NJ weather: Easter Sunday forecast looks pretty good, but another winter freeze is coming

Ready for another taste of winter in early spring? After a cold Friday morning, with temperatures hovering between 20 and 30 degrees around dawn, New Jersey faces another blast of cold air on Saturday morning, according to meteorologists at the National Weather Service.

Saturday morning lows are expected to drop to 23 degrees at Sussex Airport in Sussex County, 25 degrees in the Morristown area and 26 degrees in Trenton and Atlantic City.

At Newark Liberty International Airport, mercury dropped to 28 degrees on Friday morning, breaking a daily low record for April 2, the weather service said. On Saturday, the low temperature forecast in Newark is 28 degrees, and the record low is 24, set in 1954.

Even if another record is not set, Saturday morning temperatures will be about 10 degrees cooler than normal in early April.

The good news: meteorologists say Saturday afternoon temperatures will heat up until the mid-1950s, under generally sunny skies. And despite a cold morning on Easter Sunday, it will warm up between 50 and 60 degrees in the afternoon, with partly sunny skies.

A light breeze will blow on Sunday afternoon in most areas of New Jersey, but gusts in the Newark region can reach 21 mph, the weather service said. This is something to keep in mind if you are planning an Easter gathering outdoors or an Easter egg hunt.

Looking ahead, meteorologists are predicting a good spring climate on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, with mostly sunny skies and afternoon highs of almost 60 degrees each day. So there is a threat of rain showers on Thursday.

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Len Melisurgo can be found at [email protected].