80 degrees and mainly dry for NJ’s next-to-last weekend of summer

There are 10 days left of summer. It is the peak of hurricane season. And there's really nothing going on. Friday, morning sun will give way to afternoon clouds. Expect temperatures to trend a couple degrees cooler than on Thursday, but highs will still end up in the pleasant upper 70s. Typical for mid-September. The weekend will see 80 degrees or better for most of the state. There is a chance of a stray shower, especially on Sunday, but otherwise it's smooth sailing. Next week is trending warm and quiet too.

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Friday NJ weather: A beautiful September day

As high pressure builds back in, our weather forecast turns boring again. The only reason we do not have to talk more seriously about drought right now is last week's healthy soaking — that brought month-to-date rainfall to near-normal levels, and helped stave off drought concerns for a little while. But we still have pockets of northern and central NJ officially in Moderate Drought, and 47% of the state is classified as Abnormally Dry. While we can bask in pleasant, dry weather for now it will eventually become a big problem again for wildfire danger, agriculture, reservoirs, etc.

Friday morning is clear, crisp, and comfortably cool once again. Temperatures are starting the day in the 50s and 60s. While the first half of the day will feature sunshine and blue skies, some fair weather clouds are expected to build through the afternoon. That will likely keep highs a couple degrees cooler than Thursday. Still, 75 to 80 degrees is mild and pleasant.

Friday evening looks beautiful. Under partly cloudy skies, lows will dip into the lower 60s or so. Not too cold, especially considering the chilly overnights we have had already in September.

Saturday NJ weather: Mix of sun and clouds

We dive into the next-to-last weekend of summer with more warm, nice weather.

Skies on Saturday will bring a mix of sun and clouds. Sporadic model runs this week have shown a popup sprinkle, but the latest forecast is trending dry. With a seasonably warm high temperature near 80 degrees, it should be a gorgeous "local summer" Saturday across the Garden State.

Sunday NJ weather: Cloudier, maybe a spot shower

Sunday looks like the cloudier but warmer day of the weekend. High temperatures will push into the lower 80s. Although I do not see an accompanying rise in humidity levels that would make the warmth uncomfortable or unpleasant, necessarily.

The possibility of a spot shower is also a bit higher on Sunday. I'll say the best opportunity for a few raindrops would be morning-midday to the north and east. But in any case the chance is very limited and isolated — I would not cancel or change plans because of it.

Monday NJ weather: Warm start to the week

While we had previously advertised a wet start to next week, latest guidance has shifted toward a drier and therefore warmer solution. Next week looks mainly dry, aside from a hit-or-miss isolated shower. And it looks warm, with highs mainly in the 80s. If sunshine and southwesterly breezes win out, I could even see temps touching 90 by the end of the week.

The Autumnal Equinox arrives on Monday 9/22, and our next substantial chance for rain is probably right around then. Barring any tropical developments, of course. There is a new tropical wave coming off the west coast of Africa being monitored — but that's it in the Atlantic for now.

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