October arrives alongside NJ’s coolest air of the season so far

Happy October, New Jersey! On average, this is New Jersey's 6th warmest, 6th wettest, and 7th snowiest month of the year. And right on schedule, the coolest, driest air of the season is working into New Jersey, set to give a real "fall feel" to the air. Wednesday will turn bright and sunny, but it will be cool and breezy (even blustery at times). Afternoon temperatures will settle around 65 to 70 degrees — a far cry from recent 80s. A Coastal Flood Advisory cautions of minor category flooding of tidal waterways at high tide this afternoon and evening too. Thursday gets even cooler, and then the trend turns around. Temperatures will return to near 80 degrees this weekend, with little to no rain in sight.

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Wednesday NJ weather: Cooler air is here

As of this writing (7 a.m.), a cold front is just about finished passing through New Jersey. And as strong high pressure builds into New Jersey Wednesday, we face the coolest, driest air of the season so far. That does not mean it is going to be a "bad" weather day — quite the contrary if you like cool, crisp autumn days.

There are a few clouds hanging around South Jersey Wednesday morning, but skies should be bright and sunny by midday at the latest. A chilly north breeze will blow through the trees all day, gusting at times over 20 mph. That is funneling in the cooler, drier air, and will remind you that it is in fact October.

Temperatures are starting the day mainly in the 50s. And highs will reach about 65 to 70 degrees Wednesday afternoon. That is about 10 to 15 degrees cooler than Tuesday. And a bit below normal for early October.

In addition, we still have double hurricanes in the Atlantic, Humberto and Imelda. Those two are getting tired of dancing around each other and will essential merge together (as Hurricane Imelda) and shoot toward Bermuda in the coming days. The only impacts here in New Jersey will be continued rough surf and a coastal flooding threat.

A Coastal Flood Advisory is in effect Wednesday for the Jersey Shore, with minor category tidal flooding expected at high tide through the afternoon and evening.

Under a crystal clear sky and with somewhat calmer winds, Wednesday night will be seasonably chilly. Low temperatures will end up somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 degrees. I am sure we will see at least some 40s around the state. Whether or not 40s are widespread will depend how light those wind speeds get, allowing cool air to settle and pool at the surface. Get those jackets and sweatshirts ready!

Thursday NJ weather: Even cooler and crisper

Thursday will be the coolest day of the week, and easily NJ's coolest day since the spring.

High temperatures will only reach about 60 to 65 degrees. Expect a few clouds, a light breeze, and dry weather.

Friday NJ weather: Nice rebound

Friday will end the workweek on a positive weather note. With continued partly sunny skies, a switch to southwesterly winds will start a warmup. High temperatures will push to around 70 degrees. Still a hair below seasonal normals. But quite comfortable and pleasant.

Saturday NJ weather: Back to the warm side

Sunny. Dry. Warm, near 80 degrees. That is your complete forecast for the first weekend of October. Spectacular.

Autumn is the ultimate roller coaster season here in New Jersey. Cool days, followed by warm days. This kind of flip-flopping turbulent weather is totally typical for this time of year. Keep the jacket handy, and keep your finger on the HVAC switch. The next couple months promise to be a bumpy ride until we hit the doldrums of winter.

Looking and hoping for rain? Too bad. All models keep New Jersey completely dry for the next week, at least. Next opportunity for wet weather looks to be next Wednesday at the earliest. Possibly followed by another spurt of showers next weekend. I feel like we are starting to spiral into drought and fire danger territory again — let's just hope that we do get a good soaking soon.

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