Cool, refreshing mornings will lead to seasonable, pleasant afternoons through the end of the work week.

Back to Spring

At least one weather station in New Jersey hit 90 degrees yesterday (West Creek, in southern Ocean County), with lots of upper 80s observed statewide as well. Our extended stretch of summerlike weather has come to an end, as a cold front swept through overnight. That means the heat and humidity is gone... at least for now.

In fact, today looks to be cooler than all but two days of May so far (5/1 and 5/9). Temperatures have fallen mostly into the 50s this morning - that’s near-normal, and quite refreshing. A stiff northwest wind will gust to about 25 mph through the early part of the day; by late this afternoon, winds will hopefully lighten up a bit. Other than the wind, today's weather looks pretty good, with plenty of sunshine. High temperatures this afternoon will end up right around or just below normal, between about 64° and 70°.

Because of the gusty winds, the dry air, and the dry ground conditions, fire danger will be high today. So the National Weather Service has issued a statewide Red Flag Warning from Noon until 6 p.m. There will be an increased chance of wildfires initiating and growing quickly, and any fire that does get started will be difficult to fight and contain. Outdoor burning is not a good idea today - please be safe and be smart.

Staying Seasonable

If these cooler temperatures have you longing for warmer, summerlike weather again, fret not... We'll begin a slow warming trend through the upcoming weekend. As high pressure takes control on Thursday and Friday, our weather will be quite pleasant with temperatures right around normal for mid-May. Tomorrow should be mostly sunny, with highs on either side of 70°. Friday will be even warmer, in the 69° to 75° range, although clouds will thicken up a bit through the day.

This Weekend... Eh

As I mentioned in yesterday’s blog post, we’ve enjoyed some real winner weekends so far this Spring. Unfortunately, this weekend will not be among them, as rain seems likely.

A warm front pushing through New Jersey on Saturday will bump up temperatures to either side of 80°, and will also provide a persistent chance of showers and thunderstorms. While I don’t think Saturday will be a "washout" (meaning steady rain all day), everyone in New Jersey will be prone to getting wet at some point. And with the warmer, humid air, some embedded thunderstorms could end up on the strong side, featuring heavier downpours and gusty winds. The chance for scattered showers and thunderstorms will continue on Sunday; although between the raindrops, high temperatures for central and southern New Jersey could soar into the mid 80s.

The early forecast for next week looks warm and unsettled, with more showers and thunderstorms possible from late Monday into Tuesday.

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