Thursday NJ weather: One last snow squall, then whipping winds

The Bottom Line

New Jersey saw some snow and rain overnight. And as the center of this clipper system passes north of New Jersey Thursday morning, we are tracking one more round of precipitation. Snow squalls are possible, leading to slippery spots and reduced visibility through the Thursday morning commute.

After snow and rain wraps up around mid-morning, a new weather problem develops. Wind. Gusting over 40 mph. It is going to be a blustery afternoon, with falling temperatures.

A reinforcing shot of cold air is the driver of Thursday morning's snow/rain and Thursday afternoon's fierce wind. (Accuweather)

New Jersey will shiver through two more days of unseasonably cold weather. In fact, Friday will likely be our coldest day since January. And could easily rank among New Jersey's top ten coldest days of 2024.

A warmup arrives over the weekend, leading into our next chance of rain early next week.

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Thursday

As of this writing (6 a.m.), a tight band of heavy snow is pushing through North Jersey. That is dramatically reducing visibility and putting about a half-inch of fresh snow on the ground in spots. A line of snow and rain extended back to around the Philadelphia area. So everyone in New Jersey will see one more "grand finale" round of snow and rain to start the day.

Snow squalls may lead to reduced visibility and light accumulations Thursday morning, especially to the north and west. (Accuweather)

By about 8 or 9 o'clock, our cold front will sweep out the main line of precipitation. Residual snowflakes and raindrops will exit by about 10 o'clock at the latest.

As sunshine emerges, it is going to become very windy late Thursday morning. Top gusts are expected to reach 40 to 50 mph through the afternoon. Sporadic power outages, flight delays, and driving difficulties are possible. And that wind will add a big bite to the cold air too.

Wind gusts over 40 mph starting late morning will make for a blustery, unpleasant day. (Accuweather)

A Wind Advisory has been issued for all 21 counties of New Jersey until 10 p.m. Thursday night.

Temperatures will fall slowly through the 30s. The wind chill ("feels like" or "apparent" temperature) will be no better than the 20s once that wicked wind kicks up.

Wind speeds will come down a bit past sunset. But we will remain in the "breezy" category Thursday night. It will be clear and cold too. Low temperatures will end up in the mid 20s — a hard freeze means any leftover wet surfaces and puddles will ice over. Wind chills will be in the teens through Friday morning. Bundle up!

Friday

Sunny, breezy, and just plain cold.

High temperatures on Friday will only reach the mid 30s across New Jersey. Barely above the freezing mark. And again, easily the coldest day of the week and the season so far.

I can not rule out some flurries, especially around North Jersey. But it does look like a generally dry day with some very dry air in place.

Saturday

One more chilly day is in the forecast for Saturday. With lighter winds, thankfully.

Under mostly sunny skies, high temps on Saturday will only reach the upper 30s. That would be typical in mid-winter (late January). For now, it is about 10 degrees below normal, compared to early December stands.

Again, I could see a flurry coming into play at some point. But nothing more than that.

Quiet weather resumes for the first full weekend of December. And NJ will taste warmer air starting on Sunday. (Accuweather)

Sunday

Sunday's forecast actually reads like a pleasant, seasonable early December day. (It's about time!)

With a mix of sun and clouds and a light southwesterly breeze, high temperatures will push into the upper 40s to around 50 degrees Sunday afternoon. Not quite "warm" — but welcome relief after an unseasonably cold start to December.

The Extended Forecast

The first half of next week gets even warmer, as thermometers reach into the 50s and even 60s.

But our weather will turn unsettled next week too. I am currently seeing scattered rain chances for part of Monday and again on Wednesday.

Early next week will be mild, but unsettled, with a few potential pockets of rain passing through the Garden State. (Accuweather)

Remember: Rain is a good thing right now. We still need every drop we can get to close the rainfall deficit from our incredibly dry fall.

A midweek cold front will knock back temperatures again for late next week.

There are no significant chances for snow in the forecast. And just for the record, it is way too early to start looking at the Christmas forecast too. (Only 20 shopping days left!)

5 DAY FORECAST: New Jersey Weather Center