After a lingering spring with a rainy June, the brisk days of autumn are hitting Lake Hopatcong early this year. Labor Day weekend saw some chillier-than-normal temperatures, and today's forecast calls for temperatures to only reach 65 degrees, with a strong breeze and a chance of rain this afternoon. The cool weather continues through the weekend, with a projected high of 62 degrees on Friday and 69 degrees on Saturday. The area can expect rain through Saturday night, but the weather system should pass by Sunday, when temperatures warm up to the mid-70s and the sun returns. That should return the area to its average September high of about 73 degrees. According to forecasters, the stretch of chilly, windy, and rainy weather is a result of a high-pressure system over New England clashing with a low-pressure from the south. It is bringing significant rainfall and high winds to southern New Jersey, but rain at Lake Hopatcong is expected to top out at about a half-inch overnight and one inch on Friday and on Saturday, and winds aren't expected to exceed 25 miles per hour.
