One downside to all this beautiful spring weather: Fires could quickly get out of control because of the warm, dry conditions and gusty winds expected on Tuesday.
Every county across the Garden State, along with New York City, Long Island and eastern Pennsylvania, has been placed under a fire weather watch from Tuesday afternoon through Tuesday evening because of extremely dry weather conditions and gusty winds.
The National Weather Service said northwesterly winds of 10 to 15 mph are expected to gust to 20 to 25 mph during daytime hours on Tuesday, and humidity levels will be very low, so any brush fires or wildfires that start could rapidly burn out of control.
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Homeowners and campers should be extra careful, because even small sparks from a fire pit or barbecue grill could result in a fire, said weather service meteorologist Valerie Meola.
"It's not recommended to have anything burning outdoors," Meola said. "Things could get out of control very quickly, so it's something you need to be aware of."
Warm streak continues
The long string of dry and sunny spring weather continued Sunday and Monday, with the mercury soaring to the 80-degree mark both days, about 15 degrees above normal for mid-April.
Forecasters attribute the nice days to a weather pattern known as the Omega block, which is keeping a high-pressure system with warm, dry air in our region and stormy weather confined to our west and south, including snowstorms in Colorado and torrential rain in Texas.
The warm weather in New Jersey flooded local parks on Sunday with scores of joggers, sun-bathers and people enjoying an afternoon of tennis, basketball, baseball, soccer and Frisbee tossing.
"It's beautiful out," said Renee, a Rutgers University senior who was soaking up the sun while reading a book in Buccleuch Park in New Brunswick during the warm afternoon on Sunday, when the temperature was 74 degrees. "It finally feels like spring."
Linda Santiago, a hospital worker from the Somerset section of Franklin Township, was enjoying the sunshine and clear blue skies as she jogged around the spacious New Brunswick park.
"We had four seasons in one week," she said during a break, referring to the light snow in parts of New Jersey last weekend, followed by cold mornings and warm afternoons. "That's what New Jersey is all about."
Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @LensReality. Find NJ.com on Facebook.