NJ weekend weather: More summery warmth and totally dry weather

The Bottom Line

Happy Friday the 13th, one and all! What a week of weather it's been, huh? Two fantastic weeks in a row, in fact. With only a few showers and pockets of fog along the way.

This has been one of the driest starts to September on record. (New Jersey's driest since 2005, in fact.) And we really do need rain — almost half of NJ is now classified as "Abnormally Dry" on the latest Drought Monitor.

The status quo, beautiful weather will continue through the weekend. And Monday too. Completely dry and mainly sunny with summerlike warmth.

New Jersey's next opportunity for rain will come from a tropical or subtropical cyclone around the middle of next week, at the earliest. That rain is not a slam dunk — I would call it 50/50 — but we sure could use a good soaking soon.

Get our free mobile app

Friday

The nearest raindrops to New Jersey right now are 400 miles to the southwest. That is actually the remnants of Francine. And that is where that wet weather will stay.

However, we will probably see a bank of clouds work into southern New Jersey on Friday. It does look like most of New Jersey will bask in golden sunshine yet again.

Pockets of fog will lift by around 9 a.m. Get used to areas of morning fog, as this will be a regular occurrence over the next few days.

Meanwhile, temperatures are starting the day near a comfortable 60 degrees. Highs will reach into the lower 80s for most of the state Friday afternoon. The Jersey Shore will end up a few degrees cooler, in the 70s.

With a continuing on-shore breeze, there is an elevated risk of rip currents. That is even more worrisome in the off-season, with no lifeguards on duty.

Friday evening will be lovely. Skies will remain clear overnight, aside from some patchy fog again. Look for low temperatures around the lower 60s.

Saturday

Likely the warmest day of the week, with some amazing summer weather overall. (Believe it or not, this is the last full weekend of summer, as autumn officially begins next weekend.)

We'll enjoy lots of sunshine, a light southeasterly breeze, moderate humidity levels, and warm temperatures throughout Saturday. Highs will reach about 80 to 85 degrees. That is only slightly above-normal for mid-September.

Sunday

Still dry and mostly sunny for Sunday. Temperatures will scale back just a little bit, with highs around the 80-degree mark.

Monday

We will squeeze out one more completely dry day on Monday. Cloud cover will steadily increase, especially into Monday afternoon. And high temperatures will end up in the seasonable upper 70s or so.

The Extended Forecast

Here's where things get complicated — and uncertain. Forecast models still resoundingly show the development of a tropical (or subtropical) cyclone off the coast of the southeastern U.S. early next week. The position, size, and strength of that storm will dictate whether or not New Jersey will see substantial impacts, a little piece of it, or nothing at all.

I would love to see a good drenching of an inch-plus of rain — we really do need it.

Beyond that chance of solid rain, things may stay a little unsettled through the rest of next week, with some clouds and showers around. But our next chance of substantial rain probably would not come until after the first day of fall.

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