Rainy Friday, then marvelous Mother’s Day Weekend weather for NJ

The Bottom Line

Overall, this has been an unsettled week of weather. With some pleasantries mixed in. So it is only appropriate that we close out the workweek with more rain.

Will Friday be a total washout? Eh, it depends where you are. In North Jersey — along and north of Interstate 78 — rain will be steady to heavy through most of the day. South of that point, absolutely not a washout. A wet morning will transition to scattered showers through the afternoon, as drier air works in.

Rainfall totals will range from a quarter-inch to half-inch in South Jersey, to between one and two inches in North Jersey. That geography is wonderful, as parts of New Jersey remain in the Severe Drought category — a good drenching is just what is needed there.

Clearing out, drying out, and warming up for the weekend. We will enjoy about three and a half nice days. Our next chance of rain will come in the form of scattered showers, through the middle of next week.

Friday

A band of steady rain is working through New Jersey Friday morning. Rain will likely be heavy at times, which could lead to "big puddles" — ponding or flooding on roadways and other low-lying areas.

A drying trend could take over in South Jersey as early as the late morning hours. And then by midday into the afternoon, we should be down to just scattered showers around the state.

It is going to stay cloudy and cool. High temperatures will range from the mid 50s to the north, to the mid 60s to the south.

For the most part, rain will wrap up by around dinnertime. So if you have outdoor plans this evening, you may very well stay dry.

As we dry out and clouds slowly break apart Friday night, it is going to get rather chilly. No danger of a frost or freeze here. But with overnight lows averaging upper 40s across the state, you may be reaching for a jacket.

Saturday

Clouds may linger through just after daybreak Saturday morning. And I can't completely rule out a lingering sprinkle.

Other than that, Saturday looks great. Sunshine emerges by late morning. A refreshing breeze up to 20 mph will carry in drier air.

High temps should reach about 70 degrees — right on the normal high for this time of year.

Sunday

Sunday is Mother's Day, and the forecast gets even better. It will be sunny, aside from some clouds that will try to bubble up from the south.

And Sunday will be mild, with highs around 70 to 75 degrees. A wonderful weather day, no matter what you have planned to celebrate the special moms in your life.

Monday

We will keep the lovely spring weather going into Monday too. I will call it mostly sunny, with highs again in the 70s.

The Extended Forecast

The first half of Tuesday looks fine, with increasing clouds and highs still in the 70s. But our next rain chance could creep in starting Tuesday afternoon.

In fact, NJ's forecast turns unsettled from late Tuesday through all-day Wednesday into part of Thursday. This looks to take the form of scattered (occasional) showers and thunderstorms — not another heavy, drenching rain episode.

So whether those youth sporting events or dinner al fresco are at risk will depend heavily on the timing and location. We will dial in those details further next week, so you can plan accordingly.

Have a great weekend!