Although it's not the official start of the calendar summer season, some consider it the best weekend of the entire year. The pools and beaches are finally open, it's a four day weekend for the entire family, and hopefully with some luck, the weather is finally warm and cooperative. If you've been looking forward to the upcoming Memorial Day weekend for a while, we've got some great news for you: the weather looks to cooperate, and then some. This weekend will feature some of the warmest weather we've seen thus far this calendar year, as a mid level ridge builds over the region and allows for moderating temperatures through the weekend and into early next week. There will be a chance of an isolated to scattered thunderstorm on some days, but for the most part, it should be warm and summer-like. Featured image: The latest temperature observations from throughout the area, courtesy of Rutgers Weather Net.

The warmth actually began yesterday, Wednesday, with high temperatures into the mid-80's throughout much of the region. It's forecast to continue today, Thursday, with high's in the mid to upper 80's, and again Friday, where highs may reach into the upper 80's to near 90 in the warmest spots. A weak cold front will cross Friday, but Saturday should still feature temperatures in the mid 80's. The real warm-up begins Sunday through Tuesday, and temperatures should respond, with highs in the 90's possible in the early to middle part of next week, before a cold front moves through around Wednesday. We hope you are all able to get out and enjoy the beautiful weather forthcoming this weekend! Stay tuned for updates on the warmth, the beach forecasts (starting on Memorial Day), and updates on any potential storms that may develop in isolated spots this weekend. The short term forecast at a glance is below!

Today (Thursday): Partly cloudy, with a high around 84. South-southeast winds 8 to 14 miles per hour.

Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 65. Southeast winds 8 to 14 miles per hour.

Friday: Partly cloudy, with a chance of isolated thunderstorms. High around 88. South winds 8 to 14 miles per hour. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Article by John Homenuk. Written May 26th, 2011 at 12:27am. Looking for a forecast? See New York Metro Weather's Long Range Forecast for the upcoming holiday weekend, 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.