Frigid Friday, less windy and warmer this weekend for NJ

The widespread snow cover, a continuing brisk wind, and below normal temperatures will make for a very cold February day.

Here are your weather headlines for Friday, February 10, 2017...

Frigid Friday

I think you'll agree that it's been a very weird weather week so far. From 70+ degree temperatures on Wednesday to big snow and wind on Thursday, I think we're all ready for a quieter, less temperamental forecast.

The best piece of news that I can pass along? Winds are lightened up considerably. While we saw regular wind gusts over 40 mph throughout Thursday afternoon and evening, those wind speeds have been cut in half by Friday morning. The breeze is still adding a bite to the chilly air, of course.

Speaking of chilly air, temperatures have fallen into the teens and lower 20s across most of the state. Wind chill ("feels like") temperatures are in the single digits in spots. It's definitely a "bundle up tightly" kind of morning - although it's not quite "dangerous" cold, you'll be wise to dress in layers and cover up as much exposed skin as possible before opening the front door.

Sky-wise, we'll start Friday with sunshine, with high clouds increasing through the afternoon hours. We stay dry, but cold. High temperatures are forecast to only reach the upper 20s to lower 30s. Only areas without snow cover (South Jersey) have the chance of bumping above freezing Friday afternoon.

Models suggest thermometers will only drop a few degrees Friday evening. As a clipper system barely clips New Jersey, a round of snow showers will be possible. We might even pick up a half-inch to inch of fresh snow, but only in far North Jersey, above Interstate 80.

Weekend Warmup

As we dive into the second weekend of February, temperatures will actually jump from 10 degrees below normal to 10 degrees above normal!

Although Saturday will be mostly cloudy, afternoon highs are forecast to reach the mid 40s in North Jersey, the upper 40s in Central Jersey, and the lower 50s in South Jersey. A fairly pleasant day, featuring solid snow melt.

We'll see similar numbers on Sunday, with highs in the mid 40s to lower 50s. It promises to be a grey and somewhat wet end to the weekend, however, with periods of rain in the forecast. Rainfall totals will probably end up between a quarter-inch and a half-inch. While it will be a primarily rain weather event, I wouldn't rule out a few snowflakes by Sunday evening.

Fairly Active Next Week

A series of weak fronts will keep our weather mildly interesting through the middle of next week. As cooler air returns to the Garden State, a gusty wind will return on Monday. Gusts over 40 mph will be possible - although I'll mention that I've seen model data suggesting fierce 50 or 60 mph gusts.

Temperatures next week will be mostly seasonable, generally in the lower 40s (give or take). Skies will be mostly sunny. And our weather forecast looks mostly dry through Wednesday or Thursday.

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