Temperatures in NJ at 6pm (9/15/11)

The coolest air of the past several months has arrived in the forecast area this afternoon and early evening. A cold front swept through the area earlier today, and is ushering in the airmass with gusty northwest winds. The rapidly dropping dew points are adding to the shocking air--making it feel very crisp. Through tonight, it appears likely that the winds will die down at least a bit, and the temperatures will continue to drop as the cold airmass makes it's way here. Temperatures are forecast to drop into the low to mid 40's throughout much of the interior, but may stay closer to 50 in the immediate New York City Metro area. No matter how you slice it, it's going to feel downright chilly compared to the past several days (and weeks) of relatively warm summer weather. The temperature drop could be more than 30 degrees by this evening, and the higher elevations have a chance of dropping into the upper 30's! I think it's safe to say, at this point, that autumn isn't far away. It's certainly doing it's best to let us know.

THE FORECAST... 

Through Tonight: Partly to mostly cloudy early, with a stray shower or two. Then, becoming mostly clear and much colder. Temperatures dropping into the upper 30's to mid 40's inland, and upper 40's to near 50 in the city. Northwest winds 5-10 miles per hour gusting to 20 mph early. I think it's safe to say, you're going to want a sweatshirt and long pants..maybe a jacket, too.

Friday: Beautifully sunny, with some stray fair weather clouds. High temperatures in the low to mid 60's, low dew points, and beautifully crisp air. A wonderful fall day throughout the area (even though it's still summer!).

A BRAND NEW FEATURE...

We invite you to check out our newest feature, interactive forecast (beta). Here's the low down: eventually, we want this product to replace our text forecast page. It adds more functionality, and you can get more accurate forecasts for your location (whether you live in NW NJ or on Long Island), instead of a forecast for just New York City. However, it's still in testing. We're still working ironing out some details.

So go check it out, and let us know what you think. This forecast is not computerized--it is updated by our forecasters at least twice daily. Send us an email, or give us a shout out on Facebook or Twitter to let us know what you think. We're looking forward to hearing from you!

Article written by John Homenuk, September 15th, 2011 at 6:44pm. Looking for a forecast? See New York Metro Weather's Long Range Forecast for the work week, or view our Technical Forecast Discussion for the more serious weather enthusiasts. Also, check out our new Forecast Overview tab. For up to the minute details on forecasts, watches, warnings, and alerts, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

NAM model showing low's in the 30's and 40's Friday AM

A cold front currently situated to our west over Pennsylvania, associated with a disturbance in the middle levels of the atmosphere, will move through the area beginning this morning and afternoon. The first sign of the front will be a wind shift at the surface--where the winds will shift from southerly to westerly. During this shift and for the hours after it, showers and thunderstorms will be scattered throughout the area. Finally, temperatures are forecast to drop rather rapidly in the afternoon. In fact, the temperature drop could be as much as 30 degrees. High temperatures in the early afternoon could actually reach towards 80--and then drop near 50 overnight. Winds will increase as well gust out of the northwest by evening. With clearing skies, a much cooler airmass, lower dew points, and light northwest winds...radiational cooling will be ideal Thursday night into Friday morning. Temperatures will drop accordingly, to near record-low levels, especially in the interior. Forecast models currently indicate low temperatures could reach into the upper 30's (yes, that says upper 30's, not a typo) to lower 40's in the interior and higher elevations, and more towards the upper 40's to near 50 in the city and surrounding areas. Either way you slice it, it will feel shockingly cool after the airmass we've been in for a few weeks.



Today (Thursday): Mostly cloudy, with scattered showers and thunderstorms likely, especially during the morning and afternoon. High temperatures near 80 degrees in the city and New Jersey, and in the 70's inland and near the shore. Temperatures dropping rapidly by late afternoon in all areas. Winds will turn west by afternoon. Bring the rain gear along--but we really can't suggest short or long sleeves. It's really a toss up, depending on what time of day you're going out.

Tonight: Okay, now we can recommend long sleeves. Maybe a sweatshirt, too. Temperatures will be near record-low levels in the interior (upper 30's to low 40's)...and the upper 40's to near 50 in the city. The 30 degree drop in temperatures will feel rather shocking, so be prepared.

Article written by John Homenuk, September 15th, 2011 at 12:32am. Looking for a forecast? See New York Metro Weather's Long Range Forecast for the work week, or view our Technical Forecast Discussion for the more serious weather enthusiasts. Also, check out our new Forecast Overview tab. For up to the minute details on forecasts, watches, warnings, and alerts, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.