Season's First Frost Possible Friday In NJ

NEW JERSEY — Did you break and turn on the heat yet? Thursday is expected to be the coldest day of autumn in New Jersey, and overnight, much of the state could see its first frost, according to forecasters.

Highs Thursday will stay mainly in the low-to-mid 60s, the National Weather Service said, which is about five to 10 degrees below normal. In fact, some areas in North Jersey may not even make it out of the 50s, forecasters say.

The day will be sunny, but there will also be winds of 10 to 15 mph, with gusts up to 25 mph, forecasters say.

"A decidedly early November-like day!" The National Weather Service said.

Skies will stay clear overnight and winds will calm down - making it a good opportunity to catch a glimpse of the aurora here in the Garden State.

However, overnight it'll get even colder as well. A frost advisory will be in effect for much of the state starting at midnight through 9 a.m. Friday. The affected counties are Atlantic, Burlington, Cape May, Cumberland, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Salem, Somerset, Sussex and Warren.

But the cold won't last too long. Temperatures will be slightly warmer Friday and then into the mid-70s over the weekend.

Here's the latest forecast.

North Jersey

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 61. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph.

Thursday Night: Patchy frost after 5 a.m. Otherwise, clear, with a low around 39. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

Friday: Patchy frost before 8 a.m. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 68. West wind around 5 mph.

Friday Night: Clear, with a low around 52. West wind around 5 mph.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 73. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 45.

Sunday: A chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 69. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.

Sunday Night: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 48. Chance of precipitation is 50 percent.

Central Jersey

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 61. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph.

Thursday Night: Patchy frost after 2 a.m. Otherwise, clear, with a low around 36. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

Friday: Patchy frost before 9 a.m. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 67. West wind 5 to 10 mph.

Friday Night: Clear, with a low around 51. West wind 5 to 10 mph.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 75. West wind around 10 mph.

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

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 72.

Sunday Night: A chance of showers between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 52. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent.

South Jersey

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 64. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph.

Thursday Night: Patchy frost after 2 a.m. Otherwise, clear, with a low around 36. North wind around 5 mph.

Friday: Patchy frost before 9 a.m. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 68. West wind around 5 mph.

Friday Night: Clear, with a low around 51. West wind around 5 mph.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 77. West wind 5 to 10 mph.

Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 51.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 75.

Sunday Night: A chance of showers before 2 a.m. Partly cloudy, with a low around 55. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.