NJ weather this week: Chilly to warm, dry to unsettled

Wow, it's a quiet, almost snow-free forecast! I finished my morning routine with so much time to spare, I thought I forgot to do something.

We're kicking off this final week of March with chilly 20s and 30s Monday morning. It will be another bright, sunny day with light winds and dry weather. Highs are expected to reach the mid 40s Monday afternoon — not bad, similar to Sunday, but still about 5 to 10 degrees below normal for this time of year.

We'll stay quiet and cold for Monday night, with low temperatures dipping into the upper 20s overnight.

Clouds will be on the increase on Tuesday, with a slight uptick in temperatures too. Highs will range from the mid 40s in North Jersey and along the Jersey Shore, to near 50 degrees for interior South Jersey.

Our next storm system will introduce an extended period of scattered showers, probably holding off until nearly Midnight Tuesday night.

Wednesday looks like the wet day of the week, as bands of light to moderate rain slowly traverse the Garden State. Yes, just rain! With high temperatures in the lower to mid 50s on Wednesday, there's little to worry about in terms of wintry weather. Having said that, I wouldn't rule it out — with cooler temperatures early and late in the day Wednesday, I supposed there's a chance for a little bit of wintry mix and/or freezing rain. No travel impacts, no accumulations.

Rainfall totals on Wednesday will probably end up in the tenth-of-an-inch to quarter-of-an-inch range. Nothing major, not a washout.

The forecast stays a bit unsettled on Thursday, with a continuing shower chance (especially early and late). We'll finally taste a warmer air mass on Thursday too, with afternoon high temperatures expected to climb into the lower to mid 60s. Even with the cloudy skies and occasional raindrops, that will feel wonderful!

Friday will also be showery and cloudy, and we'll add a gusty wind to the forecast. (Current estimates, up to 40 mph?) It will also be the warmest day of the week, as thermometers soar to near 70 degrees by the afternoon. Nice!

The weekend turns a bit cooler, but our weather improves. I have showers then sunshine for Saturday, and partly sunny skies for Sunday. High temps should be at or above normal, around 55 to 60 degrees, throughout the weekend.

And that's it! Enjoy the quiet, mostly pleasant weather — you know I will!

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