Some solid summer weather to start NJ’s weekend, rain returns next week

The Bottom Line

As New Jersey gets ready to turn the calendar page from July to August, we have a couple of pleasant, "typical" summer days ahead — which seem to be a rarity this summer. Friday will see 60s in the morning, then 80s in the afternoon, with a nice sea breeze keeping beaches about 10 degrees cooler. Saturday will be slightly warmer, cloudier, and more humid. Both Friday and Saturday will be mainly dry, although a stray shower can't be ruled out. Sunday's forecast is looking better than it had been, as our next storm system is trending slower. That means the daytime hours will be dry, although cloudy, breezy, and very humid. Periods of rain return from Sunday night through much of next week.

Get our free mobile app

Weather Hazards

There is not much to talk about here. An isolated shower or thunderstorm Friday, Saturday, or daytime Sunday poses little risk of widespread hazardous weather.

Temperatures and humidity will be on the rise, but it will be seasonable and not in the danger zone.

The more important issue comes next week. Multiple days of rain are in the forecast from late Sunday night through Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. That could add up to multiple inches of rain, meaning flooding may become a concern once again.

Climatological Context

July 31 is the 212th day of 2026.

Normal high temperatures range from 86 to 87 degrees, while normal low temperatures range from 67 to 70 degrees.

July is, on average, New Jersey’s hottest and wettest month of the year. August is not far behind, as New Jersey’s second hottest and second wettest month.

Friday

Happy Friday, and happy last day of July!

It struck me that, with all the wild and volatile weather lately, it's been a while since we've had a stretch of truly "typical" summer weather here in New Jersey. Well, here it is.

Aside from some patchy fog and general dampness, Friday morning is nice with temperatures in the 60s and lower 70s to start the day. Skies are mainly clear, winds are calm, and humidity is manageable. A good start to a winner of a summer day.

Again, typical midsummer weather — nothing extreme. We will see mostly sunny skies, seasonably warm temperatures, and mainly dry weather. Highs will reach the mid 80s inland — a bump up from previous forecasts. A sea breeze should keep the Jersey Shore about 10 degrees cooler.

There is one tiny snag in Friday’s forecast: a slight chance of an isolated shower popping up during the afternoon. The vast majority of New Jersey stays dry. If one stray shower forms, the best chance would probably be along the sea breeze front, just inland of the Jersey Shore.

Friday night stays pleasant, with partly cloudy skies and lows in the upper 60s.

Saturday

August kicks off Saturday. On average, it is the 2nd hottest and 2nd wettest month of the year. (Not far beyond July, FYI.)

It will be similar to Friday, with two exceptions: More clouds and stickier temperatures.

Skies will progress from partly sunny to mostly cloudy throughout Saturday. Once again, a stray shower can not be ruled out. And it will be very warm for sure, with highs in the upper 80s to around 90 degrees.

Sunday

Sunday's forecast has improved quite a bit from earlier in the week, as our next storm system slows down.

One unwelcome visitor on Sunday will be a ramp up in humidity. As dew points rise into the 70s, it is going to get quite steamy and sweaty.

Other than that, skies will be mostly cloudy and winds should fall in the breezy category. High temperatures will come down to the mid 80s, mainly because of the cloud cover.

I am maintaining a dry forecast for Sunday's daytime and early evening hours now. Outdoor plans should be fine. Rain looks to hold off until late Sunday night.

Monday & Beyond

Next week, it's right back to unsettled, wet stormy weather. A stagnant pattern of periodic rain will be with us from Sunday night to Monday to Tuesday to Wednesday to Thursday. Multiple days equals the potential for multi-inch rainfall. Again.

As Monday begins the wet pattern, current model guidance suggests it actually could be among the rainiest of the stretch. If a band of heavy rain develops, we could see several hours of steady rain over New Jersey during the day.

My current forecast puts high temperatures in the 80s throughout next week. But that may be a bit optimistic, given the rainy forecast. It is going to be warm and humid though — don't think the rain and clouds are going to cool things down much.

The broader long-range forecast for August looks humid. The first half of the month will probably continue to alternate between steamy and stormy weather days. In other words: summertime in New Jersey.

One other thing I wanted to mention: the tropics. Hurricane season has been practically silent so far. As expected. The El Nino condition in the Pacific is a big player in suppressing Atlantic hurricane development. However, we are now only a month away from the traditional peak of the season, when ocean waters are warmest and historical storm numbers are greatest. So let's see what pops up over the next few weeks.

Until then, have a wonderful weekend!

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