Get it? Green radar! Luckily a drier afternoon! Hehe — a Happy St. Patrick's Day to all who celebrate!

We are indeed starting this Tuesday morning with a batch of rain showers passing through New Jersey. Nothing incredibly heavy, and we're only facing a few hours of damp weather. There have been a few snowflakes mixed in across NW NJ, but the lowest layer of the atmosphere and the ground are too warm for snow to stick and accumulate.

Your morning commute will be soggy and puddle-riddled, but rainfall totals will be limited to less than a couple tenths of an inch. Umbrellas up and windshield wipers on!

Weather radar as of 5:40 a.m. Tuesday, as wet weather moves into New Jersey. (AerisWeather)
Weather radar as of 5:40 a.m. Tuesday, as wet weather moves into New Jersey. (AerisWeather)
loading...

By Tuesday midday, conditions will start to improve. We'll dry out with partial clearing through Tuesday afternoon. High temperatures will reach the mid 50s — definitely warmer than Monday, and about 5 degrees above normal for mid-March.

Clouds will really break apart Tuesday evening, leading to a chilly overnight. Low temperatures will dip into the 35 to 40 degree range.

Wednesday is actually the last full day of winter (!!!), and our weather looks pretty good. Bright sunshine in the morning. Building clouds in the afternoon. A chance for rain showers waiting until the evening. High temperatures holding steady in the mid 50s.

Our next storm system is set to arrive Thursday morning, and all indications show we are going to get soaked. A period of heavy, steady rain is forecast from about 2 a.m. to 10 a.m. Thursday. Over an inch of total rainfall is possible.

Thursday is the Vernal Equinox, the official start of astronomical spring. The season begins at 11:50 p.m. EDT.

The day won't be a washout though, with mostly cloudy and breezy conditions. High temperatures will range from the upper 40s (north) to lower-mid 50s (central, coast) to lower 60s (inland south). The big temperature difference is a product of both the rain and a northeasterly (partial on-shore) wind.

If 50s aren't warm enough for your blood, just wait 'til Friday! Thanks to a relatively strong southwesterly wind (25+ mph), thermometers will soar into the 70s Friday afternoon. (80 degrees is still in-play for interior South Jersey.) It won't be a perfectly warm day though, thanks in part to the wind. And with two potential rounds of raindrops — showers in the early morning, then showers and thunderstorms late-day.

That batch of thunderstorms late Friday could be on the strong side, given the strength of our impending front and the high humidity and heat content of the atmosphere. Wind, hail, flooding, lightning are all on the table — we'll narrow down the threat levels once we're within 24-36 hours.

A big cooldown will ensue for the first weekend of Spring, but our weather forecast is not entirely unpleasant. Saturday will be sunny and breezy, with seasonable (near-normal) high temperatures around 50 degrees.

Both Sunday and Monday will feature temperatures 5 to 10 degrees below normal for late March, in the lower to mid 40s. But with plenty of sunshine and dry weather, it's not all bad news there.

The next storm system coming down the pike arrives next Tuesday. This one could feature an extended period of steady to heavy rain. And the air might be cool enough to sustain some wintry precipitation — although the forecast track and configuration isn't exactly conducive to a big winter event. Just something to watch.

Have a magically delicious day!

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

More From Beach Radio