National Weather Service says weekend coastal storm is 'way too far out' to speculate on any snow accumulations in New Jersey at this time. Watch video
Skies will be brightening across New Jersey Tuesday afternoon, and the sun might make a few appearances on Wednesday and Thursday, but an unsettled weather pattern could dampen the annual St. Patrick's Day parade in New York City and part of the weekend, forecasters say.
The big parade in Manhattan is scheduled to kick off at 11 a.m. on Thursday, with partial sunshine, temperatures hovering around 60 degrees and a 30 percent chance of showers predicted by the National Weather Service.
Scattered showers are also possible across most of New Jersey on St. Patrick's Day. Clouds and occasional showers are expected in New York and New Jersey on Friday, followed by a sunny Saturday and a cloudy Sunday, with a possible coastal storm brewing late Sunday and Monday.
"Snow is a possibility" those days, particularly for northern and western sections of New Jersey, said Valerie Meola, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service's regional office in Mount Holly. "It's not something that you can rule out."
Meola said it's "way too far out" to speculate on any accumulations at this time, especially since the storm hasn't developed yet. But computer models are showing air temperatures could be in the low to mid-30s Sunday night, which would be cold enough to support snow or mixed precipitation.
"There's still a lot of uncertainty with it," Meola said. "There's still a lot to see on how it develops."
Storm brewing this weekend could bring some snow
For anyone surprised to see snow in the long-range forecast, Meola has a reminder.
"A lot of people forget it's still winter," she said. "As far as the seasons go, it's still winter until next week."
And don't forget, New Jersey has been hit with some major snowstorms during the month of March in the past, and some sizable ones in April. Whether history will repeat itself is something that's still uncertain at this time.
Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @LensReality. Find NJ.com on Facebook.