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Fall colors surrounding Lake Wapalanne at the NJ School of Conservation on October 25th. The Sandyston (Sussex County) NJWxNet station sits nearby on school grounds. (Photo courtesy of Nick Stefano).
Fall colors surrounding Lake Wapalanne at the NJ School of Conservation on October 25th. The Sandyston (Sussex County) NJWxNet station sits nearby on school grounds. (Photo courtesy of Nick Stefano).

Foggy mornings, clear days, four modest rain events, and most locations yet registering a fall freeze. This all speaks to a rather quiet weather October, thus the title of this report. The rather dry conditions resulted in statewide monthly precipitation averaging just 2.16”. This was 2.03” below normal and ranked as the 32nd driest October since records commenced in 1895. Under an inch fell in the southwest, while only the northeast and northern coast saw totals close to or above normal. The northern climate division averaged 3.06” (-1.39”, 56th driest), southern division 1.57” (-2.46”, 17th driest), and coastal division 2.00” (-2.09”, 30th driest).

As a result of above-normal temperatures to begin and end the month, the statewide average temperature of 58.2° was 2.8° above normal, ranking 9th warmest (tied with 2019). Every other October since 2017 sits in the top 10. The northern division averaged 56.4° (+3.1°, 9th warmest), southern 59.2° (+2.7°, 12th warmest), and coastal 60.2° (+2.6°, 11th warmest).

Latest Extremes

City, State Temp
West Cape May, NJ 36
Lower Alloways Creek, NJ 34
Sea Bright, NJ 34
Oceanic Bridge, NJ 34
Mannington Twp., NJ 33
City, State Temp
High Point Monument, NJ 22
Piney Hollow, NJ 25
High Point, NJ 25
Vernon Twp., NJ 25
Berkeley Twp., NJ 26
most current information as of Dec 7 3:05 AM

Latest Conditions & Forecast

New Brunswick, NJ

Rutgers University Meteorology Program

29°F

Wind

2 mph from the WSW

Wind Gust

4 mph from the WSW

Partly Cloudy
26 °F
Chance Snow then Chance Rain/Snow
41 °F
Partly Cloudy
26 °F
Mostly Sunny
50 °F
Mostly Clear
33 °F
Partly Sunny
55 °F
Mostly Cloudy
37 °F
Chance Showers then Showers Likely and Breezy
62 °F
Showers and Breezy
38 °F
Chance Showers and Breezy then Mostly Sunny
48 °F
Mostly Clear
28 °F
Sunny
46 °F
Partly Cloudy
30 °F
Mostly Sunny
47 °F

Overnight

Partly cloudy, with a low around 26. West wind around 5 mph.

Thursday

A chance of snow after 9am, mixing with rain after 3pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 41. West wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Thursday Night

Partly cloudy, with a low around 26. Southwest wind around 5 mph.

Friday

Mostly sunny, with a high near 50. West wind around 5 mph.

Friday Night

Mostly clear, with a low around 33. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm after midnight.

Saturday

Partly sunny, with a high near 55.

Saturday Night

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 37.

Sunday

Showers likely, mainly after 2pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 62. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

Sunday Night

Showers, mainly before 2am. Low around 38. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Monday

A chance of showers before 8am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 48. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Monday Night

Mostly clear, with a low around 28.

Tuesday

Sunny, with a high near 46.

Tuesday Night

Partly cloudy, with a low around 30.

Wednesday

Mostly sunny, with a high near 47.

Search by zipcode or city/state for the latest conditions, forecasts, graphs, maps and more nearest to you.

More News

Flooding of Wesley Lake on the border of Asbury Park and Ocean Grove (Monmouth County) on September 29th. Submerged cars are located on aptly named Lake Avenue. (Photo courtesy of S. Isk).

Fall and spring months are considered to be seasonal transition ones. At times, the change of season takes place rather slowly. Then there are months like this past September when the turn is quite abrupt. September 2023 began with the hottest day and week of 2023. Several rainy periods, some with severe storms, ensued as temperatures began to decline and Hurricane Lee, while remaining far offshore, brought rough surf and some clouds to NJ. Soon after came chilly conditions with the remnants of Tropical Storm Ophelia twice bringing heavy rain into portions of the state and over a week of...

The confluence of the Raritan and Millstone Rivers as seen from the Delaware-Raritan Canal Towpath in Franklin Township (Somerset County) on August 20th. Photo by Dave Robinson.

It is not as if August 2023 was devoid of strong thunderstorms that produced locally heavy rain and three minor tornadoes. There were also some hot and humid days and even a few days with smoke high aloft, a rather persistent feature of this summer’s weather (more on this in earlier June and July recaps and the summer summary later in this report). However, with temperatures a bit below normal and statewide rainfall leaning that way too, it just was not a particularly notable August in the weather/climate department. Mind you, most folks hardly complained of 90° maximum temperatures being...

The aftermath of flash flooding in Warren County on July 16th as seen along Brass Castle Creek on Harmony Brass Castle Road by Hartsman Corner Road, Washington Township.

