A November-ish chill for NJ, no weather impacts from Hurricane Milton here

The Bottom Line

As the sun rises in Florida, the weather is calming down and residents are heading outside to survey the damage. As of this writing, Hurricane Milton is a category one storm, centered just off Cape Canaveral along Florida's east coast.

I want to once again make it very clear that — despite some hyperbolic headlines to the contrary — New Jersey faces zero weather impacts from Hurricane Milton. If you stand at Cape May Point on Thursday and look due south, you might see a bank of clouds on the northern edge of the storm. And Milton will probably keep the Atlantic churned up for the next few days, raising rough surf and rip current concerns at the Jersey Shore. That is it.

On Wednesday, I mentioned the "roller coaster of autumn" which I talk about every year. We are finally falling into this typical pattern of variable temperatures: Cool Thursday and Friday, warm Saturday and Sunday, and then even cooler next week.

Looking for rain? A shower may dampen part of Sunday, but that's it for now.

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Thursday

Cool.

You will hear and feel a stiff northwesterly breeze rustling the trees, gusting over 20 mph at times throughout Thursday. That wind is keeping the air stirred up Thursday morning. So it is cool, but not quite cold or "frosty" yet. The day begins with temps in the 40s and 50s.

High temperatures on Thursday will only reach the lower 60s. That is decidedly below normal for this time of year. Feeling more like early November than early October. It will be New Jersey's coolest day since mid-May.

Once again, we will enjoy mostly sunny skies and completely dry weather. But you may be reaching for a jacket this time around, especially in the early morning, late evening, or shaded areas.

Thursday night will be clear, and the wind will calm down. Perfect conditions for temperatures to really bottom out.

I do expect the coldest corners of the state (at least) to reach the 30s — that is, NW NJ and the heart of the Pine Barrens. If it is cold enough for long enough, patchy frost is a possibility in those areas, for the first time this season.

The National Weather Service has issued a Frost Advisory for non-coastal, non-urban New Jersey. This is really just a concern for farmers and gardeners that plants will be very unhappy Friday morning. The advisory calls for frosty 30s between Midnight and 9 a.m. Friday.

Friday

Seasonable.

Another bright and beautiful day. With lighter winds and rising temperatures.

Despite the potentially frosty start, high temperatures Friday afternoon should recover to the upper 60s. That is close to normal for this time of year. And again, quite pleasant.

Friday night will not be as cold, with a warmup underway. In fact, temperatures may effectively rise through the 50s from Friday night to Saturday morning.

Saturday

Even warmer.

Whereas Thursday will feel like early November, this weekend will offer a taste of typical early September weather. Great news for any and all outdoor fall activities.

Saturday will feature sunshine and a few fair-weather clouds. And a strong breeze, blowing out of the south. High temperatures will surge into the mid 70s. Back to above seasonal normals. It will be completely dry.

Sunday

One more warm day.

Sunday will not be quite as nice as Saturday. Clouds will fill in as the day progresses.

And there will be two opportunities for a rain shower Sunday — in the morning in North Jersey and late-day in South Jersey. Do not expect much though, maybe a tenth of an inch at the most.

Having said all that, Sunday will likely be the warmest day of the week. Highs are forecast to reach about 75 to 80 degrees.

The Extended Forecast

An even bigger cooldown settles in next week.

Temperatures will take their tumble on Monday, a blustery day overall. (Although dry.) The exact timing of cooler air arrival is still up in the air — we will have to wait and see if the entire day turns cool, or if thermometers rise to 70-ish Monday before cooling off in the afternoon.

By Tuesday and Wednesday, highs will only reach the upper 50s to around 60 degrees. Another taste of November-ish weather. And if conditions are perfectly calm and clear, overnights might fall back in frost territory too.

There are no significant storm systems or chances of rain on the horizon. No imminent tropical developments either.

Dan Zarrow is Chief Meteorologist for Townsquare Media New Jersey. Follow him on Facebook for the latest forecast and realtime weather updates.