Wednesday is NJ’s one shot of widespread rain this week, big warmup coming

The Bottom Line

Wednesday's big weather headline is the eventual arrival of showers and thunderstorms. However, the latest forecast shows the best chance of rain holding off until dinnertime or later. So that means the daytime hours will be mainly dry and quite warm, likely reaching into the 70s for most of the state. A quarter-inch to half-inch of rain seems like a good bet Wednesday night. Then we will dry out and clear out, settling back into cooler than normal temperatures for Thursday and Friday. A big warmup is coming for the weekend though, reaching into the 70s on Saturday and then the 80s on Sunday. It looks like New Jersey will get a real taste of summer-ish weather into the first half of next week.

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Weather Hazards

A few thunderstorms are possible amongst Wednesday evening's showers. Severe weather — wind, hail, and/or tornadoes — is unlikely.

Climatological Context

May 13 is the 133rd day of 2026. Only 40 days to go until the Summer Solstice.

Normal high temperatures for this date are right on 72 degrees. Normal lows range from 50 to 53 degrees.

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

Wednesday

Tuesday was such a gorgeous weather day, with sunshine and 60s. We will see some changes on Wednesday, culminating with rain — but most of the day will fare just fine.

I have made two adjustments to the latest forecast, based on model guidance. It looks like widespread rain will now come firmly in the Wednesday evening time frame. That means the afternoon will trend mainly dry, and therefore warmer.

Temperatures are starting in the 50s, and will warm to about 70 to 75 degrees by the afternoon. That is warmer than Tuesday, and right around normal for this time of year.

It will become quite breezy throughout the day too, with top gusts around 30 mph.

Expect a mix of clouds and sun. A stray shower is possible at any time.

The main event, a round of rain showers, will probably start pushing into New Jersey after around 5 or 6 p.m. Everyone in New Jersey will get wet through Wednesday night, with about a quarter-inch to a half-inch of total rainfall. Embedded thunderstorms are possible, with continued breezy conditions. (Again, nothing crazy here, just wet overnight.)

Thursday

We should dry out early Thursday, as final raindrops exit New Jersey between daybreak and mid-morning, at the latest. And then skies will partially clear.

Temperatures will turn a bit cooler, ending up in the mid 60s Thursday afternoon. In other words, Thursday will turn into a nice day.

Friday

Friday looks good too, although an isolated morning shower is possible, especially to the north. Otherwise, expect partly sunny skies and highs again in the mid 60s.

Saturday & Beyond

This will be the last weekend before the big Memorial Day Weekend. And the big weather headline will be warming temperatures, potentially reaching summery vibes by early next week.

Saturday looks mostly sunny, with highs in the mid 70s.

Sunday will bring in scattered clouds, with highs pushing into the lower to mid 80s. You may notice some stickiness in the air as humidity ticks up a notch too. I can't rule out a quick shower.

Widespread 80s will probably continue for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday too. (That is highly dependent on wind direction — any sea breeze will cause temps to crash.) While a few 90+ degree temperature readings are possible, I am not ready to pull the trigger on widespread 90s and/or a true heat wave just yet.

Next Wednesday looks to be our next chance for stormy conditions, hopefully followed by a cooldown.

NJ WEATHER CENTER: Check the 5 Day Forecast

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