A final gust of snow, then whipping wind

The conclusion

New Jersey had some snow and rain overnight. And as the center of this clipper system passes north of New Jersey Thursday morning, we’re watching another round of precipitation. Snow squalls are possible, causing slippery patches and reduced visibility during the Thursday morning commute.

After it snows and rains in the morning, a new weather problem arises. Wind. Wind gusts over 40 miles per hour. It will be a stormy afternoon with temperatures dropping.

New Jersey will endure two more days of unseasonably cold weather. In fact, Friday will likely be our coldest day since January. And could easily be one of New Jersey’s ten coldest days of 2024.

There will be a warm-up period over the weekend, bringing the next chance of rain early next week.

Thursday

As of this writing (6 a.m.), a thick layer of snow is moving through North Jersey. This drastically reduces visibility and in places there is about half a centimeter of fresh snow on the ground. A line of snow and rain extended into the Philadelphia area. So everyone in New Jersey will experience another “grand finale” round of snow and rain to start the day.

Around 8 or 9 a.m. our cold front will wipe out the main line of precipitation. By around 10 a.m. at the latest, the remaining snowflakes and raindrops will disappear.

If the sun shines, it will be very windy late Thursday morning. Peak gusts of 40 to 50 mph are expected during the afternoon. Sporadic power outages, flight delays and driving difficulties are possible. And this wind will also give the cold air a strong bite.

A Wind warning was issued for all 21 New Jersey counties until 10 p.m. Thursday evening.

Temperatures will slowly fall into the 30s. The wind chill (“feels like” or “apparent” temperature) will be no better than the 20s once these strong winds arrive.

Wind speed will decrease slightly after sunset. But we remain in the “breezy” category on Thursday evening. It will also be clear and cold. Low temperatures will end in the mid 20s – hard frost will mean any remaining wet surfaces and puddles will freeze over. Windy temperatures will be in the teens through Friday morning. Bundle!

Friday

Sunny, windy and just cold.

High temperatures will only reach the mid-30s across New Jersey on Friday. Just above the freezing point. And once again by far the coldest day of the week and of the season so far.

I can’t rule out some severe weather, especially around North Jersey. But it looks like a generally dry day with some very dry air.

Saturday

Another cool day is forecast for Saturday. Luckily the wind was lighter.

With mostly sunny skies, maximum temperatures on Saturday will only reach the upper 30s. This would be typical in the middle of winter (late January). The temperature is currently about 10 degrees below normal compared to the temperatures at the beginning of December.

Here, too, I could imagine that a riot would come into play at some point. But nothing more than that.

Sunday

The forecast for Sunday actually reads like a pleasant, seasonal day in early December. (It’s about time!)

With a mix of sun and clouds and a light southwesterly breeze, temperatures will rise to the upper 40s and around 50 degrees Sunday afternoon. Not quite “warm” – but welcome relief after an unseasonably cold start to December.

The extended forecast

The first half of next week will be even warmer as thermometers reach the 50s and even 60s.

But our weather will also be unstable next week. I’m currently seeing scattered rain chances for part of Monday and again on Wednesday.

Remember: rain is a good thing right now. We still need every drop we can get to make up for the rainfall deficit from our incredibly dry fall.

A midweek cold front will drop temperatures again late next week.

The forecast does not indicate any significant chance of snow. And just to clarify: It is still far too early to address the Christmas forecast. (Only 20 shopping days left!)

Dan Zarrow is chief meteorologist at Townsquare Media New Jersey. Follow him on Facebook to get the latest weather forecasts and real-time weather updates.