Tuesday NJ weather: Back to work and school with one more nice day
The Bottom Line
Our weather throughout the Labor Day Weekend was nothing short of spectacular. And the pleasant weather will continue for one more day, Tuesday. Then, as our protective dome of high pressure shifts off-shore, we face increases in cloud cover, rain chances, and humidity. But there are no washout days here. And we'll catch a taste of more fall-like weather by the weekend.
Tuesday
Aside from some light fog and clouds early and increased cloud cover late, sunshine should win the day once again. It will be slightly more humid than it has been, and slightly warmer than Labor Day Monday — look for a high temperature around 80 to 85 degrees. All model guidance is painting a dry forecast during the day.
So it will be another nice beach day, if you're extending the holiday weekend a day. However, watch out for a Moderate Risk of rip currents and 3 to 4 foot waves up and down the Jersey Shore.
Tuesday evening will be pleasant, and Tuesday night stays generally quiet. Partly cloudy skies with lows in the mid to upper 60s. Not quite as cool and refreshing as the last few nights, but only slightly above-normal for early September. A chance of rain will creep in by daybreak Wednesday morning.
Wednesday
Spotty showers and sprinkles will progress from South Jersey in the early morning hours, taking over the entire state for much of the day. I wouldn't call it a washout, but it does look moist. Nothing heavy or severe, as rainfall totals stay below a tenth of an inch. When it's not raining, you'll find mostly cloudy to overcast skies. High temperatures will still make it to around 80 degrees. Dew points will increase into the 60s.
Thursday
Definitely warm and muggy, with highs in the lower to mid 80s and a sticky dew point around 70. The first part of the day looks OK. But I think we'll see a few more showers and evening thunderstorms late-day. That's associated with a cold front, which will sweep out the unseasonable warmth and humidity.
Friday
One model — the NAM — keeps a batch of solid rain on top of us through Friday morning's rush hour. But then skies will rapidly clear, giving way to September sunshine. And temperatures will feel almost autumnal, as we only top out in the lower to mid 70s. It will be quite a difference from Thursday.
Saturday & Beyond
Saturday should be a continuation of Friday's pleasantry. Expect a mostly sunny and dry start to the weekend, with below-normal highs in the 70s. I'm a little less optimistic about Sunday, which turns unsettled again. A couple of batches of rain and thunderstorms look probable as our next storm system sweeps through.
It's also worth mentioning that we now have a pair of tropical storms way out in the Atlantic — Paulette and Rene. Both are expected to curve out to sea before impacting the U.S. East Coast. But we'll continue to watch the tropics carefully — especially since this week is the climatological peak of the Atlantic hurricane season.
Dan Zarrow is Chief Meteorologist for Townsquare Media New Jersey. Follow him on Facebook or Twitter for the latest forecast and realtime weather updates.