Heat and humidity will dial back across NJ just in time for the weekend

Radar is all clear Thursday morning after some nasty thunderstorms rolled through the Garden State on Wednesday. Some spots picked up over 2 inches of rain and 60+ mph wind gusts. Thursday will be a calmer weather day, although still humid and unsettled. We'll see lingering clouds and a few spot showers around. Highs will still come close to 90 degrees. Tomorrow and Saturday look like nice summer days, as heat and humidity scale back. Sunday returns to 90, with a chance for late-day thunderstorms. No real updates on Erin - still a tropical storm, and still way too far out to make a "hit or miss" call for the U.S. mainland.

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Thursday NJ weather: Still unsettled and humid

Think of Thursday as a day of transition, in between two weak cold fronts, and in between our latest heat wave and a few days of pleasant, seasonable summer weather.

Temperatures are in the lower 70s Thursday morning, which has been status quo so far this week. It is humid, we have scattered clouds overhead, there is patchy fog around, and there is barely a breeze.

Our weather will stay somewhat unsettled Thursday, with lingering clouds and humidity. High temperatures will remain very warm, reaching about 85 to 90 degrees.

In addition, a few spot showers are possible through the middle of the day. Compared to Wednesday's storms, they will be 1.) earlier, 2.) much less widespread, and 3.) much less impactful. We're talking about hit-or-miss raindrops here. Maybe a localized downpour and/or rumble of thunder. The severe weather threat seems low.

A weak cold front will roll in Thursday night, clearing our skies and (eventually) pushing in a slightly more comfortably air mass. Overnight low temperatures will only dip into the sticky lower 70s again.

Friday NJ weather: Humidity dials back

All signs are pointing to a nice summer day for Friday, as heat and humidity dial back slightly.

I will call Friday partly sunny, with moderate humidity. Dew points across at least the northern half of the state will decrease to the 60s. Hopefully the drydown will become even more widespread into Friday night, because that's the kind of refreshing, comfortable air we crave this time of year.

The chance of an isolated shower on Friday is not zero. Models are painting a little popup soaker right along the Delaware River in southwestern New Jersey around the late afternoon hours. I am not even mentioning it in my radio forecasts though, especially since the vast majority of the state will stay high and dry.

Saturday NJ weather: Nicest day of the week

I'm loving the forecast for Saturday, as it reads like a perfect summer day. And for such a thing to coincide with a weekend makes it even better.

The air should be non-humid enough to make for a comfortable day. Expect mostly sunny skies, dry weather, and seasonably warm high temperatures in the lower to mid 80s.

Sunday NJ weather: Heat and storms return

Sunday will be the hotter day of the weekend, with a high closer to 90 degrees. Most of the day will feature sunshine, before clouds return late-day.

I am concerned there will be an opportunity for late-day showers and thunderstorms on Sunday, which could interfere with end-of-weekend outdoor plans.

Monday NJ weather: Next week's forecast is a hot mess

Model guidance has shifted significantly for next week. And I expect more changed, especially as we begin to capture the potential impacts of Tropical Storm (soon to become Hurricane) Erin.

Monday will trend a bit cooler and less humid than Sunday, with highs closer to 80 rather than 90. It should be a dry and reasonably pleasant weather day.

Another cold front will knock back temperatures even more into Tuesday, with some highs potentially in the 70s through midweek. Clouds and scattered showers could become an issue both late-day Tuesday and again on Wednesday.

If New Jersey sees impacts from Erin, it would not be until the second half of next week at the earliest. At this point, I think rip currents and rough surf are a guarantee — likely kicking in by this weekend, as the storm spits out swell and churns up the entire Atlantic.

Will the storm come close enough to produce wind, coastal flooding, and/or rain? It is still too early to even hazard a guess — forecast models have practically zero skill over five days out. Still watching and waiting.

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