Near-Record Weather For NJ: See How Long It Will Last

NEW JERSEY — Last week, you may have broken down and turned on the heat for the first time as frost covered New Jersey. And this week, you might be reaching for the A/C, as we hit near-record high temperatures for this time of October, according to forecasters.

Parts of the Garden State could see temperatures of more than 80 degrees Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service, with highs about 15 degrees above normal. These are expected to be within a degree or two of the records, forecasters say.

"It will feel more like a mid to late August day with highs in the low to mid 80s under clear skies," the National Weather Service said.

And at this time, New Jersey is painfully dry. According to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor map released Oct. 17, Central and South Jersey are in "moderate drought," while North Jersey is "abnormally dry." A small portion of South Jersey is in "severe drought." This dryness has caused wildfires to spark across the state.

There's also no rain in the forecast - parts of North Jersey may see a little rainfall, but not much, and certainly not enough to make any difference. So not only will some areas see near-record high temperatures, they may also reach their longest dry spell by the end of the month, according to the National Weather Service.

The National Weather Service previously said that New Jersey will likely be dry until Halloween, or maybe into November. However, after the weekend, a cold front should move in, lowering the temperatures.

Here's the latest forecast.

North Jersey

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 82. Calm wind becoming south around 6 mph in the afternoon.

Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 53. Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming light and variable.

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 76. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.

Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers after 2 a.m. Partly cloudy, with a low around 52. Southwest wind 7 to 9 mph becoming northwest after midnight.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 64. North wind 11 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

Thursday Night: Clear, with a low around 42.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 64.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 49.

Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near 68.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 43.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 58.

Central Jersey

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 83. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Tuesday Night: Clear, with a low around 49. South wind around 5 mph.

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 77. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 51. South wind around 5 mph becoming west after midnight.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 65. North wind 10 to 15 mph.

Thursday Night: Clear, with a low around 36.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 66.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 45.

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 70.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 40.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 60.

South Jersey

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 83. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Tuesday Night: Clear, with a low around 50. South wind around 5 mph.

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 77. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 52. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 66. North wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Thursday Night: Clear, with a low around 37.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 67.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 46.

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 71.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 41.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 62.