Slowly drying out and clearing Thursday, the heat is on this weekend

The Bottom Line

Wednesday night's rain was not all that impressive, providing little relief to our drought concerns and the pollen levels in the air. The ensuing cold front will knock back temperatures and humidity levels Thursday. Some showers and drizzle may linger through the morning, then partial clearing will take over through the afternoon. So Thursday should turn into a decent day. And Friday should see more of the same. A big warmup begins this weekend, as temperatures turn downright summerlike through the first half of next week. While there could be some spot showers along the way, New Jersey's next chance of organized, widespread wet weather will not be until the middle to late part of next week.

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Weather Hazards

No especially hazardous temperatures, precipitation, storms, winds, or surf are expected over the next few days. (We will have to watch the potential for extreme heat and strong thunderstorms next week.)

Climatological Hazards

May 14 is the 134th day of 2026.

Normal high temperatures, the average smoothed long-term highs, for this date are right around 72 degrees for New Jersey's three climate reporting stations. Normal lows right now range from 51 to 53 degrees.

On average, May is the 5th warmest, 5th driest, and 8th snowiest month of the year.

Thursday

Overnight rain sure took its sweet time to arrive. And in doing so, lost a lot of "oomph" — rainfall totals are coming up shy of those quarter-inch to half-inch expectations.

Even so, Thursday is starting damp all across New Jersey, as showers and drizzle and mist continue. The last batch of actual raindrops should exit the state around mid-morning, and then we should kick into a drying trend with slowly clearing skies from midday into this afternoon.

Morning temperatures are in the 50s, with some stickiness in the air. Slightly cooler, drier air will work in by the afternoon, keeping high temperatures in the mid 60s — that is cooler than Wednesday, and below normal for mid-May.

Thursday night will be dry, with scattered clouds overhead. This looks like our last chilly "jacket weather" night for a while, with low temperatures dipping into the upper 40s on average across the state.

Friday

Friday looks fine. Expect partly sunny skies, with high temperatures again in the mid 60s. Some forecast models plug in an isolated shower or sprinkle over New Jersey, but I have opted for a dry forecast.

Saturday

As the weekend begins, warmer air will start to surge into New Jersey on a prominent south-southwest wind. Saturday will feel like late May, definitely warm and even a touch humid.

Saturday should be a bright day, with mostly sunny skies through at least mid-afternoon. Highs will reach the mid 70s for most of New Jersey, with somewhat cooler temps likely for Shore points.

Sunday & Beyond

The heat really ramps up into early next week. While New Jersey has tasted summerlike heat a few times so far this year, this will be our most extended stretch of warmth yet.

Sunday's highs will reach about 80 to 85 degrees. A weak impulse could drive a shower through northwestern New Jersey in the morning. Otherwise, it will be dry with a mix of sun and clouds.

80s and even 90s are looking likely for Monday and Tuesday too. If we get three days in a row of 90+ degree temperatures in New Jersey, it would be our first heat wave of 2026. That is unusual for May, but certainly not unheard of.

A cold front will arrive sometime in the Wednesday-Thursday time frame next week, with our next chance of rain and thunderstorms. Behind that front will also come a coooldown.

I am hopeful that midweek rain timing will set the stage nicely for the Memorial Day Weekend. At least one model — the European — keeps lingering rain over NJ into Saturday. But I'll be looking for at least two out of three dry days and temperatures in the 70s at least to make it a success — and I like what I see so far (still a week and a half away).

NJ WEATHER CENTER: Check the 5 Day Forecast

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