Two rounds of rain will pass Wednesday. Rain may even come with thunder or hail. A cool stretch Thursday and Friday may bring more frosts and freezes. A big warmup comes this weekend.
The wettest times Wednesday will be between 5 and 11 a.m. and from 3 to 10 p.m. To be clear, it won't rain the whole time within these windows, but this is when rain will be most likely to fall.Â
I figure anywhere from one to three hours of rain will be likely during the morning. During the p.m., anything from nothing to 90 minutes of rain will fall.Â
Don't be surprised if a thunderstorm or small hail falls during the p.m. showers. There will be unstable air as colder air aloft works in.Â
Temperatures will be mild, and the warmest of the week. The morning will be between 45 and 50 degrees. The afternoon will peak well in the 60s, even at the beaches. When it's not raining, expect peaks of strong April sun to warm the ground.
People are also reading…
After 10 p.m., dry air will rush in as an arctic cold front pushes through. A drying wind out of the north will send overnight lows to between 40 and 45 degrees. That's seasonable for this time of year.Â
Then, though, it gets chilly.Â
In a throwback to mid-March, highs will be in the mid-50s for Mays Landing and inland areas. For Margate and the shore, it'll be around 50 degrees. A gentle east wind will pull in that cool, ocean air. There will be plenty of sunshine, which will shake off that chill if you're under the sun.Â
For the record, no record cold temperatures will be broken.Â
Thursday night will bring another threat of frost and freeze. With a mainly clear sky, light wind and very dry air, temperatures should cool quickly.Â
For inland areas, that means we'll be in the 30s by midnight. Lows will be just below freezing for those in the rural Pine Barrens. If you're in a more built-up area inland or not in the Pinelands, I believe you'll bottom out around 35 degrees. Frost will be around for the hour right around sunrise.Â
The shore will be mild, per usual. Lows will be around 40 degrees.Â
Friday will see a slow rebound in temperatures. Highs will be between 55 and 60 degrees. That's still below average by a decent bit, but it's closer to seasonable. The plentiful sunshine will work the ground.Â
I'll never say never, but Friday night could very well be the last night we need to worry about frosts or freezes.Â
The only places to worry about plants being impacted by the cold will be the rural Pine Barrens, which will dip to the mid-30s. Everywhere else will be well above 32 degrees.
That will takes us to the weekend. We have the classic Bayfest street festival in Somers Point. If you're a Rutgers guy like me, you may head up to Rutgers Day in Piscataway and New Brunswick. Both events run through 4 p.m.Â
We should be dry, but just barely. Rain should hold off until at least 4 p.m., when a cold front rolls through. Rain will fall for a few hours into the evening.Â
Expect increasing cloud cover during the day. With a wind out of the southeast, it'll be cooler. Highs will be in the 55- to 60-degree range again.
Then, the big warmup comes. Sunday through at least Tuesday look to peak in the 70s, if not 80s inland. Even the shore should be in the 60s and 70s. All of this should come with dry weather.Â
As we wrap up the column, note that I'll be away starting Wednesday. However, between now and when I get back, our Lee Weather Team will take care of you with video updates online. That includes a forecast for Bayfest and when weather that will really impact your day comes along. So talk soon, and have a great weekend.
Welcome to the discussion.
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.