Yet another warmer-than-normal July is in the books. Nine of New Jersey’s 11 hottest Julys dating back to 1895 have occurred since 2010. Unlike last year where the heat was accompanied by the 12th driest July, this year was a wet and humid one, the 22nd wettest on record. The statewide average temperature of 77.2° was 1.8° above the 1991–2020 normal and 3.3° above the 1895–2021 period-of-record mean, ranking 10th warmest on record (tied with 2016). The average high was 87.0°, 1.3° above normal and ranking 18th warmest. The average low was 67.4°, 2.3° above normal and ranking 4th warmest....

More News

Near Record Warmth and Quite Dry…until the 30th: September 2015 Recap

October 4, 2015 - 3:30pm -- Dave Robinson

Wildfire photo

The ninth month of 2015 served as a bookend of sorts to an extended warm season. The average statewide temperature of 70.7° was 4.5° above the 1981–2010 normal and ranks as the 3rd warmest on record (since 1895). This ranking is the same as that achieved in May, with the intervening months all above average, though not nearly as much so as these shoulder months. Five of the ten warmest Septembers have occurred since 2002. A look back at the past five months finds that this most recent May through September interval was the third warmest on record. Even more notable than the recent run of warm Septembers, eight of the top ten warm seasons occurred within the last 18 years and four within the last six years.

What had been a rather dry month with drought concerns ended on a damp note on the 30th with a wet episode that extended into early October. Through the 29th, the month ranked as the 14th driest. However, an approximate statewide-average rainfall of 1.50” on the 30th brought the monthly average to 3.44” (-0.63”) and with it the rank of 63rd driest.

New Jersey Smart Lawn Watering Initiative: Conserving Water Starts With You!

September 15, 2015 - 4:49pm -- Jessica Raff

Grass photo

About 70% of the fresh water used around the world is devoted to irrigation, and a similar figure holds true with respect to New Jersey’s water use. Much of this in New Jersey is put towards lawn watering. It is apparent to anyone paying attention to the frequency and timing of when lawns are watered that, just as research suggests, many New Jersey homeowners are over-irrigating their lawns. This wastes precious water that could be conserved wisely by employing more efficient irrigation methods. This article outlines a simple way that you can participate in our New Jersey Smart Lawn Watering Initiative without investing in new sprinkler equipment or devoting large amounts of time to lawn management. By following the instructions discussed below, you can save water and money, while keeping your lawn green and beautiful.

Consistently Warm and a Mixed Distribution of Precipitation: August & Summer 2015 Recaps

September 2, 2015 - 9:58pm -- Dave Robinson

Dry Reservior

This month had quite a variety of weather conditions around the state. This resulted in some areas experiencing flash flooding and others encroaching drought conditions. Damage resulted from the flooding and one storm even produced a nocturnal “heat burst.” Some minor brush fires and declining river, ground water, and reservoir levels accompanied subnormal rain totals. The dry conditions helped produce some wide daily swings from cool nighttime temperatures to consistently warm daytime maximums. Preliminary values show August 2015 to have a statewide average rainfall of 2.18”. This is 2.03” below normal and ranks as the 13th driest since statewide records commenced in 1895 (Table 1). The 74.5° average temperature was 1.1° above the 1981–2010 mean and ranks 21st warmest.

Leaning Warm, Leaning Dry: July 2015 Recap

August 1, 2015 - 8:23pm -- Dave Robinson

Flooding photo

In most respects, July 2015 was a rather common one in the weather department. The statewide average temperature of 75.5° was 0.5° deg above the 1981–2010 mean. This past June had the same positive anomaly. This ranks as the 28th warmest July since 1895. It may seem strange to have such a small departure from normal yet rank in the top quartile for warmth. This can be explained by the fact that New Jersey has gotten warmer since the end of the 19th century. Compared to all Julys since 1895, this past July was 1.3° above average. Again, this might not seem like a large difference, however, given that temperatures do not vary from year to year nearly as much in summer as in winter, this change over the past century is notable.

With an El Niño underway, how much of an impact can we expect it to have on NJ's summer weather?

July 23, 2015 - 2:29pm -- Dave Robinson

Sea Surface Temperature (SST) anomalies for July 20, 2015.  NOAA/NESDIS.

Scientists are carefully monitoring sea-surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean for a potential El Niño event. An El Niño occurs when warmer-than-average waters start to form in the eastern Pacific Ocean, specifically near the equatorial latitudes. Easterly winds (blowing from the east) typically move warmer water to the western Pacific (near Indonesia), permitting cooler water to upwell to the surface in the east (near South America). When these winds are weaker, or if they reverse direction, the warm water stays in the eastern Pacific. This difference in sea surface temperatures and winds creates a new dynamic between the ocean and atmosphere, distinctly affecting weather patterns across the world. No two El Niño events are alike; they vary in magnitude and location of the largest temperature anomalies. El Niño events can be classified as Strong, Moderate or Weak.

