Above-normal temperatures, sunshine, and dry weather will make for some incredibly pleasant mid-November days, but a big chance is coming mid-weekend.

As expected, a bank of thick clouds and a few showers and sprinkles dotted the Garden State late Wednesday night. Trenton and Atlantic City saw a Trace of rainfall (less than 0.01"). Those clouds have kept temperatures close to 50 degrees across most of the state on this Thursday morning. There is a chill in the air, but it's not terrible.

We continue a stretch of pleasant mid-November days on Thursday, as skies become sunny by 10 a.m. at the latest. High temperatures peak at around 60 degrees Thursday afternoon - similar to Wednesday, about 5 degrees above seasonal normals.

Thursday night looks seasonable chilly, clear, and quiet. Lows will fall mostly into the lower 40s, with scattered 30s in the coldest spots.

And we'll keep the nice weather going for Friday, with mostly sunny skies and slightly warmer temperatures in the mid to upper 60s. Could we hit 70 somewhere in South Jersey on Friday? Absolutely!

Big changes are coming this weekend - but I think we'll just barely squeeze out another nice Saturday. Highs will once again reach into the 60s for most of the Garden State.

The problems ensue from a strong cold front that will sweep across the country, arriving in New Jersey sometime Saturday evening. The first impact will be noticeably increasing clouds late Saturday afternoon. Second, a round of rain and snow showers will be possible through Saturday night - precipitation is expected to be light, and I don't anticipate any accumulation-related issues. Third, and most importantly, a big cooldown will take over our weather on Sunday.

A howling northwest wind, gusting to 40 mph, will deliver much colder air to New Jersey by Sunday morning. High temperatures will be limited to the mid to upper 40s Sunday afternoon. Yes, some parts of New Jersey are warmer Thursday morning than they will be Sunday afternoon. 'Tis the season for ferocious cold fronts!

The cold air and blustery conditions will stick around for Monday, and possibly Tuesday too. Although a slight warmup is expected by Wednesday and Thanksgiving Day, another storm system will bring us another shot of rain just in time for Thanksgiving travelers. In the coming days, we'll get a better idea of timing and potential impacts for that critical forecast.

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

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