We made it, New Jersey! The chill of fall. The snow and ice of winter. The sogginess of spring. All behind us now, as we've reached the "unofficial" start of summer with the Memorial Day Weekend! All in all, there's a lot to love about this weather forecast. We're going to talk about a cooldown, a big warmup, and only two limited chances of rain throughout the weekend.

Thursday's thunderstorms were thankfully on the tame side, although we did see pockets where over a half-inch of rain fell. Skies have since cleared out, so we've got a bright, sunny day ahead for Friday. It will be dry all day, and still mild with highs in the mid 70s (Friday afternoon's temps will be very similar to Thursday). The only weather nuisance of the day will be a brisk northwest wind, which will at least help to cut through the humidity in the air. Gusts will peak at about 30 mph throughout the day — might not be the best beach or boating day.

In fact, a Moderate Risk of dangerous rip currents and rough surf has been posted for the entire Jersey Shore Friday.

Friday night will be clear, calm, and comfortable. (Certainly more comfy than the previous night, thanks to drier air.) Low temperatures will dip into the seasonable mid 50s.

As for the big holiday weekend, let me just break down the big five bullet points...

—Coolest day? Saturday. Let me start by declaring that Saturday will be a pleasant day. Most of the state will enjoy partly sunny skies, dry weather during the day, and high temperatures in the lower 70s. However, with an on-shore component to the wind, southern and coastal New Jersey will end up noticeably cooler — probably in the mid to upper 60s, at best. Not an arctic blast, just cooler than you might like for a beach day.

—Rain chance #1? Late Saturday night (Midnight) to early Sunday morning (6 a.m.) A little shortwave will drive a quick round of rain through the Garden State. No big deal, especially given the overnight timing.

—Warmest day? Sunday. Temperatures will really get cookin', as we climb into the mid to upper 80s (away from the coast). With a mix of sunshine and clouds overhead, it's really going to feel like a summer day!

—Rain chance #2? Sunday evening (8 p.m.) to Monday morning (8 a.m.) This round of rain could be a bit more impactful, due to the earlier timing, the more widespread and heavier nature of the rain, and the chance for some lightning/thunder. But again, it's generally a nighttime rain event.

—Memorial Day? Let's not forget the real reason for the holiday season. There are, of course, tons of parades and remembrance ceremonies scheduled for Memorial Day Monday. Our weather looks OK. There could be a lingering shower around in the morning, then it'll be mostly cloudy and pretty humid. Highs will reach the summery lower 80s — dress cool, and stay hydrated.

As for next week, the final week of May, Tuesday looks rainy and Wednesday looks hot (widespread 90s).

I sincerely hope you have a safe, fun, and reflective holiday weekend. The CMDZ weather blog returns on Tuesday.

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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