About 36 hours of nicer weather before rain returns to NJ this weekend

The Bottom Line

Our latest period of unsettled weather wraps up with one more push of scattered rain early Thursday. Showers may linger throughout the morning, especially to the south and along the coast. Otherwise, skies will progressively clear to sunshine from northwest to southeast. So Thursday will turn into a nice weather day, although temperatures will be back on the cool side. Friday will be mostly sunny, breezy, and probably dry. And then our next batch of rain is forecast to arrive on Saturday — it is time to think about those outdoor weekend plans very carefully, as the steadiest rain looks to come during the midday hours. Mother's Day Sunday will be the drier, brighter, and warmer day of the weekend by far.

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Weather Hazards

While there are several chances of rain in the short-term and medium-range forecast, there are no especially dangerous weather concerns coming up. Embedded thunderstorms are possible, but organized severe weather (wind, hail, tornadoes) seems unlikely.

Climatological Context

May 7 is the 127th day of 2026.

Average high temperatures have risen to about 70 degrees at this point in the season. Normal low temperatures for this date range from 49 to 51 degrees.

On average, May is the 5th warmest, 5th driest, and 8th snowiest month of the year in New Jersey.

Thursday

We had some solid rain blossom over New Jersey overnight, a product of our healthy humidity and an arriving cold front. As of this writing (8 a.m.), most of that rain has exited, and we are left with only sporadic showers and sprinkles along the southern and eastern edges of the state. Those raindrops may linger to the south and along the coast through as late as midday Thursday, just making it feel unsettled and damp a bit longer.

Meanwhile, the back edge of this thick bank of clouds is now pushing into northwestern New Jersey. So we will start to see clearing skies, from northwest to southeast, through the rest of the morning. Yes, sunshine is ahead — for most of the state by late morning, and for the entire state by the afternoon.

We are back in a cooler air mass, so temperatures will be lower Thursday compared to the past few days. Thermometers are hovering around 50 in the morning, and will only rise to the lower to mid 60s in the afternoon. That is about 5 to 10 degrees below normal for this time of year. But overall? Not bad, just feeling more April-ish than May-ish.

Thursday night looks pretty chilly, as low temperatures dip into the mid 40s. Skies will be partly cloudy. And models have been very persistent about some popup shower activity in North Jersey, so I'll throw the chance in the forecast just in case.

Friday

Friday looks good. I will call it mostly sunny, even though some late-day clouds will build in. Wind speeds will increase to the "breezy" category. And I think the day will be dry, even though the chance of sprinkles or drizzle is not quite zero.

Temperatures will be similar to Thursday, in the 60s.

Saturday

Our next storm system arrives Saturday, and much of the day is looking pretty soggy. I am not calling it a total washout per se. But it does look wet, with everyone in New Jersey picking up some rain.

The steadiest rain looks to be right in the middle of the day. So if you do have outdoor plans, your best chance of squeezing them in looks to be early and/or late. About a half-inch of total rainfall seems like a good bet.

Under cloudy skies, at least temperatures will not be miserable. We should end up in the 60s for the third day in a row.

Sunday & Beyond

Sunday is Mother's Day, and is probably the nicest weather day of the next seven.

With a mix of sun and clouds, temperatures should warm into the mix 70s by Sunday afternoon. The daytime hours look dry, with reasonable humidity and a fresh breeze. Sounds like a very nice mid-May day to celebrate Moms all across the Garden State.

Rain chances will ramp up again starting around sunset Sunday evening. Our next batch of wet weather will be Sunday night into Monday morning, and could be heavy at times.

Another rain chance crops up in the middle of next week, around Wednesday, continuing our approximate "every other day" pattern of wet weather. Remember, we really need the rain to stave off drought and fire danger concerns. So a solid inch or two of total rainfall over the course of the next week or two — while inconvenient — would be a very good thing to see.

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