Not as hot, not as humid, not as stormy: Nicer weather for NJ

The Bottom Line

Hey, I do not have to talk about the dreaded heat index or heat safety tips or tropical air or severe thunderstorms anymore! Thursday's forecast is all about improving conditions, as we celebrate the end of our heat wave.

Just in case you are keeping score, our extended stretch of steamy weather began June 14th. Of the 34 days since then, at least 30 have been 90 degrees or above somewhere in New Jersey. (That total might be 31, but there is one temperature reading from last week that I believe is suspect.) 30 out of 34 — that is ridiculous. Not a record, but we still have a lot of summer yet to come.

As humidity slowly dials back on Thursday, our weather will get more comfortable. As skies clear out Thursday night, our weather will turn more pleasant.

Friday looks like a gorgeous summer day. And the vast majority of the weekend looks great too. But there is one shower chance worth mentioning.

Steamier, unsettled weather returns to New Jersey by the middle of next week. I am not sure we will be talking about 90s. Rather, the return of high humidity and daily thunderstorm chances.

Thursday

Happy cold front day, New Jersey! You can already feel a difference in the air as you step outside Thursday morning, even though it is still a bit sticky. Temperatures are averaging lower 70s.

As expected, there are some spotty showers still in the neighborhood, as our frontal boundary has not completely crossed the state yet. So you may find a few raindrops hitting your windshield through about 9 or 10 a.m. Thursday. But nothing like the powerful storms that blew through Wednesday evening.

Keep in mind, skies will be very slow to clear Thursday. That is because our cold front will stall just off New Jersey's southern coast, preventing clouds from moving on. So it does look mostly cloudy through the afternoon. But there should be some breaks of sun along the way, especially to the north and west.

Humidity will decrease steadily throughout the day. We start with dew points in the 70s. By sunset, I am hopeful they will be in the dry, comfy 50s. What a difference from the tropical air of the past few days.

High temperatures on Thursday will reach the mid 80s or so. Right on the normal high for mid-July. Definitely warm, but not nearly as hot as earlier in the week. (At least one model posits the possibility of an isolated 90-degree temperature, so it can not be ruled out.)

Thursday night will be the epitome of a pleasant, comfortable summer night. As skies clear out, temperatures will dig deep into the 60s for most of New Jersey. The northwest hills could even see 50s by Friday morning.

Friday

All week long, I have been promoting Friday as the nicest day of the week. And I am happy to say that forecast absolutely still holds true.

It will be mostly sunny, dry, and seasonably warm. Highs in the lower to mid 80s. Dew points no higher than 60, keeping the muggy factor low. Good stuff all around.

Saturday

Most of Saturday looks good. Expect a mix of sun and clouds, maybe leaning heavier on the cloud cover in the afternoon. High temperatures will still be seasonably warm, in the mid 80s.

The only wrinkle for Saturday is a chance of rain in the late afternoon to evening time frame. Best chance for spotty showers and even a thunderstorm will be the southern half of the state. Unless a localized downpour sets up, rainfall should be brief and generally light.

Sunday

A shower is not impossible late Sunday too. Otherwise it will be a partly sunny day. And temperatures will be warm, averaging upper 80s. A couple spots may touch 90 degrees. But at least dew points will remain in the 60s, which I quantify as "moderate" humidity.

The Extended Forecast

Next week turns increasingly unsettled. That means clouds and thunderstorms and the return of humidity.

Monday and Tuesday, you will have a shot at some dry weather. For Wednesday through Saturday, there will be a daily chance of scattered thunderstorms.

High temperatures will stay in the 80s. No 90s. But dew points surge into the 70s, making things steamy again.

Honestly, this kind of pattern falls under "typical" summer weather in New Jersey. July is, after all, our average hottest and wettest month of the year.