NJ weather: Warming and storming through the final days of July

The Bottom Line

It's baaaaack. Our old friend and enemy humidity has been creeping upward all week. And you will definitely feel a difference in the air Tuesday. With dew points firmly in the 70s now, we face high humidity for the next week (at least) before any real relief builds in.

Of course, it is summertime in New Jersey. Heat, humidity, and thunderstorms should never be surprising this time of year.

Expect steamy and occasionally stormy weather through the rest of the week. And we will likely begin August with a new heat wave, as widespread 90s return to New Jersey. The weekend forecast is tricky. But one thing is for sure — it will not be as perfect as last weekend.

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Tuesday

It's thick, it's humid, it's warm. 70s across the board to start the day, and highs will reach the mid 80s or so Tuesday afternoon. At least it is not too hot — yet.

We will see a mix of clouds and sun across the day. So far so good for your outdoor activities.

There is a chance of a popup shower or thunderstorm at some point this afternoon. The better chance for rain will hold off until Tuesday evening, as an impulse rides in from the west.

Everyone in the state will have an opportunity to get wet from scattered right Tuesday night, although it may be rather hit or miss. I do not see anything too crazy going down — maybe some localized downpours causing ponding/flooding issues.

Any rain that does fall overnight will not cut through the humidity. Low temperatures will again only drop into the 70s.

Wednesday

I have to keep the chance of a shower or thunderstorm plugged in to the forecast throughout the day. It looks like isolated to spotty stuff. And realistically, we should see some clearing late-day.

Highs will push toward 90 degrees across most of New Jersey on Wednesday.

Thursday

We have a shot at a storm-free day on Thursday. It is far from a slam dunk. But I believe the headline will be an even hotter, more humid air mass building in.

High temperatures on Thursday will surge into the lower 90s. (Maybe as hot as 95 degrees.) Add in dew points nudging toward 75, and you get a heat index in the triple-digit danger zone. I would expect advisories to come out for Thursday at some point, as it is going to be an unusually, unseasonably hot and humid day.

Friday

Friday could go a number of directions. It could be the steamiest day of the week, with the highest temperatures (lower to mid 90s) and highest dew points (potentially up to 76-ish).

A thunderstorm is possible Friday afternoon. The threat looks isolated once again — but given all the energy pent up in the atmosphere, any storm that does develop will likely be on the strong side.

Saturday & Beyond

The weekend is tricky. There could be some pieces of energy sliding through New Jersey — enough to produce scattered showers and thunderstorms. The timing of those raindrops will be critical for planning outdoor activities, and I just do not have a confident outlook of that piece of the forecast yet.

Whether or not thunderstorms get in the way this weekend, the heat and humidity will probably continue. I do not see much opportunity for a cooldown or much-needed drydown until the middle of next week, at the earliest.

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