Mother Nature will cooperate with most travel plans this week, as a dormant but chilly weather pattern takes hold of the Garden State.

Monday morning has brought some chilly temperatures to New Jersey, with a frost enveloping the entire state and a widespread freeze in North Jersey. As cool, dry air filters into the Garden State today, thanks to a stiff northwest breeze to 20 mph, we are staring down the coldest day of the season so far. In fact, with high temperatures between 41 and 47 degrees, it looks like today will be the coolest day since about early April. Definitely jacket weather all day long.

Amidst calmer winds and dry air, tonight is going to be downright cold. With the exception of the immediate coast, most of New Jersey will fall below the freezing mark by Tuesday morning. Low temperatures are expected to end up between about 24 and 31 degrees.

A weak cold front will push across New Jersey at some point Tuesday morning. This frontal passage looks dry, thanks to our moisture-starved atmosphere. We'll see some potentially thick clouds for a period on Tuesday, with sun expected to return by the afternoon. More importantly, however, is the reinforcing shot of cool air that will come behind the front. Highs on Tuesday will once again be limited to the 40s, at best.

A nice warming trend will finally kick into effect starting on Wednesday. Another chilly, subfreezing morning will lead to somewhat warmer temperatures by Wednesday afternoon, around 50 degrees. (That's still a hair below normal for late November.)

For Thanksgiving Thursday, our weather is looking great - highs in the upper 50s to lower 60s, with a pleasant mix of sun and clouds. Perfect for parade watching, backyard football games, outdoor turkey frying, and any impending travel over the river and through the woods!

New Jersey gets precariously warmer for Black Friday... I call it precarious because you have to know the warmth won't last. Late on Friday - probably well after sunset - a pretty healthy cold front will encroach upon the state. That will likely kick up the winds for Friday night and Saturday, drop temperatures significantly for the weekend proper, and possibly bring some raindrops and snowflakes. (I don't want to get too specific about the precipitation forecast yet, because the current forecast doesn't show much for now. There is, of course, lots of time for this forecast to evolve, so it's important to stay tuned.)

Bottom line of this forecast... New Jersey will be chilly to start this week, but our weather will stay quiet and dry through at least Friday afternoon.

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

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