Wintertime chill returns to NJ, but still no big snow in sight
A couple of unseasonably cold days will carry the Garden State into the first weekend of February.
Here are your weather headlines for Friday, February 3, 2017...
Just Plain Cold
I think most New Jerseyans will agree that it's been an uneventful winter season so far. Yes, we've had a couple of serious cold snaps. Yes, we've had some snow - season-to-date snowfall is actually only an inch or two below normal. But so far, there's nothing defining this particular winter as memorable. And I don't see that changing any time soon, with no major snowstorms forecast in the next 1 to 2 weeks.
The brisk winds on Thursday have once again opened the door to colder air across New Jersey. Friday morning's low temperatures have bottomed out in the teens and 20s. Friday afternoon's high temperatures will be limited to the mid 30s - about 5 degrees below normal for early February. While we will see some sunshine on Friday, there will be periods of cloudiness too. A weak shortwave could spawn a few flurries across the state during Friday's daytime hours, but our atmosphere will be too dry to sustain anything more than that.
Friday night through Saturday morning will feature some of our coldest temperatures in almost a month. Thermometers will dip to the 14 and 20 degree range - our coldest night since January 10. And with a stiff breeze up to 20 mph, we have to talk about bitter wind chills as well. The "feels like" temperature will likely dip into the single digits for much of the state, for part of the overnight.
Saturday looks even colder than Friday, with highs only in the lower 30s for the majority of the Garden State. Sunshine will help cut through the chill, at least a little bit. But any little breeze will make the cold painful.
Yup, it's February! Bundle up!
A Bit Warmer
As winds become southwesterly and humidity re-enters our atmosphere, temperatures should moderate on Sunday. Our current forecast calls for high temps in the lower to mid 40s on Sunday afternoon. Clouds will dominate the sky and a few showers will be possible, mainly in the morning and midday hours. Those showers look widely scattered and light.
Monday will be quiet and seasonable, with sunshine and a high temperature near 40 degrees.
Next Storm System
Our weather situation will get a bit messy from early Tuesday morning through Wednesday morning, as our next storm system arrives.
As usual, temperatures will be critical to our overall outcome - therefore, there are some big question marks here. While previous forecasts have suggested a few inches of snow would be possible early Tuesday, I"m now leaning toward a slightly warmer forecast. We could still see some wintry mix (snow and/or freezing rain). But rain will be the predominant precipitation type thanks to warming temperatures. The heaviest rain is expected Tuesday afternoon through Tuesday evening.