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Photo of the Tour of Somerville bicycle race, held on the sunny and dry afternoon of May 26th.
The Tour of Somerville (Somerset County) was held on the sunny and dry afternoon of May 26th. The competition is the oldest bicycle race in North America, with top national, international, Olympic, and professional cyclists participating.

It took a frustratingly long time for the cool season “recharge” of New Jersey’s water resources to get well underway. Following a record dry fall 2024, December through April precipitation remained below normal, including the third driest January of the past 131 years. However, February, March, and April precipitation totals were only a bit below normal, so while precipitation deficits were not recovering, they did not worsen, and reservoirs began to fill. Then along came May, with near record-high precipitation, just in time to bring most water resources up to normal heading into summer. Yes, quite a relief! The only cautionary note regards groundwater deficits that remain at some locations in the sandy substrate of south Jersey. This impacts local streamflow as well once runoff from any recent rains has diminished, leaving the streams fed by depleted spring waters. Thus, the NJ Department of Environmental Protection has not lifted the drought warning that was established in mid-November 2024.

As for May, the statewide average precipitation was 7.27”. This was 3.52” above the 1991–2020 normal and ranks as the 5th wettest May since statewide records became established in 1895. It is the wettest May since 1990, and the fifth May this century to fall into the top 25 (three have been in the driest 25).

May temperatures exhibited some notable swings, with the end of the month’s below-normal conditions just about balancing out the above-normal start. The statewide average of 62.0° was 0.8° above normal and ranks as the 30th mildest of the past 131 years. The statewide average high temperature was 71.5°, which was 0.8° below normal and ranked as the 65th warmest/66th coolest on record. Meanwhile, the 52.5° average low was 2.3° above normal, ranking as the 12th mildest. This sign disparity is the result of the frequent cloudy and wet conditions that suppressed both daytime warmth and nighttime cooling.

Latest Extremes

City, State Temp
Fortescue, NJ 69
Lower Alloways Creek, NJ 69
Cape May Court House, NJ 69
Vineland, NJ 68
Mannington Twp., NJ 68
City, State Temp
High Point Monument, NJ 54
Vernon Twp., NJ 56
Hackettstown, NJ 57
Blue Mountain Lakes, NJ 57
Wantage, NJ 58
most current information as of Jun 14 7:20 AM

Latest Conditions & Forecast

New Brunswick, NJ

Rutgers University Meteorology Program

63°F

Wind

3 mph from the NNE

Wind Gust

6 mph from the NE

Showers Likely
67 °F
Showers Likely
57 °F
Chance Showers
67 °F
Chance Showers
59 °F
Chance Showers
70 °F
Mostly Cloudy
61 °F
Mostly Cloudy
76 °F
Mostly Cloudy
64 °F
Mostly Cloudy then Chance Showers
84 °F
Chance Showers then Partly Cloudy
69 °F
Mostly Sunny then Chance Showers
91 °F
Chance Showers
68 °F
Sunny
86 °F

Today

Showers and thunderstorms likely before 2pm, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm between 2pm and 4pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 4pm. Cloudy, with a high near 67. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Tonight

Showers likely, mainly before 9pm. Cloudy, with a low around 57. East wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Sunday

A chance of showers. Cloudy, with a high near 67. Northeast wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Sunday Night

A chance of showers, mainly after 2am. Cloudy, with a low around 59. East wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Monday

A chance of showers, mainly before 8am. Cloudy, with a high near 70. East wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Monday Night

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 61.

Tuesday

Mostly cloudy, with a high near 76.

Tuesday Night

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 64.

Wednesday

A chance of showers after 2pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 84. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Wednesday Night

A chance of showers before 8pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 69. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Juneteenth

A chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 91. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Thursday Night

A chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 68. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Friday

Sunny, with a high near 86.

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Firefighters battle the Jones Road Wildfire in Ocean County (photo courtesy of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection).

If it is weather variety you enjoy, April certainly must have proved rather satisfying. Atmospherically, this was expressed by a cool, wet first half of the month and a warm, dry second half. When all was totaled and averaged, the full month emerged with above-normal temperatures and close-to-normal precipitation. Toss in one northern snow event, considerable wind, lingering drought in some areas, and a major Pinelands wildfire, and there was quite a potpourri of conditions. Looking first at precipitation, the statewide average of rain and melted snowfall was 3.72”. This was 0.02” above...

A Robin signals the arrival of spring in Hawthorne (Passaic County) on March 20th. Photo by Judy Kopitar.

Some Marches in past years have kept you guessing when, sometimes even if, spring will arrive. That certainly was not the case this year, nor, for that matter, has it been much so in recent years. With a statewide ranking of tenth warmest, March 2025 was the fourth of the past ten years to rank in the top ten. Eight of the sixteen mildest Marches in the past 131 years have occurred since 2000. Not even a late-season snow event occurred to temporarily stifle spring fever, as no measurable snow was observed anywhere in the state. Spring showers arrived and were plentiful enough to approach...

A blowout tide caused by strong westerly winds on February 18th in Brick Township (Ocean County).

Upon updating a weather friend regarding February conditions that transpired while they were away from the region, he remarked that most of what I reported appeared to have been more along the line of nuisances, while nothing of a blockbuster status occurred. I agreed, as while there were a few plowable events, one soaker (freezing rain at higher elevations), some cold and mild days, and (like in January) quite a few windy days, precipitation and temperatures came in close to normal and not much occurred that will leave lasting memories. In many respects, this applies to the entire winter...

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On Average, Rather Average, Bookended by Stormy Conditions: October 2015 Recap

November 6, 2015 - 4:58pm -- Dave Robinson

Waves picture

There were many sides to New Jersey’s October 2015 weather, however, when temperature and rainfall observations were averaged, conditions were quite close to long-term (1981–2010) means. The statewide average temperature of 54.4° was 0.4° below normal. This ranked as the 53rd coolest since 1895 (121 years). Precipitation averaged 4.17", which is 0.24" above normal and ranks as 44th wettest. October was bookended by events that dumped the vast majority of the month’s precipitation, with an extended period of very dry weather in between. This led to a continuation of moderate drought in the northeast, with nearby areas remaining abnormally dry. The late-month rain, which for the first time in many months was heaviest over the driest areas, staved off the need for any further drought deterioration, at least for the time being. The major weather event of the month extended over the first five days, when incessant onshore winds generated the worst beach erosion and back bay flooding since Sandy three years ago, though not nearly in the same ballpark of what Sandy wrought.

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!

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