New Jersey is hoping winter-weary visitors are ready for some surf and sand as the Memorial Day holiday launches the summer tourism season.

Forecasters are predicting a somewhat wet start to the Memorial Day holiday weekend across the state before sunshine edges out the isolated showers by Sunday.

AAA-Mid-Atlantic is predicting a slight increase in traffic over the holiday weekend, with approximately 944,000 residents traveling 50 miles or more.

The auto club says the average price for gasoline in the state is $3.50 a gallon, up from $3.41 this time last year.

NJ Transit is offering early train service out of New York City beginning at 1 p.m. Friday.

Tourism is New Jersey’s 5th largest industry, generating 7 percent of the state’s economy in 2013.

(AP)