The Bottom Line

Wednesday's big weather headline will be a gusty wind kicking up through the afternoon and evening hours, as a new cooler, drier air mass "whooshes" in. We'll then get a few days of cooler, calmer weather before the remnants of Hurricane Delta aims for the Garden State early next week.

Wednesday

First of all, Wednesday morning is about 10 degrees warmer than the past few mornings. Temperatures are mainly in the 50s, with some balmy 60s along the coast. We'll enjoy a warmer day overall, with highs pushing into the mid 70s. That is 5 to 10 degrees above normal for early October.

The day will start bright and sunny, with a breeze kicking in shortly after sunrise. That southwesterly wind will blow up to about 20 mph.

A few clouds will come into view Wednesday afternoon. And a few showers are possible too starting around 2 p.m., mainly for the northern half of New Jersey. However, our impending cold front appears to be starved of available moisture, keeping rain chances relatively low.

The wind will be the bigger deal, blowing out of the west in the 30 to 40 mph range for most of the state from mid-afternoon through evening. Gusts to 50 mph are possible to the north and east. A Wind Advisory has been issued for 5 counties in NE NJ from 2 p.m. Wednesday until 2 a.m. Thursday.

That degree of wind is not necessarily dangerous. But definitely noticeable. And could cause sporadic power outages. It would be wise to "batten down" your garbage cans and Halloween decorations before it starts to blow.

The wind will calm somewhat Wednesday night, amidst clearing skies and chilly temperatures. Thermometers will dip to around 50 degrees by Thursday morning.

Thursday

Still breezy, with the return of bright sunshine. It will be much cooler, with highs only reaching the lower to mid 60s. That is 5 to 10 degrees below seasonal norms.

Friday

Another sunny, dry day. With only a light breeze. And seasonable temperatures near 70 degrees. Looks like a great early October day.

Saturday

The forecast for this Columbus Day holiday weekend will be dictated by the path of Hurricane Delta's remnants. Delta will impact Cancun, Mexico on Wednesday, before beelining toward the Louisiana coast on Friday. The wind, storm surge, and rain will be severe there.

Here in New Jersey, we'll see increased cloud cover on Saturday. But most model guidance still keeps the rain away. Humidity and temperatures will also be on the rise, with highs in the mid 70s.

Sunday & Monday

Wet. Very wet. If Delta's remnant low tracks directly over New Jersey, we could experience several inches of rainfall between Sunday morning and Monday evening. I think there's still a lot of "wiggle room" in this 5-6 day forecast, so I don't want to nail down the timeline and impacts for now. Just keep in mind, your outdoor plans for the latter part of the extended weekend are in jeopardy.

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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