Welcome Back, Sunshine! Brighter (But Still Unsettled) Weather All Week

We had a soaking rain and miserably cool day all day Sunday. Blah — at least the inch-plus of steady rain will hopefully tamp down the pollen levels!

That soggy storm system is long gone now, and we're left with wet roads and clearing skies. You'll see mostly to partly sunny skies throughout Monday, which will help temperatures reach the upper 60s to around 70 degrees — close to normal for early May.

However, I just can't rule out some spotty showers starting Monday afternoon. Hit-or-miss raindrops and some patchy fog are possible for Monday night too, as thermometers dip into the lower 50s or so.

Most of Tuesday looks great! We'll start the day with sunshine, transitioning to clouds later on. High temperatures will warm into the mid to upper 70s for most of the state. (60s along the coast, 80 is possible for SW NJ.)

A cold front, which will spawn a line of showers and thunderstorms from late afternoon through the evening hours. Some of those storms could be on the strong side, with heavy downpours and lots of loud thunder and lightning. However, the rain threat will be brief for any given spot in the Garden State.

Clouds will win the sky Wednesday and it will be noticeably cooler too, with highs back down to the mid-60s. At least it will probably be a dry weather day.

Thursday also reads as mostly cloudy to overcast, with temps holding steady in the below-normal lower-mid 60s.

For now, the only day of the week that looks truly wet is Friday, with periods of steady to heavy rain possible throughout the day. At least winds will be out of the southwest, keeping temperatures close to 70 degrees.

The early preview of the weekend shows a consistent forecast — glimmers of pleasantry, with hints of unsettledness. I'm seeing good sunshine for Saturday with highs in the lower 70s. Expect slightly cooler and cloudier conditions for Sunday, with isolated showers.

And that's how the first full week of May shakes out.

Dan Zarrow is Chief Meteorologist for Townsquare Media New Jersey. Follow him on Facebook or Twitter for the latest forecast and real-time weather updates.