Crazy NJ Weather: Thunderstorms, Record Temps, 40-MPH Winds

NEW JERSEY – Here's a forecast you'd expect for July, not January, in New Jersey: thunderstorms, 40-mph winds, lots of rain and record-high temperatures.

A bizarre weekend forecast is in the works for the Garden State as temperatures are supposed to rise into the 60s, just days after plummeting to 20 degrees.

And there's a better chance that New Jersey will get a "severe thunderstorm watch" on Sunday than a "winter weather advisory."

Temperatures are expected to rise into the 50s on Friday afternoon, and then reach 60 on Saturday before nearly approaching 70 degrees on Sunday.

Thunderstorms could arrive early Sunday morning, with winds as strong as 35 mph, according to the National Weather Service.

Temperatures will average 15-30 degrees Fahrenheit above normal across the region, according to AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok. Saturday's highs in the 50s and 60s will be a far cry from early January normals in the 30s to lower 40s from Pittsburgh and Syracuse, New York, to Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, Boston and Portland, Maine.

Then rain with embedded rumbles of thunder and locally damaging winds will sweep through the Northeast later Saturday night into Sunday as the storm system charges eastward, according to AccuWeather.

Here is the forecast:

• Friday: A slight chance of rain after 11am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 47. Southwest wind 7 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent.
• Friday night: A chance of rain, mainly after 2am. Patchy fog after 8pm. Otherwise, cloudy, with a low around 43. Southwest wind around 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
• Saturday: A chance of rain, mainly after 5pm. Patchy fog. Otherwise, cloudy, with a high near 61. Southwest wind 8 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
• Saturday night: A chance of rain before 8pm, then showers, mainly after 2am. Patchy fog. Low around 56. South wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
• Sunday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 11am, then showers likely between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. High near 64. South wind 14 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
• Sunday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 36.