The calm before … well, a lot of things

There are so many nuances to this weekend's forecast that Dan will be back here online on Friday. Such is the nature of winter in New Jersey!

What you need to know about for Thursday is the wind. A Wind Advisory has been issued across the state from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m., as gusts could exceed 40 mph. Otherwise, the daytime will be partly cloudy, with some possible snow showers in North Jersey, and temperatures falling through the 40s during the day.

The big cooldown we've been previewing all week starts overnight, with lows getting into the 20s. Skies clear up in the evening, and it will remain breezy.

Then, Friday will look like a nice day, with sunny skies, but it may not feel that way. Temperatures almost surely will hang at or below the freezing mark, in the lower 30s, even while the sun is out.

Saturday, though, is the really complicated day, and it'll necessitate a bit more explanation from Dan as we get closer. Right now the timeline looks to start with snow, change to a mix, and then flip over entirely to rain by Saturday afternoon, with temperatures hovering in the mid-30s for North Jersey and lower 40s for South Jersey.

What's the timing and any accumulation? Check back here Thursday afternoon for an update.

Chief Meteorologist Dan Zarrow returns on-air Monday, Jan. 27, but will handle the upcoming weather blog duties for Friday and Saturday. Patrick Lavery is Senior Producer of Morning News and Special Programming for New Jersey 101.5, and is lead reporter and substitute anchor for "New Jersey's First News."