The Bottom Line

Wowzers. It’s going to feel more like July than late April on Wednesday, as widespread 80s return to the Garden State. That is almost 20 degrees above normal for late April.

The warmth and stickiness will continue through Thursday and part of Friday. But our weather turns more unsettled, as clouds and rain are added to the forecast. That will culminate with our inevitable big cooldown, arriving just in time for the first weekend of May.

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Wednesday

This will likely be New Jersey’s warmest day of the year so far. (A reminder that we already had one 80+ degree day, March 26th.)

We’re starting the day with temperatures all over the place. While North Jersey does have a chill in the air, in the 40s, the southern tip of the state is well in the 60s. That is an effect of variable cloudiness and warm air still bubbling up from the south.

High temperatures will push into the mid 80s for the majority of New Jersey today, akin to a mid-summer day. Not only will it be very warm, but dew points will also be on the rise through Wednesday afternoon. So it’s going to feel more humid and sticky as the day goes on.

A southwest breeze, up to 20 mph, will keep the warm air moving around. That land breeze will also ensure mainland beaches get toasty warm too. (Barrier islands and the Delaware Bay shore may miss the 80-degree mark.)

I’ve had several friends declare they’re having an April beach day! Hey, sounds good to me. Just keep in mind, the ocean is still quite cold right now - water temperatures are only in the 50s.

Wednesday will be mainly dry for New Jersey. However, given the energy (instability) and moisture in the atmosphere, I still have to include a popup shower or thunderstorm chance. Especially this evening, as temperatures cool and the atmosphere destabilizes. Anything that pops should be isolated.

It’s going to stay pretty warm and sticky Wednesday night, with lows only falling into the mid 60s. (Again feeling like mid-summer.) Spotty showers are a possibility overnight.

Thursday

We’ll still be on the warm side, with highs in the mid 70s. (While most of NJ will miss the 80 degree mark, it will be a possibility in inland South Jersey for the 3rd day in a row.) But it will be more unsettled.

As a cold front slowly approaches from the west, a series of atmospheric disturbances will ride along that frontal boundary highway. That will drive scattered rain into New Jersey, especially Thursday afternoon and evening. I don’t see anything overly dramatic, like organized severe weather or a flooding risk. But you may need the umbrella on occasion.

Friday

Friday will be our big cooldown day. The latest model guidance shows one more band of rain pushing through New Jersey Friday morning. (The intensity and duration of that rainfall is still up in the air.)

Then a gusty northwest wind kicks up, on the order of 40 mph. That’s strong enough to warrant a yellow “heads up” icon on the 5 Day Forecast.

Temperatures will tumble from about 70 degrees early Friday morning, to the 50s by late afternoon.

The Weekend & Beyond

By Saturday morning, patchy frost will be possible, as temperatures descend into the upper 30s to lower 40s. Plus, with a continuing brisk wind (gusts 20+ mph), the wind chill will probably bite too.

The rest of the weekend looks great. Mostly sunny, breezy, and 60 to 65 on Saturday. Then partly sunny and 70s on Sunday.

The extended forecast shows a return of warm and unsettled weather to the forecast next week. Scattered showers and 70s look likely for Monday. And we could pop into the 80s again at some point through the first full week of May.

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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