Rain returns to NJ: When, how much, and when will it end?

The Bottom Line

Oh, I wish I could bottle up Wednesday's weather and "copy and paste" it to almost every day of the year. The sunshine, temperatures in the 70s, light breeze, and low humidity were just perfect — in my humble opinion, of course.

Thursday will start the same way Wednesday ended, comfortable and pleasant. But our next storm system is set to roll in later Thursday. First producing some spotty showers and thunderstorms. Then developing into steady rain through Friday, with the heaviest stuff falling during the first half of the day.

Rainfall totals are expected to range from a half-inch to an inch in South Jersey, to one and a half inches to two inches (or more) in North Jersey. Beneficial rain. Good stuff.

And even better news: We will dry out and clear out nicely just in time for the Mother's Day Weekend.

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Thursday

Yes, we are talking about rain chances moving back in Thursday. But there is a good chance for most of New Jersey to stay dry during the daytime hours.

Thursday morning looks great all around. We are starting in the comfortable 50s, with a mix of sun and clouds across the state.

High temperatures will reach the mid to upper 70s by Thursday afternoon. Nice and warm.

The chance for spot showers and thunderstorms will start ramping up in the afternoon hours too. Best chance for raindrops early on will be to the north and west. (Although that is not a sure bet — I think anyone in the state could see some raindrops by late afternoon.)

These initial storms could produce localized downpours, gusty winds, and dangerous lightning. But again, they will be isolated to spotty.

Clouds will thicken up and rain chances will continue to rise Thursday night.

Friday

Friday, in general, will be a wet weather day.

But a total washout? Ehhh, I'm not sure.

The steadiest, heaviest, most widespread rain of the day will pass over New Jersey Friday morning, between about daybreak and Noon.

There is a good chance rain starts to break apart and become more scattered Friday afternoon. Especially to the southwest. If you have late-day plans, you might get lucky and find pockets of drier weather.

Final raindrops will exit New Jersey Friday evening. As I mentioned above, we will average about an inch of total rainfall, with North Jersey the most waterlogged.

Amidst the raindrops Friday, it will be cloudy and relatively cool. Expect high temperatures only in the mid 50s to the north and the mid 60s to the south. No matter where you are, that is firmly below seasonal normals for mid-May.

Saturday

I have seen at least one forecast model solution that puts a lingering shower over NJ early Saturday morning. Other than that possibility, it will be a dry day.

Morning clouds will give way to sunshine through the afternoon. You will feel a "refreshing breeze", up to 20 mph, ushering in drier air.

High temperatures will be limited to about 65 to 70 degrees on Saturday. Technically on the cool side of normal, but still quite pleasant. (Especially given the emerging sunshine.)

Sunday

Sunday is Mother's Day. And it might just be the nicest day of the week.

The forecast calls for sunny skies and mild temperatures, in the 70s. No rain, light winds, quite pleasant!

The Extended Forecast

Monday's forecast has flipped to another bright and fairly warm day, as the timing of our next next storm system has slid later.

Tuesday will feature increasing clouds, but no rain chance yet.

It looks like we will get wet again on Wednesday. But whether that will be another batch of steady, heavy rain or just showers is still uncertain.

I can't wait to see the ultimate result of all this soggy, unsettled weather on our drought status and wildfire danger. Things are looking a whole lot better than they did a few months ago, that is for sure.

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