It was nice while it lasted.
Showers and thunderstorms are expected to move through the tri-state area later Wednesday, bringing a cold front that will revert temperatures to the brisk 50-degree range that better characterizes the average mercury for this time of year, forecasters say.
Morning sunshine will mix with clouds for most of the day as temperatures creep up into the unseasonable high 70s for most of the region. As the afternoon wears on, meteorologists say scattered clouds will develop into isolated thunderstorms, some of which could bring small hail and gusty winds.
It's unlikely any of these passing storms would be severe, forecasters say, but bursts of intense downpours, lightning and thunder are possible, especially between 6 p.m. and midnight.
Weather reality returns for the tri-state area Thursday as clouds dominate the sky and an Atlantic Ocean breeze keeps temperatures in the 50s. Meteorologists expect a 20 to 30 degree drop in high temperatures over the next 24 hours.
A heavy band of rain and thunderstorms is expected to move through the region Friday, dumping about an inch of rain -- much-needed rain, in some parts -- on the tri-state area.
Wet weather moves out by the weekend, but temperatures will stay about average for early-to-middle spring in the high 50s. Mostly sunny skies should make it feel a bit warmer.
Forecasters say the mercury jumps back up to 60 degrees by early next week.
