Back to the cool side for two days, as quiet weather returns to NJ

That cool fall flavor is back in the air. In fact, Thursday is going to feel more like an early November day across New Jersey, with a chilly breeze and high temperatures barely reaching 60 degrees. At least we will have plenty of sunshine — so I have to call it a reasonably pleasant autumn day. Expect more sun and cooler than normal temperatures for Friday. And then the weekend looks good - certainly better, brighter, and drier than last weekend. And we will warm up too, likely into the 70s by Sunday. Our next chance of rain will be showers arriving Sunday night.

Get our free mobile app

Thursday NJ weather: Sunny, breezy, cool

While Wednesday turned into a beautiful day, with the reemergence of sunshine and temperatures near 70 degrees, cooler air has returned to the great Garden State. That means Thursday will turn 10+ degrees cooler.

We are already feeling that chill in the air Thursday morning. Thermometers are mainly in the 40s to start the day, with some 30s in the coolest spots. We are definitely back to jacket weather for a bit here.

High temperatures Thursday afternoon will be limited to the upper 50s to around 60 degrees. That would be more typical in early November than mid-October.

At least we will see plenty of sunshine and beautiful blue skies. (There is something special about that brilliant blue sky in the fall — I love it!) It will be breezy through Thursday afternoon, keeping the cool air moving around.

I think the breeze will stick around through Thursday night. And that will be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, any little wind will keep the air stirred up and prevent temperatures from really crashing and getting too cold. On the other hand, it is already pretty chilly, so the breeze will add a little bite to the air. Look for low temperatures around 40.

Friday NJ weather: Fall flavor

Friday will feature more of the same. Expect mostly sunny skies, with a diminishing wind. High temperatures will improve slightly, to the lower 60s.

Saturday NJ weather: Warming up

We head into the weekend with a good looking forward. Saturday will be seasonable and dry, with a pleasant mix of sun and clouds. Highs will return to near-normal mid 60s.

Sunday NJ weather: The warmest day, rain at night

Sunday will be the warmest day of the bunch, with a one-day return to the 70s. Even though clouds will increase throughout the day, I think New Jersey will stay dry through sunset.

Model guidance has been showing a weak cold front delivering rain Sunday night into early Monday. Latest forecast dials back the rainfall potential a bit, but still shows a brief hit of wet weather. Again, most of it would be during the overnight hours. So most — if not all — outdoor activities for both Sunday and Monday should be OK.

A new air mass will move in early next week, knocking back temperatures to the seasonable 60s again. Another batch of rain and subsequent cooldown is modeled from late Monday into early Tuesday. After that, I see nothing major come down the pike.

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