As last night's thunderstorms clear out of New Jersey Friday morning, skies will clear away and humidity will drop slightly as the weekend approaches.

Here are your weather headlines for Friday, August 21, 2015...

Today: Some Clearing

Current weather radar
Current weather radar
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Widespread rain totals in the 1+ inch range were noted overnight, from a line of heavy rain and loud thunderstorms that rolled through New Jersey. Cape May has been the overall rainfall winner so far, with close to 3 inches of rain since midnight. A couple of Flash Flood Warnings were posted last night in the central and southern parts of the state, as rainfall rates topped an inch per hour in spots.

As of this writing, the last bit of moderate to heavy rain is exiting Monmouth and Ocean counties. Behind the rain, skies will clear away to partly sunny by this afternoon. Although I can't rule out a shower or storm popping up this afternoon, the spread of any additional rain will be isolated at best.

Meanwhile, temperatures will top out in the seasonable lower to mid 80s today.

Weekend: Some Sun, Stray Showers

All week, I've been warning of a "less than perfect" weekend weather forecast... Frankly, the forecast is now looking pretty decent. We'll see a mix of sun and clouds for both Saturday and Sunday. The newest models agree that slightly drier air will lower humidity levels a bit - we'll take it! While you will still feel a touch of mugginess during peak heating on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, conditions won't be as oppressive as the past few days. Additionally, the lower humidity will allow nighttime low temperatures to fall into the mid to upper 60s... That will be a big, welcome difference from the stifling morning temperatures in the 70s we've endured this week.

The weekend won't be perfect, though. With a storm system spinning just off-shore, clouds may be thicker at times and in spots (particularly along the coast). In addition, spotty showers will be possible for both Saturday and Sunday. Instability is low, so we should avoid widespread thunder or heavy rain. I'm thinking that the vast majority of New Jersey will stay dry this weekend. But if you have outdoor plans, it will be worthwhile to keep an eye on the sky (or radar) in case some raindrops are heading your way.

I'm still thinking rough surf and an elevated risk of rip currents will be possible this weekend. So, as always, please pay close attention to posted flags and lifeguard instructions.

Early Next Week: Hot, then Dry

Sunshine should dominate the skies over New Jersey on Monday. Humidity levels will stay manageable, with dew points in the 60s. It will feel sticky Monday afternoon, especially since high temperatures are expected to climb to around 90° for most of the state.

This burst of heat will be short-lived, however, as a respectable front is expected to pass through New Jersey early Tuesday morning. That front could deliver a few showers, but its passage should be mostly dry. We will see slightly cooler temperatures on Tuesday and beyond, although temperatures will still be in the very warm mid 80s. The big difference with the new air mass behind the front? MUCH lower humidity!

So as high pressure and dry air takes control, our weather looks quite comfortable, dry, and warm next week... I suspect we'll enjoy a simply gorgeous string of days next week from Tuesday onward!

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