How the remnants of Hurricane Francine will (barely) affect NJ

The Bottom Line

Don't worry — New Jersey's weather will remain warm and completely dry until at least the middle of next week. Late Tuesday into Wednesday, to be more specific.

So the beautiful weather rolls on and on. The big story for Thursday is a slight uptick in humidity, as dew points return to 60+. That will have three effects on our weather in the coming days:
1.) Stickier days
2.) Warmer nights
3.) Morning fog

Francine made landfall on Wednesday as a category 2 hurricane. Currently a tropical depression, charging through inland Louisiana.

For now, New Jersey's current blocking pattern will keep Francine's rain and wind far away. But there are two potential impacts:
1.) Some clouds build in Friday.
2.) Maybe some enhanced moisture and rain next week — although that's a little less clear and highly uncertain.

Eventually, we will need some solid rain to stave off wildfire and drought concerns. But for now, grab the sunglasses and enjoy the warmth.

Thursday

Thursday begins with pockets of dense fog around central and southern New Jersey. Visibility is at or below a quarter-mile in spots, which may be enough to slow you down. I expect fog and low clouds to start lifting around 8 or 9 o'clock, so conditions will improve through the morning.

And then it will be another sunny, dry, and warm September day. Slightly more humid than the past few days, but you may not even notice it.

Temperatures are mainly in the 50s to start. Highs will reach about 80 degrees Thursday afternoon. The Jersey Shore should be a few degrees cooler, thanks to an on-shore / sea breeze.

Thursday night will be quiet, although patchy dense fog is possible once again. Low temperatures will dip to around 60 degrees — comfortable, but not quite as cool as the last several nights.

Friday

Some cloud cover will come into play on Friday, especially to the south and west. Most likely thin enough to still call it a bright day. And to the north and east, sunshine should dominate yet again.

High temperatures on Friday will reach into the lower 80s. With moderate humidity, it will feel quite summerlike.

Saturday

Saturday still looks like the warmest day of the week, with highs between about 80 and 85 degrees. While there will be some clouds around early on Saturday, the afternoon looks mostly sunny. And again, it will be completely dry.

Sunday

Yup, another nice day. Slightly cooler than Saturday, with highs near 80 degrees. Lots of sunshine and zero rain.

The Extended Forecast

Monday stays nice, and most of Tuesday looks fine.

The complication next week will be the development of a tropical (?) cyclone off the coast of the southeastern United States. (There's literally nothing there yet.) Residual moisture from Francine will notably play into this system, enhancing potential rain. Latest model guidance shows a swath from Georgia to the Carolinas potentially getting soaked.

And then, as our blocking high breaks down, that tropical rainstorm could swing New Jersey's way starting around late Tuesday into Wednesday. Potentially lingering through late next week. There are still multiple scenarios on the table, being that it is six days away. We do need some rain — but a multi-day, multi-inch tropical rain event would not be ideal. This is obviously the next big weather "thing" to watch.