From showers to sunshine Wednesday, then Thursday looks great for NJ

The Bottom Line

Wednesday begins with some wet weather pushing through New Jersey. Occasional showers will stick around until midday, then partial clearing takes over for the afternoon. It will be warmer than the past couple of days, although exact temperatures will vary depending on which side of the state you are on. Highs will range from the mid 50s north to the mid 60s south. Thursday is still the shining star of this week, with sunshine, dry weather, and mild springtime temperatures in the 70s. In fact, it is the only day this week with temperatures at or above normal. Friday will be OK, with sun and clouds and a little cooldown. But Saturday will not be a nice day, with persistent rain, clouds, and temperatures only in the 40s all day.

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Weather Hazards

Wednesday's rain is not notable — nothing heavy, nothing severe, just wet.

However, Saturday's soaking rain is worth watching. Over an inch of rainfall is possible in spots. While that is beneficial for New Jersey's dry ground, it could lead to ponding on roads and "big puddles" during steady rainfall. While widespread flooding is not a huge concern at this time, travel may be slow and soggy at times. Rumbles of thunder are possible too.

Climatological Context

April 22 is the 112th day of 2026.

Normal high temperatures for this date range from 65 to 66 degrees here in New Jersey. Normal lows are 44 to 46.

April is, on average, New Jersey's sixth coolest, fourth driest, and fifth snowiest month of the year.

Wednesday

Wednesday begins damp. And actually could turn out to be New Jersey's healthiest rain so far in April, although that is not saying much. The wetter northern half of the state is tracking toward a quarter-inch to maybe a half-inch of total rainfall. To the south, things have been drier, with just a trace of rain expected.

Pockets of rain will continue sliding across New Jersey throughout Wednesday morning. Most of this is light, although a few steadier bursts will be possible. So umbrellas up and windshield wipers on. It may be breezy at times too.

By around midday — let's say 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the latest — showers will exit New Jersey, and skies will start to clear. Breaks of blue sky and partial sunshine are expected by late afternoon, meaning we should see marked improvements as the day goes on.

Meanwhile, in terms of temperatures, we should see improvements there as well compared to our recent string of chilly days. Morning 40s should climb to around 60 degrees, give or take. North Jersey will probably be closer to mid 50s, while South Jersey could touch mid 60s — all those numbers are warmer than Tuesday, yet all those numbers are also below normal for this time of year.

As skies continue to clear Wednesday night, it will remain quiet and cool. Low temperatures will settle back in the mid 40s or so.

Thursday

Ahhh, Thursday. Easily the nicest day of the week. Our one shot at above-normal temperatures. Classic "Goldilocks" weather: not too hot, not too cold, but just right for outdoor plans.

Expect partly to mostly sunny skies, completely dry weather, and a delightful taste of mild, springtime temperatures. Highs should reach the lower 70s for most of the state.

Friday

Friday is looking OK. It is trending cooler, but I have dried out the daytime forecast. Think of Friday as a transition between Thursday's beauty and this weekend's blech. (More on that in a moment.)

Look for a mix of sun and clouds Friday, with highs scaling back to the lower 60s. Some model guidance has showers creeping in at night.

Saturday & Beyond

Saturday does not look like a nice weather day — really the dud of this weather forecast. (Although, keep in mind, with 78 percent of NJ in Moderate Drought status, we very much need a good soaking.)

As a storm system comes overhead, an extended period of rain looks likely during the daytime hours. Over an inch of rainfall could lead to ponding issues and big puddles.

So it will be wet, cloudy, and miserably cool. Temperatures look to be in the 40s for most of the day. Blah.

Sunday will be the better day of the upcoming weekend, although I can not rule out a stray shower. As things trend drier, we should catch peeks of sun, warming temps back to around the 60-degree mark.

Next week's forecast is a challenge, with two schools of thought in play. The GFS model favors a soggy midweek, with a stagnant period of rainy weather from Tuesday morning through Thursday morning. The Euro model has sporadic rain during that time period, although with some breaks. (The Euro is therefore a warmer solution too.)

With apologies to those with outdoor plans, the mindset has to be that rain is much-needed and a very good thing right now. So fingers crossed we can continue to make up the mounting rainfall deficit. We will continue to watch next week's forecast carefully, and as always will have more clarity once it enters the 5 Day Forecast range.

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