One more comfortably warm day, the rest of the week turns steamy and stormy

The Bottom Line

New Jersey will savor one more comfortably warm day before a big surge of humidity has us sweating uncontrollably and helps to fuel some thunderstorms. Tuesday will be another gorgeous weather day with a cool start, a warm finish, gradually increasing clouds, dry air, and dry weather. Wednesday, however, will be very different as clouds and humidity take over. A few showers and thunderstorms are likely, both early and late. The heat and humidity really surge on Thursday, again with the opportunity for some strong thunderstorms during the day. Friday looks like the hottest, most uncomfortable day of the week, with high temperatures in the 90s and a heat index over 100 degrees. If all goes well, keep fingers crossed for a big drop in humidity and a temporary break in rain chances for the upcoming weekend.

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Weather Hazards

Big changes arrive Wednesday, as New Jersey's weather turns considerably more active.

Humidity levels will surge, followed by increasing opportunities for thunderstorms on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. None of those days look like complete washouts, but any thunderstorm that develops could become strong to severe due to the abundance of heat and moisture in the atmosphere. The biggest concern with any storm will be torrential downpours, gusty winds, and dangerous cloud-to-ground lightning.

In addition, temperatures will climb into the 90s by Thursday and Friday. Combined with the elevated humidity, the heat index could approach or exceed 100 degrees in some locations. That is right at the threshold for "dangerous" heat.

Climatological Context

June 9 is the 160th day of 2026.

Normal high temperatures range from 79 to 80 degrees, while normal low temperatures range from 59 to 62 degrees.

June is, on average, New Jersey's third warmest and third wettest month of the year.

Tuesday

Tuesday begins on a cool and refreshing note. Early morning temperatures ranged from the mid 40s in the Pine Barrens and northwest hills to the lower 60s in urban sections of the state. With most temperatures waking up to 40s and 50s, a light jacket would be a reasonable choice through mid-morning.

But just like Monday, temperatures will rebound quickly under bright June sunshine. Highs will end up close to 80 degrees. That happens to be almost exactly the normal high for this point in the season. Even better news: Humidity remains in the basement for one more day, keeping conditions comfortable from start to finish.

Look for clouds to gradually increase from midday through the afternoon. But don't worry, dry weather continues. It will be another beautiful late-spring day with no weather complaints at all.

Tuesday night will be warmer than the previous night, with lows settling in the 60s.

Wednesday

Wednesday is a day of change.

Temperatures will actually be very similar to Tuesday, once again topping out close to 80 degrees. However, the day will look and feel completely different, as our arch-nemesis humidity makes a dramatic comeback.

Clouds will dominate the sky for much of the day. And we will likely see a few showers and thunderstorms around both early and late in the day. The added moisture in the atmosphere could fuel pockets of heavy rain. While Wednesday is not expected to be a washout, it marks the beginning of a much steamier and stormier weather pattern overall.

Thursday

Thursday turns decidedly summerlike: Hot, humid, and breezy.

High temperatures will surge to around 90 degrees while humidity levels continue to climb, with dew points in the 70s. The combination will make the air feel thick, sticky, and uncomfortable. The heat index — the "feels like" or "apparent" temperature — will probably approach the triple-digit mark.

Skies stay mostly cloudy. And Thursday is the day I am most concerned about scattered strong thunderstorms, again fueled by the abundant heat (energy) and humidity (moisture) in the air. Watch for downpours, gusty winds, and dangerous lightning, especially in the afternoon and early evening hours. (Although some forecast models do paint an earlier round of storm activity too.)

Friday & Beyond

Friday looks like the hottest and most uncomfortable day of the week. Yuck.

Temperatures should reach the lower to middle 90s across much of New Jersey. Dew points push well into the 70s. By the numbers, the heat index would climb above 100 degrees — again, "dangerous" heat for those who have to spend any time outdoors.

There will be a mix of clouds and sunshine. There will be another chance for a spot thunderstorm early and late in the day, although the overall spread of storm activity looks less than both Wednesday and Thursday.

Late Friday into early Saturday, a weak cold front should introduce slightly cooler and much drier air to New Jersey, putting an end to our steamy, stormy weather pattern. If this forecast holds, that should set us up for a nice — although definitely warm and summery — weekend.

My current forecast for Saturday shows sunshine and mid 80s, climbing to near 90 on Sunday. But with the return of lower humidity, that would be a much more comfortable and manageable heat than on Thursday and Friday. I am not completely sold on the really dry air and totally dry forecast that some model guidance is promoting for the weekend. But we will try for the optimistic outlook for now!

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