New Jersey weather forecasters say the state will likely get a repeat of the last two storms, with a solid soaking of rain instead of heavy snow.
Some good news for New Jerseyans who hate shoveling snow and loathe driving on slushy roads: We are heading into a warmer weather pattern, so most of the moisture that's heading our way in the next few days will come in the form of rain instead of snow.
Yes, it will be more wet than white -- at least during the upcoming weekend and into the middle of next week, according to weather forecasters.
"It looks like we're in a warmer pattern," at least in the short term, said Zach Chabala, a meteorologist at WeatherWorks Inc., a private forecasting company based in Warren County.
Although a lot of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico will drift up into Pennsylvania and New Jersey this weekend, thanks to a low-pressure system that will be riding along a cold front, temperatures in the Garden State will remain too warm to support wintry weather, Chabala said.
Aside from some passing snow showers in northwestern New Jersey on Friday, "it doesn't look like there will be any snow this weekend," he noted.
Your updated 10 day forecast shows a very active weather pattern coming our way over the next few days...be sure to stay with @StormTeam4NY for frequent updates! pic.twitter.com/3ycbkYwrCL
-- Raphael Miranda (@Raphael4NY) February 7, 2018
A familiar pattern
If this feels like deja vu all over again, it is. This will likely be the third large storm system in less than a week that will produce a lot of snow in areas west and north of New Jersey -- but not in New Jersey. Once again, the Garden State happens to sit on the warmer side of the storm and will get a decent soaking of rain, Chabala said.
The same thing happened on Super Bowl Sunday, and it happened again with the fast-moving storm system that swept across New Jersey on Wednesday. While some parts of northern and central New Jersey got a light coating of snow, and some areas had a thin layer of ice, making roads slick and forcing many schools to close, most of the region ended up with a mix of snow and freezing rain before Wednesday's precipitation turned into all rain.
This little bird seemed to enjoy the light snow and sleet that fell in Warren County on Wednesday, Feb. 7. But most of New Jersey has been getting a lot more rain than snow as of late. (Dave Dabour | LehighValleyLive.com) Weekend weather outlook
Friday is shaping up to be a dry day across most of New Jersey, with highs ranging from the mid 30s to the low 40s and clouds increasing as the day goes on. One caveat: The National Weather Service says a weak area of low pressure could bring some light snow showers to areas along and north of Interstate 80 from late Friday morning through Friday afternoon.
On Saturday, periods of drizzle and scattered rain showers are expected during the day and at night, with temperatures ranging from around 50 degrees in North Jersey to the mid- to upper 50s in South Jersey.
"It's not looking like a complete washout" on Saturday, Chabala said. "The better chance for some showers is going to be towards Sunday."
On Sunday, New Jersey will likely see periods of steady rain throughout the day, with temperatures hovering in the upper 40s to low 50s.
The National Weather Service says there's a slight chance of rain changing to snow Monday night into Tuesday, but it's too early to say with certainty whether any snow will accumulate.
Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @LensReality or like him on Facebook. Find NJ.com on Facebook.