Wacky 'Winter' Weather This Week In New Jersey

This winter, New Jersey is getting a little bit of everything.

One week, we were shoveling out a few of inches of snow from our driveways and staying home from school. This week, we'll be running for cover from the raindrops, thunder and lightning.

Some of this extreme summer weather will be in store for New Jersey residents this week, preceded by 70-degree temperatures that could make boating fun - and skiing very interesting.

The warmth will come first, with temperatures hitting the 60s on Wednesday and, quite possibly, the 70s on Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.

The severe weather potential will then occur at the tail of record-challenging warmth, according to AccuWeather.

The thunderstorms will mark the leading edge of colder air that will sweep southeastward from Canada and slash temperatures by 20 to 30 degrees during the last weekend of February, according to an AccuWeather release.

"The strongest storms will produce powerful wind gusts, heavy rain and hail," AccuWeather Storm Warning Meteorologist Brian Knopick said in the release.

The storms have the potential to cause travel disruptions, some damage and some power outages in the New Jersey and Pennsylvania region. At the very least, part of the Northeast will be hit with downpours and some thunder and lightning at a time when outdoor activities typically ramp up, according to AccuWeather.

Here is the forecast:

• Tuesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 50. Southeast wind around 8 mph.
• Tuesday night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 39. South wind around 6 mph becoming calm after midnight.
• Wednesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 62. Calm wind becoming southwest around 6 mph in the morning.
• Wednesday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 46. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
• Thursday: A slight chance of showers after 1 p.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 68 to 70. Calm wind becoming southwest 5 to 9 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent.
• Thursday night: A chance of showers, mainly after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 47. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
• Friday: A chance of showers before noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 64. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.
• Friday night: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 50. Chance of precipitation is 50 percent.
• Saturday: Showers likely, with thunderstorms also possible after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 65. Chance of precipitation is 70 percent.

Patch file photo