Wednesday was the 25th day of 2018 on which the thermometer at Newark Airport reached or exceeded 90 degrees. The long-term seasonal average is 24.5 days, so we're now officially above normal. Yes indeed, both sides of our flip-flopping wet-then-hot summer have been quite unusual.

If you liked Wednesday's weather, you'll probably enjoy Thursday's heat and humidity as well. We'll see plenty of sunshine again, with scattered clouds dotting the sky of New Jersey too. High temperatures will reach the lower 90s by Thursday afternoon, probably a couple of degrees warmer than Wednesday. (And about 6 to 8 degrees above normal for mid-August, believe it or not.) Humidity levels will be a notch higher too, pushing the heat index ("feels like" temperature) to the mid to upper 90s for much of the state.

A Heat Advisory continues until 6 p.m. Friday for the urban areas of northeastern New Jersey, on the edges of the New York City metro area. This includes eastern Bergen, eastern Essex, Hudson, and Union counties.

It's going to stay muggy, although quiet, for Thursday night. With a few clouds overnight, lows will only dip into the lower to mid 70s.

Friday also looks steamy — in fact, the latest model guidance suggests it will be the hottest and most oppressive day of the week. High temperatures could touch mid 90s in urban areas and/or SW NJ, with a heat index again approaching the triple-digit mark.

Our next batch of unsettled weather is also scheduled for Friday. Skies will become mostly cloudy throughout the day, although I think any rain will hold off until the afternoon hours at the earliest. A round of scattered late-day thunderstorms could impact your Friday evening commute and/or weekend getaway. Stronger storms are possible, which could produce gusty winds and locally heavy rainfall.

Storms will exit by Saturday morning, and then we'll feel the effects of a weak cold front. Saturday should miss the 90 degree mark (barely), with forecast high temperatures in the mid to upper 90s. The day will start off fair, with a mix of sun and clouds.

Starting Saturday afternoon, we'll be on the lookout for another batch of light rain to push through the state. So once again, the day doesn't look perfect but it won't be even close to a washout.

At the moment, Sunday appears to be the cooler, drier day of the weekend. Partly sunny skies, with a high temperatures around 80 degrees? Pinch me — that's beautiful!

We could have several days in a row of pleasant weather early next week, with high temps generally in the lower 80s. I'm only concerned about a partial on-shore flow producing thicker cloud cover than we might like. But a stretch of dry, seasonable weather would be very welcome after this crazy lost summer, which is rapidly winding down.

Dan Zarrow is Chief Meteorologist for Townsquare Media New Jersey. Follow him on Facebook or Twitter for the latest forecast and realtime weather updates.

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