NJ weekend forecast: Gorgeous weather, deceptively strong ocean

This is a beautiful forecast — period, full stop. We will see plenty of sunshine Friday and Saturday, with some extra clouds clipping the southern coast. It will be warm but not humid, as we enjoy more dry, comfortable weather. Sunday will be the hotter day of the weekend, with our next heat wave ahead for next week. The other big issue as we begin this summer weekend is a high risk of rip currents at the Jersey Shore - the ocean is surprisingly strong, and I fear there will be a lot of rescues from careless and overconfident swimmers this weekend.

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Friday NJ weather: A very nice summer day

New Jersey's weather is still heavily influenced by a dome of high pressure, a comfortable air mass shifting off the New England coast. There is also a weak storm system passing just to our south Friday. Close enough to throw some clouds our way. But not close enough to r strong enough to rain on our parade.

Friday morning has been cool, with temperatures mainly in the 50s. Highs will reach the lower 80s Friday afternoon. That is about five degrees below normal for this time of year. Dry air is a real treat this time of year.

Cloud cover is a bit of a question mark. I think most of the state will enjoy bright sunshine. (With blue skies this time around — the hazy, milky conditions will be less prominent as Canadian wildfire smoke thins out in the atmosphere.) Clouds will slip southern and coastal New Jersey, but it should still be a bright and pleasant day overall. And, most importantly, completely dry.

The one big issue is rip currents. Although the surf is not particularly rough, the ocean's pull is deceptively strong. So a high risk of dangerous rip currents is posted once again for Friday. That is expected to continue once again on Saturday. It means it is especially important for beach-goers to pay attention to flags, signs, and lifeguards. I fear there will be numerous rescues along the Jersey Shore this weekend — please don't be one of them.

Friday night will be quiet, clear, and comfortably cool. Low temperatures will dip to around 60 degrees overnight.

Saturday NJ weather: More beautiful weather

Saturday is practically a copy-paste of Friday. Mostly sunny inland. Partly sunny coast. Warm, but not too hot. And not humid. Look for high temperatures again in the lower 80s. Fantastic!

Sunday NJ weather: Getting hotter

On Sunday, the on-shore, southeasterly breeze that has insulated our temperatures will switch to a south-southwesterly wind direction. That will be a warming wind. So Sunday will definitely be the hotter day of the weekend.

With more sunshine, highs on Sunday afternoon will reach the upper 80s. Not unusual for early to mid August. A few 90s are possible.

Monday NJ weather: Feels like summer

Even if we do not hit 90 on Sunday, much of NJ will see lower 90s on Monday as our next heat wave ramps up. Get ready to kick those fans and air conditioners up a notch again.

However, humidity will not be that bad. Dew points will probably tick upward to the 60s. But it's not going to be sticky, steamy, muggy, tropical weather. I do not think we will have to ring alarm bells for dangerous heat. The forecast really just reads as seasonably hot summer weather.

Tuesday NJ weather: Heat wave continues

More 90s are expected Tuesday and Wednesday. While previous forecasts called for near-100 degree temperatures, latest model runs have backed off that idea.

Current thinking is that scattered rain cools things down through the second half of the week, between Wednesday night and Friday. There could be some thunderstorms and heavy stuff to watch out for, and timing is a big question mark. We'll figure out those details later.

For now, enjoy 5 or 6 days of pleasant, generally sunny, mainly dry weather!

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