'll have to wait a while — the long-term forecast does not have another surge of warm air. Our next 80-degree day may not come until May.