NJ weather: Closing out January with one more gloomy day

The Bottom Line

My Facebook feed lately has been filled with New Jerseyans who are sick and tired of the gloomy weather and overcast skies. I agree — Seasonal Affective Disorder season is in full swing, and I would definitely welcome some brighter, drier, "happier" weather at this point.

The good news: Sunshine is coming soon. The bad news: Not yet.

January will end, fittingly, with one more dreary day. There will be some rain and snow showers around. North Jersey is even waking up to a coating of snow on the ground. But generally, Wednesday's weather will not get in your way. It's just another "blah" day.

Thursday still looks pleasant. And it will probably be New Jersey's warmest day for the foreseeable future, as we flirt with 50 degrees.

After one more quick batch of rain/snow early Friday, we will finally clear out and dry out. In fact, the medium to long range forecast shows the potential for six consecutive days of mostly sunny skies — Saturday to next Thursday.

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Wednesday

A clipper system is traveling well south of New Jersey Wednesday, soaking the Carolinas. On the northern edge of the storm, our weather remains a bit unsettled, with clouds and raindrops and snowflakes around.

Radar shows a few very light echoes traversing central and southern New Jersey to start the day. This is the story of Wednesday: spotty sprinkles and flurries, but overall nothing impactful.

In general, shower activity should dial back through Wednesday afternoon. Skies will be pretty cloudy again — although I would not rule out rays of sunshine peeking through the overcast late-day.

It will be cool, as morning 30s only warm to around 40 degrees in the afternoon.

Wednesday night dries out, although patchy fog is possible. It will be mostly cloudy, with chilly low temperatures in the lower 30s.

Thursday

I have been promoting Thursday as the nicest and warmest day of the week. And I think that description still holds. (Although the weekend is trending better too.)

We should see a mix of sun and clouds across the day Thursday. I think it will still average "mostly cloudy" but the sky will be notably brighter, more settled, and less gloomy than earlier in the week.

A light southwesterly breeze will complement dry weather during the daytime hours. High temperatures will reach into the upper 40s to around 50 degrees. Not exactly warm — but almost 10 degrees above normal for the first day of February.

Showers (rain or snow) may creep in late Thursday evening, ahead of a slowly-sagging cold front.

Friday

One final round of showers will push through NJ on Friday morning. Up to a quarter-inch of rain is possible. A coating of snow can't be ruled out to the north.

After about 10 a.m. Friday, we will dry out for the duration. Skies will slowly clear into the afternoon, as a northwesterly breeze kicks up to 20+ mph.

Eventually, colder air will work into New Jersey again. But the effect on Friday's temperatures will be minimal. Highs should still hit the mid 40s.

Saturday

The weekend forecast looks less chilly, and therefore better overall.

Saturday will feature bright sunshine, dry weather, and bone-dry air. The wind will be considerably lighter than on Friday. Morning low temperatures will be quite cold, in the 20s. Afternoon highs, not too bad, in the lower to mid 40s.

The Extended Forecast

Sunday will bring more of the same, sunshine and 40s.

And that will be a familiar story next week too. While I can't rule out a quick burst of clouds or an isolated shower, next week's weather looks dormant. Mostly sunny and seasonably chilly.

Looking down the road, we will have to watch next weekend for a potential storm system. Then by the midpoint of February, cold air will be fully refreshed. That is when we could see the start of an active, snowy pattern. Reminder: There are still 48 days until Spring.

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