NJ’s weather trending warm and a bit unsettled as March turns to April

As we prepare to turn the calendar page from March to April this week, temperatures across New Jersey are going to generally be warm. And our weather will be a bit unsettled. Monday looks good, with a mix of sun and clouds, a strong breeze, and high temperatures reaching well into the 60s. Some spotty showers and thunderstorms are possible at night. Tuesday reaches into the 70s. And then Wednesday looks like the warmest and the stormiest day of the week. Highs will flirt with 80 degrees - close to record highs, and the air might even feel a bit sticky as humidity ramps up too. There will be a chance of showers and thunderstorms both early and late on Wednesday. While temperatures will get knocked down by a backdoor cold front on Thursday, we should be right back in the nice warm 70s again through the upcoming first weekend of April.

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Monday NJ weather: Mild and breezy

Many New Jersey school districts are on Spring Break this week — and if you are among the lucky students and teachers enjoying some time off, you are going to have some good weather. Just a few bumps in the road with pockets of stormy weather along the way.

Monday morning has been chilly, with temperatures in the 40s so far. But this is probably our last "jacket weather" morning of the week.

Temperatures will quickly climb into the mid 60s by Monday afternoon, which is about 10 degrees above normal highs for late March. Expect a mix of sun and clouds, and a prominent southwesterly breeze — which may approach the "windy" category for a time. (I like a nice strong breeze on warm spring days such as this.)

I am keeping Monday's daytime hours dry. However, most forecast model guidance puts some spotty showers and thunderstorms in our vicinity Monday night. Not everyone will see raindrops. However, with rising warmth and humidity, there is a chance for a localized downpour.

With lots of clouds overnight, low temperatures will only dip into the mid 50s.

Tuesday NJ weather: Into the 70s

Tuesday looks like another stellar spring day, more May-like than March-like for sure. Highs will soar well into the 70s. Now running about 20 degrees above seasonal norms.

Skies will be partly sunny. Again, I can not completely rule out a shower or sprinkle, but I am keeping a dry forecast.

Wednesday NJ weather: Warmest and stormiest day of the week

Wednesday looks like both the warmest and stormiest day of the week for New Jersey. You might even feel a touch of sticky humidity in the air, as dew points rise into the 60s.

It is not going to be a washout, but I think everyone in New Jersey will see some rain at some point. The best chance for scattered showers and storms will be both early and late on Wednesday.

In the middle, under mostly cloudy skies, high temperatures will climb into the upper 70s to around 80 degrees. Some record highs for the 1st of April are very close to 80 degrees and could be in jeopardy.

Once again, I am concerned about localized downpours, which could lead to ponding on roadways. Strong to severe thunderstorm cells are a possibility here too, with marginal gusty winds.

Thursday NJ weather: Temporary cooldown

Thursday's weather will be driven by a "backdoor" cold front, arriving from the northeast. As a cooler marine air mass settles over part or most of New Jersey, temperatures will crash. This is really hard to pinpoint, but I suspect most of New Jersey will temporarily end up in the 60s on Thursday. But there is a wide variety of model temperature outcomes here, ranging from 40s (northeast) to near 80 (southwest). Such situations also tend to lead to abundant cloud cover and patchy drizzle too.

Warmth surges again in time for Good Friday and the Easter Weekend, with highs back in the 70s. But once again, with rising temperatures and humidity will come rising rain chances. Friday evening carries a chance for scattered showers and thunderstorms. Sunday also looks stormy with a potential cold front in play — but with almost a week to go and several rounds of active weather between now and then, I would not hang my hat on that specific timeline at this point. Let's see how the rest of the week goes, and start talking weekend specifics around Wednesday or Thursday (as usual).

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