Patchy drizzle is possible and grey skies are likely Thursday throughout the Garden State, but rain will not make a comeback until Thursday night.

New Jersey will fall under the influence of three distinct storm systems over the next few days: 1.) a broad coastal storm system over the Atlantic, 2.) another area of low pressure centered over Kentucky, and 3.) a cold front. The first two systems will keep the gloomy weather over the Garden State for now. Number three will eventually kick out the rain and clouds and cool temperatures.

At the moment, we're right in the middle of these systems, contributing to a few hours of (dare I say) mainly dry weather. Don't get used to it - we're still blocked into a dreary, damp weather pattern that won't break until the weekend.

Thursday could see periods of patchy drizzle, but we should avoid actual "rainfall" during the daytime hours. It will remain cloudy and cool, with highs still about 10 degrees below normal in the upper 50s. One weather difference compared to the past few days will be a stiff northeasterly breeze that will pick up during the afternoon.

Additionally, a Coastal Flood Advisory has been issued for Thursday evening's high tide cycle. As wind-driven waves push water toward the coast, surge of 1 to 1.5 feet is expected according to the National Weather Service. That's enough water to potentially cause minor flooding of low-lying areas next to tidal waterways. Again, the key word here is minor. A foot or two may cause some localized road closures, but any kind of significant or widespread damage is highly unlikely.

Sometime Thursday night through Friday morning, the rain will return, as the aforementioned continental storm system slowly enters New Jersey.

Given the available moisture and marginal instability, pockets of heavy rain and scattered thunder are expected on Friday. It just looks like another soggy day amidst a wet week. Highs will be limited to the upper 50s to around 60 degrees - our 9th consecutive day of below-normal temperatures.

We are still expecting some welcome improvements for the upcoming weekend!

Saturday's rain chances will be limited to isolated showers. And the thick clouds may briefly part to allow some breaks of sun by the late afternoon hours! High temperatures will warm to the mid 60s - still below normal (near 70), but we'll take what we can get.

On Sunday morning, a cold front will sweep through New Jersey, bringing one more round of showers and thunderstorms. (Best guess at timing of the rain would be 8 a.m. to Noon.) Behind the rain will come the front, which will sweep out all the junk - the rain will depart, clouds will decrease, and sunshine will bring warmer temperatures. As long as the sun shines on Sunday afternoon, I expect high temperatures to reach the 70-degree mark somewhere in New Jersey.

Monday looks fantastic with sunny, mild, and dry weather. Don't get used to the pleasantries though - models show showers could return to our forecast as early as Tuesday. (Although temperatures will push further into the 70s on Tuesday afternoon and maybe even into the 80s on Wednesday?)

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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