Three days of springlike warmth for NJ, will come crashing down late week

Warmth! Real, springlike warmth! A month ago Sunday was one of the coldest days of the entire winter, with highs only in the teens. But here we are with a few days in the 70s, finally digging out of the dregs of winter with a few really nice, really nice days - running about 20 degrees above normal for this time of year. Early morning patches of fog will give way to sunshine Monday and Tuesday. Some clouds and showers are possible on Wednesday, but it will still be nice and warm. Big changes arrive with a strong cold front on Thursday, ushering in a quick round of rain and then a sharp, windy cooldown. Highs will only be in the 40s again on Friday.

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Monday NJ weather: Sunshine and 70s

The next few days are going to feel like May around New Jersey, with two notable exceptions: 1.) Mornings and nights will still be cool, necessitating a jacket or sweater. 2.) The Shore will be under the influence of chilly ocean and bay water, keeping temperatures about 20 degrees colder than inland areas.

Monday morning is starting with temperatures around 40 degrees. Again, definitely cool. There are pockets of fog around southern and central New Jersey — a Dense Fog Advisory has been issued until 10 a.m.

With mostly sunny skies, a light breeze, and dry weather on the way, high temperatures should soar to around 70 degrees Monday afternoon. A very nice day all around. Those temperatures are about 20 degrees above normal for this time of year. Enjoy!

Monday night will be mainly clear, aside from another chance of fog. Low temperatures should dip into the mid 40s by morning.

Tuesday NJ weather: The warmest day of the week

Tuesday will be splendidly springlike again, with high temps around 70 to 75 degrees. Again, coastal communities will be closer to 50 degrees — unfortunately not a beach day.

It will be sunny and dry. And that is it.

Wednesday NJ weather: Clouds and spot showers

There will be some subtle changes on Wednesday, although we will squeeze out one more warm day. Expect partly to mostly cloudy skies. And there could be a few spot showers centered on the afternoon hours.

High temperatures should still reach for the lower 70s Wednesday. Maybe with a touch more humidity in the air.

Thursday NJ weather: Big changes

The big weather troublemaker of the week will be a strong cold front set to arrive Thursday morning.

That will first drive in a round of rain. The wet weather should be brief, totaling about a tenth to a quarter-inch. Not much but definitely widespread. The rain plus the clouds will make for an inclement weather day overall.

Then comes the wind, gusting over 20 mph. It will add a blustery feel to the day.

And then temperatures will tumble. While Thursday morning's temperatures will still be in the 60s, thermometers are forecast to fall into the 40s by the afternoon. That is a big difference from four days in a row of 70s. It is not an "arctic blast" per se — this will be a correction to seasonable, more typical early March weather conditions.

The wind will calm down somewhat Thursday night, allowing for a light freeze across most of New Jersey.

On Friday, high temperatures will only reach the 40s. I can't rule out a few flurries or an outright snow shower at some point.

The early look at the weekend is dry, with warming temperatures. My current forecast puts highs around 50 degrees for Saturday and near 60 degrees for Sunday. Ups and downs — that is what good ol' turbulent March is all about.

Speaking of which, next week does look to trend colder again. And long-range models have consistently shown the chance for snow next week too, in between St. Patrick's Day (Tuesday) and the first day of Spring (Friday). It's just something we will have to continuing watching — just don't think this warmth and snow melt means wintry weather is done for the year. No way, Jose.

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