Scattered Showers and Scattered Clouds In the Forecast for NJ

The very warm 80s are gone once again as we mix pleasant temperatures with a few raindrops and passing clouds to start the new workweek.

Here are your weather headlines for Monday, April 17, 2017...

Clouds and Showers

This weekend, my social media feed was filled with people enjoying cookouts, the beach, and the boardwalk — quite the memorable Easter Sunday, as every county in New Jersey reached at least 80 degrees! Believe it or not, no records were hit in NJ, and (from I can tell) we didn't hit 90 degrees. Thermometers did end up about 25 degrees above mid-April normals. Quite impressive!

That extreme warmth is behind us now, as cooler and (eventually) drier air works into New Jersey on Monday. High temperatures should still reach the upper 60s to lower 70s. (If we see periods of solid sunshine, I could see some mid 70s in South Jersey by late Monday afternoon.)

Additionally, models are in good agreement regarding a batch of showers pushing through the Garden State through the midday hours. There could be a small downpour or embedded thunderstorm, especially in the warmer and more humid atmosphere of central and southern New Jersey.

Otherwise, if you can dodge the raindrops, Monday could be a decent Spring day. Sunshine will mix with clouds, with a continuing stiff breeze over 20 mph at times.

Nice Weather

By Tuesday, we'll find ourselves in a nice piece of the atmosphere. As northerly flow sets up behind Monday's cold front, temperatures will end up a bit cooler — forecast highs for Tuesday are in the lower 60s. Sunshine should be abundant.

Amidst the pleasantries, however, those sunny skies and light ambient winds will probably allow for a sea breeze circulation to set up. Coastal areas may end up in the 50s all day Tuesday.

Pretty Unsettled

A complicated weather picture is setting up for the Wednesday-Thursday time frame. Honestly, I don't think we have great resolution on the forecast quite yet. But I'll try to piece together what's going to happen, as it stands now.

On Wednesday morning, we'll have a stalled front in the neighborhood. Additionally, as southeasterly winds become dominant across the Garden State, we'll see a marked increase in cloud cover and decrease in temperature. (That wind blowing over the chilly ocean still has a big impact.) High temperatures are forecast to get stuck in the upper 50s for most spots in New Jersey.

Rain chances look meager on Wednesday, so I've put a chance for "widely scattered showers" in the forecast. I think it's going to be a grey, cool, breezy, and occasionally drizzly day overall.

Improvements will come on Thursday, as winds become more southerly. That will allow a warmup into the lower 70s again. However, a storm system will also slide along that aforementioned stalled front, adding a chance for showers and thunderstorms to the forecast too.

As long as we clear out showers by Friday morning, the start of the weekend should be tranquil and clear. Cool and windy, perhaps. But dry and reasonably pleasant.