Cloudy but mild Friday, wet Saturday, blustery and colder Sunday

We will squeeze out one more fairly mild, reasonably pleasant day. And then our weather goes off the rails this weekend, turning wet and then colder again. Following some sprinkles and fog Friday morning, we face abundant cloud cover but dry weather for the majority of the day. Temperatures will still be on the mild side, reaching the mid 50s or so by Friday afternoon. Scattered rain showers will sweep in starting late afternoon into the evening hours. And then Saturday looks miserably wet with periods of steady to heavy rain just about all day long. The rainy, cloudy weather will keep temperatures in the 40s all day. As we dry out and clear out on Sunday, a brisk wind will kick up ushering in colder air. By early next week, it is definitely going to feel like typical January weather again.

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Friday NJ weather: Cloudy, mild, showers late

Honestly, most of Friday looks pretty good. Temperatures will be similar to Thursday, even as skies become greyer and rain chances enter the picture eventually.

Friday morning is starting off a bit colder than I had expected, as skies stayed clearer than expected. Temperatures are in the 20s and 30s around the state. We did have a healthy shower pass through North Jersey in the early morning hours, so watch for slippery spots.

While you may catch peeks of sun early on Friday, thick clouds will take over soon enough. Despite the growing overcast, temperatures will be on the mild side one more time. Look for highs in the mid 50s or so.

The day will be mainly dry. By late afternoon, we will have to watch the western sky for scattered showers coming into view — probably starting no earlier than 4 or 5 p.m.

Everyone in the state will probably get a little bit wet through Friday evening as these showers drive through. Areas to the south and east will be the wettest as raindrops linger there the longest. After Midnight, we should trend toward a drier lull through the overnight hours. Low temperatures will dip into the lower 40s.

Saturday NJ weather: Miserably wet

It is hard to find any redeeming qualities about Saturday's forecast. I guess it could be worse — rain could be heavier (and flood-ier), temperatures could be colder (and more miserable), or we could be talking about a foot of snow.

But it's not. It is just shaping up to be a wet day overall, with about a half-inch to an inch of total rainfall. The biggest totals currently look to land in southern New Jersey.

Expect periods of steady to heavy rain from about mid morning through late evening Saturday — let's call it 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. There may be some breaks, but you will likely be reaching for the rain gear all day.

Unfortunately, while we were once expecting some nice warmth to accompany Saturday's wet weather, that is no longer the case. Temperatures will be in the 40s for the duration. Thermometers may spike upward slightly Saturday night once the steady rain tapers off, but I would not bet on it.

Sunday NJ weather: Drying out, cold air returns

Sunday is our grand cooldown day, as Mother Nature presses the "reset" button on January.

There could still be some lingering rain showers around New Jersey through mid-morning Sunday. Then skies should quickly clear to sunshine, as a brisk westerly wind kicks up. Gusts to 30+ mph will transport colder air back into New Jersey through Sunday afternoon.

But I would not call this an "arctic blast" — Sunday is going to be blustery and January-ish, but not extreme or even unseasonable. I think temperatures will settle in the lower to mid 40s in the afternoon.

Monday NJ weather: Feeling like January

Early next week reads like typical January weather. Monday should be mostly sunny and still breezy, with high temperatures around 40 degrees. That is right on the normal for this time of year.

Tuesday also looks bright, dry, and seasonably cool, in the 40s.

The number one question I have been getting from friends, family, and fans — by far — is when snow will return to New Jersey. Well, the first ingredient for wintry weather is cold air — and that returns this weekend.

I think by the middle to late part of next week, we could see some light snow in the neighborhood, on the level of showers and maybe a touch of accumulation.

And then forecast models are showing signals for something (or even somethingS) more significant in the 10 to 14 day time frame. So that would be next next week.

Snow lovers, please be patient. Let the atmosphere recharge here. There's still plenty of "winter" yet to come.

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