If you’re tired of NJ’s constant onslaught of snow, don’t read this forecast

Some snow and rain showers rolled through New Jersey hot and heavy this morning, with up to about an inch of fresh accumulation so far. Cars were covered and roads are icy. The main band of precipitation has exited the state, but there could be lingering showers with pockets of reduced visibility and slippery spots through the rest of Wednesday morning. The afternoon will turn partly sunny and breezy, with highs in the 40s. Another storm system will be swinging south of New Jersey tomorrow, and could clip us with some more rain and snow late-day. Friday will be sunny and cool in the 40s. Saturday will be the nicest day of the week, sunny and mild near 50 degrees. Long-range forecast models are showing a pair of winter storms with heavy snow potentially back in the forecast for early next week.

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Wednesday NJ weather: From snow/rain showers to partial sunshine

For those who are feeling snow-fatigued at this point — including yours truly — this morning's burst of wintry weather was exactly what we did not need. The top snow total I have seen so far was 1.2 inches. That's not much, but it was enough to drop visibility, slicken up roads, and make everybody run late from brushing off cars and slowing down.

As of this writing (8 a.m.), things have quieted down considerably. The main line of snow and rain has moved off-shore, and we are left with lingering snowflakes and raindrops through the rest of the morning. Soon enough, partial sunshine will break through the gloom. And the afternoon will be much brighter and better — you can probably skip shoveling, as sunshine and above-freezing temperatures should take care of it.

Morning temperatures are in the 20s and 30s. Highs should reach the lower 40s or so, just a hair below normal for late February.

Wednesday will be mainly clear and quiet. Look for lows around 30 degrees. Just watch for a refreeze, as anything that melted during the day could ice over by morning.

Thursday NJ weather: From partial sunshine to snow/rain shower

Thursday will play out in the reverse of Wednesday, with a chance for late-day inclement weather rather than early. And the best chance for snowflakes will be to the south, rather than to the north.

The day will begin with mostly cloudy skies, keeping high temperatures on the cool side around 40 degrees.

A storm system will be passing south of New Jersey. The big question is whether it will stretch far enough north to reach southern or even central NJ. Some model forecasts put precipitation as far north as Interstate 78 — in this northernmost scenario, it is conceivable that we see some light snow accumulations on the order of an inch around the southern half of the state. On the other hand, there are some model forecasts that keep the system completely south of NJ — a complete miss.

Because it's such a minor thing, I am not going to sweat over millimeters of snow and which scenario may or may not come true. It is just a matter of waiting and seeing, and playing it by ear. Watch for slippery spots late Thursday afternoon to Thursday evening.

Friday NJ weather: Sunny and cool

By Friday, we should break into sunshine. Yes, a period of dry, quiet weather — what a nice change of pace!

The only ding against Friday's forecast is that temperatures will be on the cool side, limited to the lower 40s. As long as the winds stay light (they should), sunshine should compensate for the coolness. I think it will be a decent February afternoon.

Saturday NJ weather: Sunny and mild

Saturday looks like the nicest day of the week. While I can not completely rule out a (rain) shower in the early morning hours, the rest of the day should be sunny and dry. And mild, with high temperatures reach about 50 degrees. Comfortable air, and good snow melt all around. Sounds good to me!

What an uncharacteristically pleasant end to the incredibly wintry month of February.

Extended NJ weather forecast: Unsettled, cold, and potentially snowy

And so concludes the stretch of pleasant weather. Sigh.

Sunday will begin with a quick snow shower clipping northern New Jersey. Just like Wednesday morning, there could be some visibility and slippery, sloppy conditions for a few hours. Light accumulations up to a half-inch — a healthy coating — are possible.

Model guidance is locking on to not one but two potentially messy storm systems for early next week, one for Monday and one for Tuesday. Everyone is going to latch on to the GFS solution here, because it did so well on last weekend's blizzard. And because it happens to be the most dramatic solution for next week, with upwards of 15" of snow on Monday and 7" of snow on Tuesday. (Note: Not a forecast, just spitting out raw numbers here.)

But next week is March. We are getting late into snow season now, when cold air becomes more limited, sun angles get higher, and "big snow" becomes rarer. Do I think another messy winter storm is a possibility for early next week? Absolutely. But you know how this works by now. We need to wait and see how things play out.

Once our Thursday's disturbance is out of the way and next week's potential storm system is actually over land (Saturday morning), we should have a much clearer view of how things will play out in terms of timing and totals.

I don't want to get buried in snow again. Especially since we're running out of places to plow it. But hey — at least it won't be another weekend storm, right?

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