Cold Weekend Expected (Jan 1-3)

First, I would like to wish the best social following on the planet a Happy New Year! Strong high pressure in the W. US is helping to squash the SE ridge in the Atlantic Ocean that’s been keeping New Jersey warm. Our first “decent” cold air mass of the winter will now swing through this weekend and peak on Tuesday. Let’s break it down.

Friday (Jan 1) high temperatures will struggle to get out of the 30s for NNJ elevations. The rest of New Jersey should reach the low-to-mid 40s. Skies should feature a mixed bag of sun and clouds. Winds should be breezy-to-gusty out of the W/NW. This should make it feel even colder. Lows should fall well-below freezing for all except maybe the extreme SENJ coast.

Saturday (Jan 2) high temperatures should struggle to get out of the 30s statewide. The immediate coast could get into the lower-40s. Skies should be mostly sunny. Winds should be breezy-to-gusty out of the W/NW. This should make it feel even colder. Lows should fall into the teens for NNJ elevations, the 20s for most of New Jersey, and right around freezing for the SENJ coast.

Sunday (Jan 3) high temperatures will struggle to get out of the 30s for NNJ elevations. The rest of New Jersey should reach the low-to-mid 40s. Skies should be mostly sunny. Winds should be light out of the W. Lows should fall into the teens for NNJ elevations, the 20s for most of New Jersey, and right around freezing for the SENJ coast.

An early look at next week indicates peak cold shot conditions early in the week. Tuesday could struggle to get above freezing for high temperatures. Couple that with strong N winds and it should feel brutal. Wednesday into the weekend looks to moderate a bit in temperatures but nothing crazy (highs in the 30s/40s with lows still dipping below freezing for most). A winter storm signal remains in the January 8-12 period (still the long range period). We won’t be able to start tracking specific storm threats until mid-week at the earliest. For now the teleconnections are modeled ideal with a split flow pattern. Beyond that looks even colder as Arctic air masses unload onto the E. US through mid-January. Stay warm, have a Happy New Year, have a great weekend and be safe! JC

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Jonathan Carr

Jonathan Carr (JC) is the founder and sole operator of Weather NJ, New Jersey’s largest independent weather reporting agency. Since 2010, Jonathan has provided weather safety and forecasting services for New Jersey and immediate surrounding areas through the web, social media, and app spaces. Originally branded as Severe NJ Weather (before 2014), Weather NJ is proud to bring you accurate and responsible discussions ahead of high-stakes weather scenarios that impact the garden state. All Weather. All New Jersey.™