Good weather for Good Friday and the Easter weekend
Thermometers will waver a bit, and some rain will fall, but overall New Jersey will enjoy decent springtime weather for several more days.
Here are your weather headlines for Friday, April 14, 2017...
Good Friday: Good
As we dive into the Easter holiday weekend, we expect generally spring-like weather. And Mother Nature is going to deliver, with mild temperatures and a few shower chances on the way.
Friday's forecast relies mostly on "persistence" or "continuity" — in other words, my prediction for Friday is based very heavily on what actually happened on Thursday. Even though I believe skies will be sunnier and winds will be lighter, temperatures should be similar in the mid 60s. No complaints there.
It will get chilly again for Friday night, as lows dip into the lower to mid 40s. We'll probably fall into the 30s in the coldest spots.
Saturday: Decent
Clouds will eventually increase during the day on Saturday, ahead of our next storm system. A stiff southerly breeze will pick up too. A south wind is usually a warm one, although coastal areas with a southern exposure will end up a bit cooler (notably along the Delaware Bay and Atlantic City). Inland high temperatures are forecast to hold steady in the lower to mid 60s. So I'll call it a decent day, just far from perfect.
Especially since a chance for rain showers will develop Saturday evening through Saturday night. Nothing heavy, and probably not raining everywhere. Just be prepared for a few raindrops, mainly between about 6 p.m. and 2 a.m.
Sunday: Warm, Windy, Wet
The weather for Easter Sunday gets very interesting. And complicated.
Winds will shift to blow out of the southwest, gusting as high as 25 mph. A southwest wind is almost always a warming wind, and temperatures will respond accordingly. High temperatures will reach the upper 70s to lower 80s for most of the state. I could see upwards of 85 degrees even. Hopefully your Easter bonnet has air conditioning installed for these very warm conditions!
The forecast has actually improved for Sunday, as most of the daytime hours should feature a pleasant mix of sun and clouds.
However, another storm system arrives late-day Sunday, and looks to sweep some showers and even thunderstorms through the state. I think we'll safely stay rain-free until about 4 p.m. Sunday. But between Sunday late afternoon and early Monday morning, all bets are off in terms of rainfall.
Next Week
Behind Sunday night's rain will come a cold front, switching winds once again to a northwesterly direction. A northwest wind is almost always a cooling wind, and temperatures will respond accordingly. (Again — see a pattern?)
Monday's high temperatures will end up around 70 degrees, give or take. Skies will be partly sunny, and I'll call it a breezy day.
Tuesday looks to be a bit cooler in the 60s, but still seasonably pleasant.
Our next storm system is set to arrive Wednesday morning, bringing an extended period of unsettled and occasionally wet weather to the Garden State through the end of next week.
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