There was a cool, chilly start to the day in northern New Jersey. Sandyston in Sussex County and Randolph in Morris County saw temperatures bottom out to 40 degrees. I love the cold, and I'm reluctant to put on the heat this early in the fall, but that's a heat-worthy morning low.

What a wonderful midweek day it has been. Lots of much-needed Vitamin D from that hot glowing ball of hydrogen and helium at the center of our universe. We haven't seen the sun in six days. And it looks like it is about to fade behind clouds again as we deal with the remnants of Ophelia yet again.

TONIGHT: Partly to mostly cloudy. Breezy northeastern winds of 5-15 mph and lows that range from the 40s in the northern ends of the state to the low-50s elsewhere.

THURSDAY: Let's be optimistic and call it partly sunny, breezy with highs reaching for the mid- to upper-60s. (73 is normal for this time of year.)

FRIDAY: Cloudy, rainy and windy. Because of the conditions, it's going to be very chilly. Upper-50s to low-60s. Winds could gust frequently to 25-35 mph. Peak gusts at the beach could pop to 45 mph. Windy enough where the power may flicker because branches or trees come down. Something to plan for.

BOTTOM LINE: Friday looks to be very rainy and windy. The constant wind direction will keep minor coastal flooding a headache and nuisance that beach residents will have to deal with. Expect partial or full road closure because of saltwater inundation through the weekend!

THE WEEKEND: Looks really nice. The sun makes a comeback through the day on Saturday. Sunday, the first day of October is full of sunshine and seasonable temperatures. Next week should be sunny and warmer.