Only one of the next five days looks to remain rain-free for the Garden State, with below normal temperatures continuing as well.

What's up with the yucky weather? Blame a stalled front just south of New Jersey, a series of weak atmospheric disturbances, and a prevailing easterly or northeasterly wind. That combination will keep us cool and fairly wet and unsettled as April ends and May begins. I guess we shouldn't complain too much - we do need the rain to stave off the fire danger, pollen, and potential drought concerns.

Rain looks to return for South Jersey by late morning Thursday, pushing into the rest of the state into Thursday afternoon. The rainfall won't be as heavy or stormy as earlier this week. However, a period of light to moderate steady rain is expected, necessitating an umbrella for at least part of the day. Meanwhile, skies will be cloudy and temperatures will be cool, peaking in the mid to upper 50s at best.

Showers may continue for a bit Thursday night, eventually tapering off by Friday morning. It's going to be another chilly night, with lows in the lower to mid 40s.

Some length of dry weather is probable for Friday, although skies will remain quite grey. Another weak wave rides across New Jersey's atmosphere around Friday late afternoon to evening, providing another brief shot of rain. Highs will once again be limited to the mid to upper 50s.

If there's one glimmer of hope in this forecast for a totally dry day, it's Saturday. Partly sunny skies! Highs bumping into the lower to mid 60s! Light winds! It should be a nice day, as long as the rain stays away. (Note: even with temperatures as warm as 65 degrees on Saturday, it's still below normal by a couple of degrees.)

Don't get used to the pleasantry, however. On Sunday, another storm system will deliver periods of rain throughout the day, especially for the southern 2/3 of New Jersey. (Along and south of Interstate 78.) The further south you go on Sunday, the steadier and hard the rain will be.

We'll keep the shower chances alive for Monday, although some models (the Euro in particular) dry us out by Monday morning. Regardless of what falls from the sky, high temperatures will once again only reach the upper 50s or so.

Significant improvements will finally come along on Tuesday and Wednesday next week, with high temperatures bumping into the mid 60s and lower 70s, respectively. Skies will become sunny, and our weather dries out. Winds will probably pick up too, helping to carry warm air into the state. But I think we can deal with a little bit of wind, especially if we get comfortable temperatures in the 70s as a result.

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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