High pressure remains in control of New Jersey's atmosphere, and so our weather remains quiet and unseasonably warm.

Autumn officially begins one week from today. And Mother Nature is providing a continual reminder this week that summer isn't quite over yet!

A thin deck of high cirrus clouds has moved over New Jersey today, and will likely stream through the sky for most of the day. Not to worry - plenty of sunshine will filter through those clouds, warming us up quickly again this afternoon.

Overall, this continues to be a dry and mostly pleasant forecast through at least the first half of the weekend. Morning temperatures will end up mostly in the cool 50s, a bit below seasonal normals. Meanwhile, afternoon temperatures jump into the mid 80s for all but the higher elevations and coastal areas of the state. That will be about 8 to 10 degrees above normal for mid-September. Daily records are still in the 90s, so this isn't earth-shattering, groundbreaking warmth... just unseasonable.

We will see a subtle change to this trend on Friday, as high pressure drifts off-shore. That will open the door to a slow rise in dew points, and therefore an increase in humidity. As a result, mornings will be a bit warmer, and the afternoon could feel a bit sticky on Friday and Saturday.

The next significant change to our weather will come on Sunday. A cold front - not an incredibly organized one - will push across New Jersey throughout the day. As it passes, we could see a few isolated showers. However, as I mentioned, the front is looking pretty weak... So the chances for widespread rain and/or bigtime thunderstorms are dwindling with each successive model run. Behind the front, a brisk north wind (up to 25 mph) will deliver cooler and drier air... that wind will certainly be noticeable through much of Sunday.

Sunday's highs should still reach the lower 80s for most of the Garden State, before temperatures drop behind the front. Monday's high temperatures are expected to be almost 10 degrees cooler, in the lower 70s - very fall-like indeed!

While there are a few scattered rain chances popping up for next week, it's nothing big. Frankly, the rest of September looks almost rain-free... not good for our precarious drought situation. (We'll get an update on that tomorrow from the U.S. Drought Monitor.)

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

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