The days of deluge rain finally ended yesterday resulting in today: not as much humidity, a reasonable 82, and little rain in the forecast. Enjoy it while it lasts because Wednesday brings the humidity back and Thursday starts a slew of 90 degree days with daily chances of rain continuing into next week.
One Nice Day Before More Swamp Air
The days of deluge rain finally ended yesterday resulting in today: not as much humidity, a reasonable 82, and little rain in the forecast. Enjoy it while it lasts because Wednesday brings the humidity back and Thursday starts a slew of 90 degree days with daily chances of rain continuing into next week.
After days of near-record rainfall that made travel difficult throughout the state, New Jersey gets a reprieve today, with skies mostly cloudy, the mercury at 80 degrees, and a light easterly wind. Humidity is a relatively balmy 56 percent, after days of near-record moisture in the air that turned the state into a swamp. Highs today will be around 82 degrees with only a slight chance of rain through the afternoon and into the evening. It’s a nice day to be outside, before it all turns mucus-inducing again.
A warm front will surge over the state on Wednesday, picking up moisture as it goes and causing light rains across the region soon after today’s respite. On Thursday, a heat wave will creep into the state, bringing sweltering daytime highs in the 90s, along with high humidity and frequent afternoon thunderstorms through the weekend.
For the better part of this week, the jet stream has kept its upper-level flow to the north of New Jersey, allowing high pressure to dominate the state and bring a humid, uncomfortable air mass. Tonight and tomorrow are the only days this week when the pattern changes, allowing for a brief improvement as a weak cold front moves through the area, stripping away much of the moisture. However, by Wednesday, humidity and afternoon thunderstorm activity will return, persisting through the weekend.
The cold front pushing through tonight is confidently making its way into northwest New Jersey, and is very likely to extend through the middle of the state along I-95. Southeastern and coastal central New Jersey are the only areas with some uncertainty, as the cold front could stall before pressing farther south into the deep south next week. Overnight low dew points will help determine if the front does in fact move through these areas, with confident expectations that it’ll do so by morning.
For Monday, the day begun humid and stormy, with scattered afternoon showers disappearing by evening. Winds shifted from southwesterly to northwesterly behind the front. Tuesday is shaping up as the best day weather-wise in terms of the Monday-Friday window, with a mix of sun and clouds, lower humidity, and breezy east-northeast winds across the state, especially along the coastal beaches. Expect only isolated showers for most of the state, with some areas missing rain entirely.
On Wednesday, humidity will return, with an increased chance for afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms. Thursday’s highs will be in the mid-to-upper 80s for most of the state, with 90 or above likely across the I-95 and Turnpike corridor, as well as the interior of Central and South Jersey, which tend to see the hottest summer temps. Overnight lows will be consistently swampy in the low-to-mid 70s save for the higher elevations of northern New Jersey. Friday will see similar temps and humidities, with an afternoon/evening chance for scattered thunderstorms throughout the day. The weekend looks to generally stay consistent, with highs in the mid-to-upper 80s and a hot, humid feel. Chances for scattered thunderstorms are likely, with the storms most likely to erupt on Friday through Sunday afternoons/evenings. Mornings through early afternoons will likely be clear and comfortable with scattered clouds. There’s no widespread chance for rain across the state from Wednesday through Sunday, but expect some areas to get hit with storms every afternoon.
Take advantage of today’s nice, low-humidity day, as New Jersey is likely to slip back into a swamp state by Wednesday afternoon. Take walks or run errands that you might have put off due to the poor weather lately, as you won’t have many opportunities to enjoy the nice weather for the remainder of this week. By Thursday, not only will temperatures climb back towards 90 degrees, but humidity will pick up, as well as the chance for afternoon thunderstorms.
