Heavy Rain In NJ St. Patrick’s Day Forecast

NEW JERSEY - Two rounds of rain are set to hit the Garden State on St. Patrick’s Day, starting from the top o’ the morning into the late evening.

The first round of precipitation is expected to be lighter and start in the early morning, according to the National Weather Service, while moderate to heavy rain should hit the state in the early afternoon. The Jersey Shore is predicted to see the heaviest rainfall, with up to an inch in the forecast in South Jersey along the coast.

“Heaviest rain mostly south and east of I-95,” the National Weather Service said. Localized fog is also possible.

The rest of the state will see around a quarter to a half an inch of rain, forecasters added. Rain should move offshore after 10 p.m. Thursday night.

The silver - er, green - lining: temperatures across New Jersey are expected to reach the mid- to upper-50s on Thursday. As rain is ushered into the state later this evening, temperatures should drop into the high 40s before a sunny, 70-degree Friday.

Here’s the latest forecast:

Thursday: Periods of rain. High near 50. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Thursday Night: Periods of rain, mainly before 8 p.m. Low around 47. North wind around 5 mph. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Friday: Partly sunny, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 66. West wind 5 to 10 mph becoming south in the afternoon.

Friday Night: Showers likely, mainly after 2 a.m. Increasing clouds, with a low around 48. South wind 5 to 10 mph. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Saturday: Showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 2 p.m. High near 60. South wind 5 to 15 mph. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Saturday Night: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 8 p.m., then a slight chance of showers between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 46. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 57.

Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 41.