After a dreary start to May, with lots of rain and chilly temperatures spoiling New Jersey's spring, Mother Nature seems to have flipped a switch.
After a dreary start to May, with lots of rain and chilly temperatures spoiling New Jersey's spring, Mother Nature seems to have flipped a switch.
It suddenly feels like summer. And the timing couldn't have been any better, with the long Memorial Day weekend on our doorstep and swarms of people preparing to head to the Shore, to parades and barbecues.
For New Jerseyans who plan on spending a lot of time outdoors the next few days, the weather picture is not ideal, but it's far from being a washout. Forecasters say temperatures will continue to hover 10 to 15 degrees above normal during the early part of the weekend, but there's one downside.
"There's gonna be a noticeable increase in humidity by Friday," said Lance Franck, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service's regional office in Mount Holly. "It looks like that humidity is going to linger into Saturday, and there may be a touch of humidity on Sunday as well."
16 years of Memorial Day weather in N.J.
Although most days during the holiday weekend should be mostly dry, the warm temperatures and humidity could trigger scattered or isolated showers and thunderstorms, particularly in the afternoon or early evening, Franck said. "It's more of a summer-like pattern, with garden-variety showers and thunderstorms that pop up."
So far, Saturday appears to be the day with the lowest risk of showers. And it should be one of the hottest days of the long holiday weekend.
One word of caution for anyone looking to beat the heat by swimming in the ocean: Water temperatures in the Atlantic are still quite chilly in late May. This weekend they are expected to range from the mid-50s in Monmouth and Ocean counties to the upper 50s in Atlantic and Cape May.
REGIONAL WEATHER FORECASTS
Here's a look at the National Weather Service forecasts for different regions of the Garden State throughout the Memorial Day weekend:
NORTH JERSEY
Friday: Mostly cloudy in the morning, with a slight chance of showers before 8 a.m. Partly sunny in the afternoon, with highs in the mid- to upper 80s and a 30 percent chance of showers or thunderstorms after 2 p.m. Partly cloudy at night, with lows around 65.
Saturday: Mostly sunny and hot, with highs near 90. Partly cloudy at night, with lows in the mid-60s.
Sunday: Partly sunny, with highs in the mid- to upper 80s and a 30 percent chance of showers or thunderstorms between 2 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Monday: Mostly cloudy, with highs around 80 and a 30 to 40 percent chance of showers or thunderstorms after 2 p.m. Mostly cloudy at night, with lows in the low 60s.
CENTRAL JERSEY
Friday: Mostly cloudy in the morning, with a slight chance of showers before 8 a.m. Partly sunny in the afternoon, with highs in the upper 80s and a 30 percent chance of showers or thunderstorms in the afternoon. Mostly cloudy at night, with lows around 65 and a 20 percent chance of showers.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with highs in the mid- to upper 80s. Partly cloudy at night, with lows in the low to mid-60s.
Sunday: Partly sunny, with highs in the mid-80s. Mostly cloudy at night, with lows around 60 and a 30 percent chance of showers after midnight.
Monday: Mostly cloudy, with highs around 80 and a 40 percent chance of showers or thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy at night, with lows around 60 and a 30 to 40 percent chance of showers.
COASTAL MONMOUTH & OCEAN
Friday: A chance of showers in the morning, then partly sunny, with highs in the mid- to upper 70s. Partly cloudy at night, with lows in the mid-60s.
Saturday: Mostly sunny and breezy, with highs in the mid- to upper 70s. Partly cloudy at night, with lows in the low 60s.
Sunday: Partly sunny, with highs in the mid- to upper 70s. Mostly cloudy at night, with lows around 60 and a 30 percent chance of showers after midnight.
Monday: Mostly cloudy, with highs in the low 70s and a 30 percent chance of showers or thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy at night, with lows in the low 60s and a 30 percent chance of rain.
SOUTH JERSEY
Friday: Partly sunny, with highs in the upper 80s. Partly cloudy at night, with lows in the mid-60s.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with highs in the mid-80s. Partly cloudy at night, with lows in the mid-60s.
Sunday: Partly sunny, with highs in the mid-80s. Mostly cloudy at night, with lows in the low 60s and a 30 percent chance of a shower or thunderstorm.
Monday: Mostly cloudy, with highs in the low 80s and a 40 percent chance of showers or thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy at night, with lows in the mid-60s and a 40 percent chance of rain.
ATLANTIC CITY & CAPE MAY
Friday: Chance of showers in the morning, then partly sunny, with highs in the upper 70s. Partly cloudy at night, with lows in the low 60s.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with highs in the mid-70s. Partly cloudy at night, with lows in the low 60s.
Sunday: Partly sunny, with highs in the mid-70s. Mostly cloudy at night, with lows in the low 60s and a 30 percent chance of rain.
Monday: Mostly cloudy, with highs in the low 70s and a 30 percent chance of showers or thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy at night, with lows in the low 60s and a 30 percent chance of rain.
Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @LensReality. Find NJ.com on Facebook.