A dry week in New Jersey will be interrupted Wednesday, when strong thunderstorms and gusty winds are expected to hit the state, forecasters say.
Rain on Wednesday will push in during the morning and overspread the state by midday, the National Weather Service said.
Periods of rain will continue through the afternoon and evening before tapering off overnight into Thursday.
Forecasters are also concerned about dangerous wind gusts, and they say an isolated tornado can’t be ruled out.
The weather service expects areas along and near the Jersey Shore to receive between a half-inch and an inch of rain, while higher elevations in northwestern New Jersey could see 1 to 2 inches, the weather service said in its morning forecast discussion.
Highs by mid-week will be mainly in the 50s with a few spots possibly reaching 60.
Monday will be the chilliest day of the week with highs only in the 30s for most of New Jersey.National Weather Service
The rest of the week is expected to be precipitation-free with varying temperatures.
Monday will be the coldest day of the week with highs mainly in the 30s under sunny skies. Temperatures will drop into the 20s overnight.
Warmer temperatures return Tuesday with highs mostly in the 50s around the state with a mix of sun and clouds. Overnight lows fall only into the 40s.
After a rainy Wednesday, we’re back in the 50s on Thursday under partly sunny skies before temps plunge into the 20s overnight.
Friday looks like a nice late-winter day too. Forecasters are calling for sunshine and highs in the mid 40s to around 50. Both Thursday and Friday are expected to be pretty breezy, though.
Early indications suggest similar conditions will persist through the weekend, though forecasters say there’s a 20 to 30% chance of rain.
Normal temperatures in early March range from the upper 20s to upper 40s.
Stories by Jeff Goldman
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Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com.