NJ gets a break from heat and humidity, weekend forecast a mixed bag

I promised you a nice "ahhh" feeling on Friday, and we are getting there. Cooler, drier air is working its way into New Jersey, putting an end to our streak of steamy, stormy weather. We'll end up in the 80s with decreasing humidity, a mix of sun and clouds, and maybe a stray shower. Friday night should be especially comfortable, in the 60s. Saturday will be OK but not as "perfect" as I had been promoting earlier, as humidity starts ramping up again and we'll probably see a few showers around. Sunday turns even more humid and more unsettled, with a round of thunderstorms likely in the afternoon. The first half of next week flips back to great, refreshing weather.

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Friday NJ weather: Falling humidity

Bye-bye heat wave. New Jersey's latest string of 90-degree days ends at seven, with the arrival of cooler, drier air. Things will become much more comfortable and pleasant ... eventually.

Temperatures around the Garden State Friday morning are still warm and sticky in the 70s. High temperatures will be limited to the lower to mid 80s. That is a full 10 degrees cooler than Thursday's scorching hot afternoon. And as dew points continue to slowly drop throughout the day, the air will feel less steamy and less thick too — it is a slow transition.

Look for periods of sun and clouds throughout the day.

Usually a summer "cold front" would mean storms. But this is a pretty weak boundary, so we have stayed dry. I think there is an opportunity for a stray shower later on. But any raindrops Friday would be isolated, light, and brief.

Friday night looks wonderful, as that dry air fully settles in. Under partly sunny skies, low temperatures will dip into the mid 60s on average. We could even see some 50s in the coolest corners of the state. Our coolest night in about a week. It's going to feel good — hopefully you can enjoy some "outside time" Friday evening or Saturday morning.

Saturday NJ weather: Hit or miss

Believe it or not, we are diving into the 9th of 15 summer weekends, between Memorial Day and Labor Day. There's still plenty of summer to come — but it is flying by!

Earlier this week, I had speculated that the return of low humidity and sunshine could make Saturday one of the nicest days of the entire summer. While that is still partially the case, unfortunately the forecast has shifted and is less perfect.

Saturday's base forecast calls for scattered clouds and high temperatures in the lower 80s. So far so good.

The problem here is that aforementioned cold front, which is expected to turn around as a warm front on Saturday. The big question is when and where it will make that U-turn. If it drifts far south of New Jersey, and then passes back our way Saturday night, we will squeeze out a lovely day. However, an earlier timeline would bring an earlier return of humidity and rain chances.

So I do have to say a few showers are possible during the day on Saturday. Some forecast models even paint some pockets of steadier rain, if that humidity really starts to ramp up Saturday afternoon and evening.

So there is a dry and a semi-wet scenario for Saturday, and unfortunately I'm pretty much 50/50 on the fence about which one I believe will play out. The farther south you are, the better your chance of seeing raindrops. The later in the day it gets, the better your chance of getting wet. My best advice is to keep plans as flexible as possible, and (as always) keep a close eye on the latest forecast and changing conditions.

Sunday NJ weather: Cloudier, more humid, more unsettled

Sunday will bring a one-day return of humidity, as dew points shoot back into the 70s. Thanks a lot, warm front. Along with that increase in atmospheric moisture will come increases in temperatures and rain chances too.

As skies become mostly cloudy on Sunday, the best chance for scattered showers and thunderstorms is centered on the afternoon hours. High temperatures will surge into the upper 80s to around 90 degrees.

Given the increase in heat and humidity, any storms that form could be on the strong side. We will have to watch for the potential of downpours and gusty winds.

Sunday night, a strong cold front will arrive, sweeping out the storms and kicking out the humidity.

Monday NJ weather: Refreshing

Once we get past Sunday, the next chance for stormy weather doesn't look to be until about next Friday. A nice extended break.

Early next week just looks fantastic. On Monday, sunny skies will combine with a refreshing breeze to put pleasant high temperatures in the warm lower 80s.

Tuesday NJ weather: More great weather

Tuesday looks similar to Monday with sunshine and lower 80s. Sounds great.

Wednesday warms gently into the mid 80s. Another pleasant summer day.

And then heat ramps up late next week, as 90s probably return for Thursday and Friday. Along with the warmup will come humidity and rain chances. A return to that typical steamy, stormy weather pattern we know so well.

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