Keep those winter coats handy. You will need them for at least the next several days.
If you’re longing for a stroll on the boardwalk or hitting the links for a round of golf, the next few days will not be ideal options, even though we’re into our third week of spring.
Temperatures across most of New Jersey will be running as much as 10 to 15 degrees colder than normal for early April and 12 to 18 degrees colder than usual down in South Jersey.
Although no record lows will be broken, the mercury will be stuck around 41 degrees in Atlantic City on Saturday and will drop to a frigid 27 degrees Saturday night, according to forecasters from the National Weather Service.
During a normal early April, Atlantic City should be basking in 60-degree warmth during the day and around 40 degrees at night. But this is no normal April.
Up in Newark, temperatures will be stuck in the mid- to upper 40s during the next four days and in the 30s at night — getting as low as 30 degrees Saturday night. To make matters worse, there’s a chance of snow mixing in with rain, particularly in South Jersey, where a light accumulation of snow is possible on Saturday.
Winter weather pattern continues
If you’re looking to blame something on this lingering wintry weather in early spring, look no further than the jet stream, which has been dipping low and pushing cold air from Canada down into the northern and eastern United States, said Tim Morrin, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service‘s regional office in Upton, N.Y.
“The pattern that has provided a very wet and cold March has not really broken down. It’s still in place,” Morrin said on Friday. “This early start in April is continuing in March’s footsteps. It’s more of a winter pattern.”
So, when will this winter pattern break down and allow the real spring to arrive?
Morrin says we’ll have to wait at least another six days. By the end of next week, temperatures should start to return to normal, or at least near normal.
“That may be a sign that we may break out of that pattern,” Morrin said.
We can only hope he is right.
How many of us feel about this ‘spring’
Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @LensReality or like him on Facebook. Find NJ.com on Facebook.