Dense fog advisory starts day with potential for record warmth in N.J.

A dense fog advisory was issued for a large part of New Jersey Thursday, but the fog should lift as the day unfolds and set the stage for very mild conditions for late February.

Expect temperatures 20-30 degrees above normal for the next two days in New Jersey, according to AccuWeather.com.

Temperatures are already in the 40s across much of the state as of 6:30 a.m. and are expected to threaten records this afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.

High should reach the upper 60s in North and Central Jersey and about 70 in South Jersey.

While Trenton (74 degrees in 1874) and Atlantic City (72 in 1985) are expected to fall short of their records, Newark has a shot to top its all-time Feb. 23 high of 68 established in 1985.

Coastal areas might not get higher than the upper 50s because of chilly water temperatures, though.

In the meantime, there's a dense fog advisory in effect for part of central and all of South Jersey until 10 a.m.

The warning initially applied to Monmouth, Mercer, Ocean, Burlington, Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, Salem, Camden and Gloucester counties. Visibility will be reduced to less than a quarter-mile at times, creating hazardous driving conditions in those areas, the weather service says. At 5:05 a.m. it was expanded to include Middlesex, Somerset and Hunterdon counties.

UPDATE: As of 9:30 a.m., the dense fog advisory has been lifted for South Jersey, but extended through 11 a.m. for Hunterdon, Somerset, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean counties.

The cloudy, foggy conditions will lift and break from mid-morning to early afternoon and bring partly sunny skies later in the day.

It stays unusually warm tonight with lows only dipping into the mid 40s and low 50s. Light showers are possible across North and Central Jersey. If rain falls, it would only be a few hundredths of an inch.

Friday's forecast calls for a mix of sun and clouds and another mild afternoon with temps reaching the upper 60s. There's a slight threat of showers as well.

Mild conditions (in the 60s) stick around on what's shaping up as a rainy Saturday. Temps plunge into the 40s on a windy Sunday, though the sun will be out.

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Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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