Drought? What Drought?: June 2015 Recap

July 4, 2015 - 7:34pm -- Dave Robinson

Roll Cloud photo

Toward the end of May, the threat of a significant drought loomed over the Garden State, as May proved to be the 3rd driest on record. Crops were in bad shape or not growing at all, and reservoir levels were declining at a faster than seasonal rate. However, New Jersey had yet to reach the point where average and timely rainfall could not remedy the situation. Not only was this prescription filled, it was done in abundance. June rainfall averaged 8.21" across NJ. This was 4.19" above the 1981-2010 normal and ranked 4th wettest since 1895 (Table 1). It joined four other Junes in the past 13 years to rank in the top eight over this 121-year period. As explained in last month's report, the rains that fell during the daytime and evening hours of May 31st factored into the June total, much as the localized afternoon and evening rains on June 30th (discussed below) will count toward the July total.

Third Warmest and Driest as Drought Concerns Arise, and a Pronounced Transition: May and Spring 2015 Recap

June 4, 2015 - 8:52pm -- Dave Robinson

Sea fog photo

May 2015 was a warm and dry month across New Jersey. As the month ended, drought concerns were looming large, though rainfall in the north during the afternoon and evening of the 31st and continuing into the first days of June resulted in at least a temporary braking of the downward slide. Based on data gathered at long-term National Weather Service Cooperative Observing (COOP) stations, May rainfall averaged 1.08" across NJ. This is 2.92" below the 1981-2010 mean and ranks as the 3rd driest May since records commenced in 1895.

As those who have been reading these monthly narratives for some time now know, precipitation that falls at COOP stations after observation time on the last day of the month gets recorded as falling on the first day of the next month. Most COOP stations observe in the morning, thus the heavy showers that fell across north Jersey on the 31st were not factored into this May average, except for a few stations such as Newark Airport (which registered 3.83" on the 31st alone) that observe at midnight. The last time this situation had a notable impact on monthly rainfall was a daytime heavy rain event on April 30, 2014.

Drought Invading New Jersey

May 28, 2015 - 11:14am -- Dave Robinson

30-Day Percent of Normal Precipitation

Whether it is a browning lawn, dry garden soil, or pollen that hasn’t washed off your car in weeks, many of us in New Jersey have recognized that the state is in the midst of an extended period of very meager rainfall. Along with the aforementioned impacts, the flow of water in streams and ground water levels as monitored in wells are below, and in some cases, well below seasonal levels. While it is fortunate that surface reservoirs in northern and central NJ are close to seasonal levels (quite full), there is less water than normal flowing into them and early season lawn watering is drawing water out of them at an unseasonable pace.

Advice provided by our office, by those within the National Weather Service and the NJ Department of Environmental Protection, and by others associated with the weekly US Drought Monitor has led to this week’s Monitor map depicting the northern third of NJ in D1 (defined as moderate drought) and the remainder of the state down to around the Atlantic City Expressway in D0 (abnormally dry). D1 can be expected to occur once every 5-10 years during a particular month, while D0 can be found every 3-5 years. While the type of conditions being experienced in parts of NJ right now are drought like, I am hesitant to call the north in “moderate” drought, and would prefer saying “minor” drought. However, this is the definition of the nomenclature decided upon by a national committee, thus within the Monitor map it is “moderate” in the north.

Spring Arrives and Remains: April 2015 Recap

May 4, 2015 - 8:36pm -- Dave Robinson

Contrails photo

Complaints are often brought to the Office of the State Climatologist that in recent years the weather in New Jersey has quickly transitioned from winter to summer, thus leaving little time for spring weather. Of course perceptions can be deceiving, as transitional months such as April typically have widely varying weather. At least for April 2015 no protests of a missing spring are warranted, as temperatures reached into the 60°s and 70°s for several days in each week of the month, yet minimums were at times in the 20°s and 30°s throughout April. There was only one major rainfall event, but there were occasional showers. A summer-like squall roared through the state late afternoon on the 22nd, followed the next day by daytime snow flurries. Now that is spring weather!

For Second Consecutive Year, Winter is Slow to Relinquish Its Grip: March 2015 Recap

April 6, 2015 - 5:25pm -- Dave Robinson

Snow on March 5

For the second consecutive year, March served as a meteorological exclamation point on an active cold and snowy season. As in 2013/14, this season had below-average November temperatures, milder-than-average December readings, and below-average January, February, and March tallies. The March temperature this year averaged 35.8°, which is 5.3° below normal and ranks as the 14th coldest since 1895.

This was also the snowiest March statewide and in central NJ since 1993. The northern counties averaged 13.6" (which is 7.5" above normal), the central region was at 14.9" (+10.0"), and the southern counties 8.6" (+5.6"). The state as a whole averaged 11.5" (+7.2"), which is the 13th snowiest March on record. For the season through March snowfall statewide has averaged 34.5" (+8.4"), with the north 50.5" (+15.8"), central 41.4" (+14.4"), and south 22.3" (+2.3"). This is the northern division's first back-to-back 50"+ seasons since the winters of 1903/04 and 1904/05.

March rain and melted snow accumulated to a statewide average of 4.95". This is 0.72" above normal and ranks as the 32nd wettest.

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