NJ turns unsettled: Showers, clouds, and a temperature tug of war

The Bottom Line

They say variety is the spice of life. And I believe "variety" is the overarching hallmark of the spring season here in New Jersey. We can see wildly variable weather this time of year — as proven by the entire month of March. And the forecast through the upcoming weekend includes warm days, cool days, wet periods, and dry slots.

In fact, the 5 Day Forecast includes a rain chances for each of the five days. But none of those will be a washout. We will see occasional rounds of showers — I will do my best to pinpoint the timing of potential rain chances. Given the trajectory of these impulses, it looks like North Jersey will see more batches of wet weather than South Jersey.

As our weather stays unsettled, do not expect to see much sunshine until next week.

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Wednesday: Cool

It is a chilly start to this Wednesday morning, as thermometers across most of New Jersey have dropped into the 30s. (I even saw some icy puddles on my ride to work — watch your step.)

Temperatures will try to reach the seasonable 50s Wednesday afternoon. But they will get stuck closer to 50 degrees, as clouds thicken up significantly and an on-shore breeze kicks in.

The daytime hours Wednesday should stay dry. A little impulse will clip northern New Jersey in the early evening hours with a few rain showers. But I expect most of the state will stay dry for the duration.

Warmer air will penetrate New Jersey's atmosphere Wednesday night. While temperatures will briefly dip into the 40s, thermometers will start to rise after Midnight. Most of the state should be in the 50s by daybreak Thursday morning.

Thursday: Warm

Back to the warm side.

HIgh temperatures on Thursday will surge back into the 70s for the vast majority of the state, even the Shore. I would not be surprised if someone touches 80.

However, Thursday will be a pretty grey day, with cloudy skies. There is a chance for a spot shower or thunderstorm at any time. Given the heat (energy) in the atmosphere, there is a marginal concern for a stronger storm cell developing.

Friday: Mild with Showers

Friday will likely begin with widespread rain showers around New Jersey in the morning. Followed by another batch of rain late at night.

In the middle, there will be a period of dry weather with lots of clouds. High temperatures will scale back to the 60s.

Saturday: Cool and Unsettled

Saturday is tricky. To me, it reads like a "blah" day, again generally cloudy and cool. With a few showers around, especially to the north, especially in the morning.

High temperatures will probably range from about 45 to 65 degrees. North Jersey and the Jersey Shore will be the cool spots. SW NJ will be the warmest.

Sunday: Warm and Unsettled

Sunday looks like the nicer and warmer day of the first weekend of April.

High temperatures will surge well into the 70s, on a warm southwesterly breeze. 80s are even possible to the south.

Most of Sunday looks dry, although again mostly cloudy. Another widespread batch of rain associated with a cold front is set to arrive at night. I am a bit concerned that the building heat and humidity could combine with the lift from that front to spark strong to severe thunderstorms. We will see how that end-of-weekend storm threat plays out.

The Extended Forecast

Our weather simmers down next week, as the forecast trends dry and cool.

Skies on Monday will be slow to clear — hopefully we will see a return of the sun eventually. HIgh temperatures will reach the mid to upper 50s. Par for the course for early April.

Tuesday only reaches the upper 40s to around 50, with a chilly breeze. Wednesday morning looks particularly cold, with a widespread freeze possible. I could even see some April flurries flying around by midweek too.

Temperatures should moderate through late next week. Our next storm system chance pops up around Friday.

5 DAY FORECAST: New Jersey Weather Center