NJ’s weather stays nice for now — chilly breeze and rain coming this weekend

The Bottom Line

Friday will end up around 10 degrees cooler than Thursday, which reached as hot as 94 degrees in New Jersey. So the heat will be far less ferocious, but it's still going to be unseasonably warm with high temperatures in the upper 70s to around 80 degrees. Along with sun and clouds, we could see a few popup showers and even a thunderstorm at some point either Friday morning or afternoon. The cooldown continues Saturday, with pleasant partly sunny skies and highs on either side of 70. Sunday will not be a nice day for outdoor activities, unfortunately, as persistent light rain enters the forecast. It will be cloudy with a chilly breeze too, pushing temperatures downward through early next week. Monday's highs will only reach the lower 50s — a full 40 degrees colder than Thursday's record-breaking, summerlike heat.

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Weather Hazards

Rumbles of thunder are possible both Friday and Sunday.

Winds will be elevated on Sunday as well, up to 30+ mph.

Otherwise, there are no alarm bells to ring for dangerous weather conditions.

Climatological Context

April 17 is the 107th day of 2026. Climatological spring is now more than halfway over.

Normal highs are 63 to 64 degrees. Normal lows are 42 to 45 degrees.

April is, on average, New Jersey's sixth coolest, 4th driest, and 5th snowiest month of the year according to the published 1991-2020 normals data.

Friday

Friday will not be as hot as the last three days. But it will still be unseasonably warm.

Friday morning's temperatures in the 60s are already above our normal highs for this time of year. Highs will reach the upper 70s to around 80 degrees. So we miss 90, but we are still running 15 degrees above those seasonal normals.

We have seen a few spot showers around the state early Friday morning. And a couple more isolated showers or even a thunderstorm will be possible around midday. Otherwise, expect a bright sky with periods of sun and clouds.

Friday night will be dry and comfortable, as we tap into some cooler, drier air. Look for lows in the mid 50s, with a few clouds overhead.

Saturday

Saturday will be even cooler. But this forecast reads like a nice mid-April day.

Highs will end up "around 70". But there is a lot of give and take in that number, as northern and coastal New Jersey end up in the mid 60s, and inland southern New Jersey sees mid 70s.

Saturday will be partly sunny and dry.

Sunday

Sunday will be the not-nice day of the weekend, as periods of light to moderate rain traverse the state. Everyone will get wet, although I am not calling it a total washout — rainfall totals will probably end up only around a quarter-inch to half-inch. Hardly a drought buster.

WIth a chilly northwest breeze kicking up, temperatures will fall throughout Sunday. Early highs in the mid 50s will tumble into the 40s by the afternoon.

Monday & Beyond

Monday's high temperature will only reach the lower 50s. Compare that to the lower 90s we saw on Thursday — 40 degrees difference in just four days! It will be sunny and breezy.

Monday night into Tuesday morning could be frosty for the interior of New Jersey. And Tuesday will stay chilly, in the 50s.

Temperatures moderate through the middle to late part of next week, into the 60s and maybe even 70s. Occasional shower chances will build in too.

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