Crowds flocked to the Jersey Shore on Friday to get an early start on Memorial Day weekend.
Visitors flocked to the Jersey Shore's beaches and boardwalk on Friday, as thousands of beachgoers got a head start on Memorial Day weekend.
The day started off warm and sunny, with the promise of temperatures climbing into the 80s. This caused moderate traffic delays heading toward some of the shore's most popular destinations, including Ocean City and Long Beach Island, on Friday afternoon.
Beachgoers in Ocean County spent the day soaking in the sun before the crowds arrived on Saturday.
Clifton resident Tim Green spent the Friday of Memorial Day weekend 2016 playing in the Seaside Heights sand with his sons a Ashton, 4, and Dominic, 6. (Rob Spahr | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) "We're actually planning to come down to Seaside the next few days to hang out with friends, because the weather is nice and it's Memorial Day weekend," said Gabrielle Szesko, of Whippany, drove down to Seaside Heights with friends to spend the day on the beach. "The water is a little cold, but it's nice out so that makes up for it."
Though Szesko did say that the beaches were a little less crowded than she expected them to be on the Friday of Memorial Day weekend.
"But it's still kind of early in the day and a lot of people are just getting out of work now, so it will get more packed as the weekend goes on," she said.
Clifton resident Tim Green spent the day playing in the Seaside Heights sand with his sons - Ashton, 4, and Dominic, 6.
"The boys love the beach and this is great family time," said Green, who owns a townhome in Seaside Heights. "There's a wonderful diversity of things to do here, everything from the rides, the games, the food, the boardwalk, the go-karts and the waterpark, which the kids love."
Green and his family drive down to Seaside Heights on Thursday night to avoid Friday's traffic.
"It's great, because the faster we get down here, the faster it is that we can get situated and start enjoying everything," he said. "I think people get so excited about Memorial Day weekend because it's the start of the summer. But I think that a lot of people forget that it's also about honoring the veterans (who died for the country). That's what it's about first and foremost."
The scene was slightly different in Monmouth County, where by mid-afternoon clear blue skies were taken over by clouds that occasionally sprinkled rain.
A stiff southeast wind made hanging on the beach chilly, as temperatures along the coast dipped to around 67 degrees at mid-afternoon.
Beaches from Manasquan to Ocean Grove were largely empty except for those few -- wrapped in towels or bundled in sweatshirts -- brave enough to brace against the wind.
The boardwalks were wide open, waiting for the crowds that hadn't yet come.
However, like countless of other high school students, Pompton Plains resident Lauren Burklow would have headed to the Jersey Shore for the weekend regardless of what the weather was like.
Fortunately, Burklow and a group of her fellow seniors from Pequannock Township High School were lounging on the beach in Seaside Heights by lunchtime and basking in the sunshine.
"We're going to be here the rest of the weekend, and we're looking forward to hanging out with our friends and enjoying the beach, the boardwalk and the food," she said. "We're just going to have a great time."
--NJ Advance Media's MaryAnn Spoto contributed to this report.
Rob Spahr may be reached at rspahr@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheRobSpahr. Find NJ.com on Facebook.