In other words, the Garden State will turn much colder over the next few mornings and afternoons.

Fair warning: The next three days are going to be a frigid shock to the system. Especially after we've been spoiled with so much record warmth lately!

Thursday's ferocious wind marked the return of cold air to New Jersey, and the entire Northeast U.S. Friday morning's temperatures have fallen below freezing for all but the Jersey Shore. North Jersey is starting the day in the chilly 20s.

Sunshine will abound for at least the first half of Friday, with slowly increasing clouds later. High temperatures will only reach the upper 30s to lower 40s, a bit below normal for early March (46 to 48).

We're still watching a (very) weak clipper system that will make its pass across New Jersey starting Friday afternoon. Scattered snow showers are likely between about 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Friday. Could we see a dusting on the ground somewhere in the Garden State? Eh, maybe. I still have my doubts about whether the ground will be cold enough to sustain "sticking". And it's not expected to snow enough to cause any travel headaches.

Skies will clear, winds will remain brisk, and temperatures will be very cold for Friday night through Saturday morning. That's not a good combination. As the thermometer drops the upper teens to lower 20s, the wind chill ("feels like" temperature) will likely dip into the single digits for part of the overnight.

And we'll be bundling up tightly throughout the weekend, as a reinforcing shot of cold air allows the deep chill to continue. Saturday's high temperatures will be limited to the mid 30s. Models show a continuing gusty wind on Saturday too, but at least we'll see plenty of sunshine all day.

GFS model temperature forecast for Sunday morning, as thermometers bottom out in the single digits and teens across New Jersey. (TropicalTidbits.com)
GFS model temperature forecast for Sunday morning, as thermometers bottom out in the single digits and teens across New Jersey. (TropicalTidbits.com)
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Sunday stays cold, although winds should lighten up significantly. That will allow for perfect "radiative cooling" conditions for Sunday morning, so I expect temperatures to bottom out in the teens. (Maybe even some single digits in the state's coldest spots.) Sunday's highs will once again top out in the mid 30s.

Winds shift to southwesterly for Monday and Tuesday. That is almost always a warming trend, and this pattern fits the bill. Monday afternoon temperatures should reach the upper 40s to around 50 degrees for most of the Garden State, amidst increasing clouds. 60s look to return on Tuesday afternoon, although clouds and showers will be possible as well.

Don't get used to this brief return to above-normal temperatures. Cold air looks to make another resurgence by late next week.

Ahh, the roller coaster of late winter/early spring. Enjoy the ride, and stay warm this weekend!

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

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