Rainstorms, Heavy Wind, Possible Thunder Later This Week In NJ: See The Forecast

NEW JERSEY — Punxsutawney Phil may have predicted six more weeks of winter, but it sure won't appear that way this week. Amid high temperatures in the upper 60s, New Jersey will endure multiple rainstorms, plus some intense winds, forecasters predict.

Dry conditions will persist a couple more days, with record-challenging warmth arriving Wednesday, when weather officials expect highs in the low-to-mid-60s. The National Weather Service anticipates highs pushing into the mid-to-upper-60s throughout much of the state Thursday, when the rain will begin.

Showers should begin Thursday afternoon, with a lull in precipitation that evening, according to forecasters. Another round of rain will enter the state Friday morning, with gusty, northwesterly winds possibly ranging from 30-40 mph, the National Weather Service says.

Some rumbles of thunder "can't be ruled out" for Friday, according to the National Weather Service's Mount Holly office. However, precipitation will primarily take place in the morning.

Temperatures will dip Friday night, with wind chills potentially in the teens or single digits, according to the agency. But regional forecasters expect temperatures to rebound quickly through the weekend.

Some temperature records in the region already fell this week. Officials recorded a 56-degree high Monday at John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens, New York. The airport's record high for Feb. 13 was previously 54 degrees in 1949.

While New Jersey's winter has been warm so far, AccuWeather forecasters are monitoring the potential for a colder weather pattern on the East Coast starting in March.

"Much colder weather may move into these regions by early March, which could be a problem for some early emerging plants and buds," said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson.

Here's the National Weather Service's latest North Jersey forecast:

• Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 54. West wind 9 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
• Tuesday night: Increasing clouds, with a low around 38. Southwest wind around 6 mph becoming south after midnight.
• Wednesday: Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 63. Breezy, with a south wind 8 to 13 mph increasing to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph.
• Wednesday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 51. Southwest wind 7 to 13 mph.
• Thursday: A chance of showers, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 1 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 64. South wind 5 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70 percent. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
• Thursday night: Showers, mainly after 1 a.m. Low around 55. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
• Friday: Showers likely, mainly before 10 a.m. Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 58. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent.
• Friday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 23. Blustery.
• Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 42.
• Saturday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 32.
• Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 52.

Here's the agency's latest South Jersey forecast:

• Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 50. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
• Tuesday night: Increasing clouds, with a low around 40. Light southwest wind becoming south 5 to 10 mph in the evening.
• Wednesday: Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 54. Breezy, with a south wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.
• Wednesday night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 46. Southwest wind 10 to 15 mph.
• Thursday: Showers likely, mainly after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 54. South wind 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
• Thursday night: Showers, mainly after 1 a.m. Low around 51. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
• Friday: Showers, mainly before 1 p.m. High near 52. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent.
• Friday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 25. Blustery.
• Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 43.
• Saturday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 35.
• Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 51.