The Garden State will close out August and begin September with heat and humidity, accompanied by very low rain chances for the first half of the week.

The beach will be one of the few places in N.J. to beat this week's heat and humidity. (Photo credit Gail Grzyb)
The beach will be one of the few places in N.J. to beat this week's heat and humidity. (Photo credit Gail Grzyb)
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Statewide temperatures for August 2015 so far have been slightly above normal. That's where the statistics will end up for the month, as we close the record book with a hot and humid day.

Despite thickening clouds and a few morning showers in South Jersey, it is going to be a hot and humid day. High temperatures will be in the lower 90s for most of the state. There will be some relief in northwestern New Jersey and along the Jersey Shore, with highs in the 80s. A light breeze up to about 20 mph will also keep the air moving around today.

Meanwhile, dew points have risen to the mid to upper 60s. That level of humidity is not as oppressive as we've seen this summer... not really dangerous, but certainly still sticky and steamy. That will be especially noticeable during mornings this week, as moist air always leads to warm and muggy night. Lows will be mostly in the lower 70s for the next few days.

The heat continues as September begins... (Yes, September starts Tuesday!) Meanwhile, I'm having terrible flashbacks of going back to school and enduring a late-summer heat wave in a horrendously hot classroom with no air conditioning... High temperatures for both Tuesday and Wednesday will be in the upper 80s to lower 90s. (You'll again find some relief at the beach.)

Thursday looks like our transition day. It will still be hot on Thursday, with highs in the lower 90s, but an approaching cold front will increase clouds by the afternoon. As that front draws closer, we'll likely see a round of late-day showers and thunderstorms. The storms don't look widespread at this time, but a few could reach strong or severe limits fueled by our hot and humid atmosphere.

Behind the front? Good question. Almost definitely drier air. Probably cooler air. Especially as a northeast flow takes over on Friday, which generally means the coast ends up much cooler than inland due to the marine influence. Models are showing highs in the 70s for part of the state on Friday and Saturday. However, it's a little too early to put a definitive, confident number on the late-week forecast yet. For now, I'll say at least a "little" relief from the heat and humidity is expected as we approach the Labor Day Weekend.

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