Sweet relief for NJ Monday: Extreme heat and humidity subside

The Bottom Line

The past week has been brutal. Especially Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, as temperatures soared to near 100 degrees. (Each of those three days featured at least one weather station in New Jersey hitting the triple-digit mark.)

Plus, strong to severe thunderstorms caused some wind damage and localized flooding this weekend. What a mess.

The good news: Sweet relief arrives Monday, as our 7-day heat wave breaks. The not-so-good news: That cooler, drier air is not quite here yet. And more not-so-good news: The cooldown is only temporary.

Most of this week looks fine. Wednesday will bring a resurgence of steamy, stormy weather troubles. And next weekend could be a mixed bag too.

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Monday

It is still incredibly warm and muggy to start Monday morning, with temperatures in the 70s and even 80s.

As of 7 a.m., our final front boundary is still pushing through southern New Jersey. That may spark some sprinkles through mid/late morning until it clears the coast. And that is when the transition to cooler, drier air will kick in for all.

Dew points will drop from the 70s to the 50s by Monday afternoon, making for much comfortable conditions all around the Garden State. Meanwhile, temperatures will be warm, but not hot, ending up 10 to 15 degrees cooler than the weekend. Highs should average lower 80s. (Having said that, I would not rule out a 90-degree reading somewhere in the state, technically prolonging our heat wave.)

Skies will progress from partly sunny to mostly sunny. And we will pick up a strong west-northwesterly breeze, as our new air mass arrives. Gusts over 25 mph are possible Monday afternoon. By the way, that is a land breeze, so the beaches may be extra-warm and buggy.

I can use one of my favorite words to describe Monday night: Comfortable! For the first time since Thursday, temperatures will dip into the 60s overnight.

Tuesday

A nice day, although temperatures will start warming up again.

Under mostly sunny skies, highs will reach for the upper 80s to around 90 degrees. That would be hot even in the "dog days of summer" in late July and early August. The ambient west wind will be lighter, hopefully allowing for a sea breeze and cooler temps at the Jersey Shore.

Wednesday

Not a nice day, as we endure a one-day resurgence of thick heat and humidity.

Highs on Wednesday will surge back into the lower to mid 90s. Humidity ramps up too, as dew points potentially touch 70. Expect partly to mostly cloudy skies, along with a stiff breeze.

The other thing to watch on Wednesday will be another round of strong to severe thunderstorms late-day. That means the late afternoon to evening hours, around 4 p.m. onward. The Storm Prediction Center paints New Jersey in a "marginal to slight" risk area for now — wind and downpours will once again be the biggest concerns.

Thursday

As showers wrap up Thursday morning, temperatures and humidity levels will once again take a tumble. I think we will still hold on to 80 and some cloud cover through Thursday afternoon. But again, as long as humidity fades a bit, it will be a much more comfortable and pleasant day.

Friday & Beyond

Friday looks very nice. Partly sunny and mild, near 80 degrees.

Saturday has good potential too, with a mix of clouds and sun and warm high temps in the mid 80s. My only concern is a southeasterly (on-shore) breeze, which could affect the beaches.

There is a chance of a spot shower on Saturday too. And then more rain on Sunday, with insufferable humidity. I think there is still opportunity for those rain chances to wiggle, both in geography and timing. So I'm not sweating the details of the forecast yet. Just know, for now, Saturday looks like the better weekend day overall.

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