NJ earns a break from the cold, plus two more rounds of rain

The Bottom Line

We are waking up this Monday morning with rain falling across much of New Jersey. A quarter-inch to half-inch of total rainfall has thoroughly moistened the Garden State. So you will be dodging puddles amid reduced visibility. And in northwestern New Jersey, up to 4 inches of snow fell overnight, leading to more significant travel issues. (In case you are keeping score, this is our third 2+ inch snow event of the season in North Jersey.)

We will dry out by Monday afternoon. But there are two more pushes of rain coming up this week: Monday night and Wednesday night.

Meanwhile, the first half of this week features a welcome warmup. Thermometers in South Jersey may hit 60 degrees! But colder air returns for the second half of the week, potentially leading to a frigid first weekend of Winter.

Having said that, there are no significant snow chances in the forecast for the next 7 to 10 days.

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Monday

Approximately north of I-78 and west of I-287, you will find a couple inches of snow and slush on the ground to start the day. Everywhere else, it is just wet.

Scattered precipitation (mainly rain) will linger through Monday morning, eventually ending around the midday hours from west to east.

Even though we dry out Monday afternoon, don't expect skies to really clear out. Amid lots of clouds, it will feel cool and damp all day. High temperatures will settle in the upper 40s to lower 50s.

Our next storm system arrives Monday evening. This time around, it will come with warmer air — temperatures will rise into the 50s overnight. So any precipitation will be liquid rainfall this time around. And once again, mainly light stuff. Raindrops should be confined to the "overnight" hours.

Tuesday

By daybreak Tuesday, dry weather should prevail. And most of Tuesday looks pretty good.

Peeks of sunshine should emerge by Tuesday afternoon at the latest. It will be breezy and noticeably warmer, as highs push to about 55 to 60 degrees. (Our first trip into the 60s in South Jersey since ... last week.)

Wednesday

Wednesday will be New Jersey's third and final mild day of this stretch.

High temperatures will push into the mid to upper 50s. I would not rule out some 60s, depending on the timing of impending cloud cover and rain.

While Wednesday should begin with partial sunshine, clouds will thicken up considerably by the afternoon. Rain chances will ramp up too — we could see some showers by late afternoon, although the best chance for rain will again come at night. Another quarter-inch to half-inch of total rainfall seems like a good bet — again all wet, nothing wintry.

Thursday

By Thursday morning, rain ends and colder air will start blowing into New Jersey again. You know what that means — a blustery, chilly day. Back to bundling up.

Wind gusts will probably top 30 mph on Thursday. Temperatures are forecast to peak around midday in the 40s, before sliding backwards later on. I can't rule out a snow shower or snow squall at some point.

Friday & Beyond

It's only going to get colder, folks.

Friday will feature lighter winds and a mix of clouds and sun. Again, a brief snow shower is possible. High temperatures will be limited to the lower 40s — back to below-normal.

Saturday is the Winter Solstice, officially marking the start of winter at 4:20 a.m. It will be partly sunny and cold, with high temperatures only in the mid 30s.

And then Sunday looks like the coldest day of the season so far, by far. Highs only in the 20s? That's frigid.

Despite the influx of cold air, there will not be any impulses or moisture to go along with it. So little threat of snow for the next 7 to 10 days. That brings us right to the Christmas holiday next week. Forecast models have on-and-off shown a snow/rain shower chance on Christmas Day — but I would not put any stock into such a long-range forecast for a few more days..

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