Spring is often recognized as a period when winter attempts to hold on while summer comes knocking on the door. This past March and April displayed this “battle"...to the extreme. May also followed suit. The focus was mainly on thermal swings, resulting in many a decision on whether to go with cold or warm weather clothing. Meanwhile, the ongoing poor “production” of precipitation was disappointingly more persistent, except, unfortunately, over the Memorial Day weekend. First will be a recap of May conditions, followed by a spring overview.
Statewide, May precipitation averaged 2.88”. This is 0.87” below the 1991–2020 norm and ranks as the 42nd driest May of the past 132 years. The northern climate division averaged 3.07” (-0.95”, 38th driest), the southern division 2.80” (-0.80”, 46th driest), and the coastal division 2.41” (-1.10”, 37th driest). This was the 10th consecutive month with below-normal precipitation across NJ and the 22nd of the past 25 months. More on the long-term drought conditions in the spring section of this report.
May temperatures vacillated weekly, ultimately coming in at an average of 61.7°. This is 0.5° above normal and ranks as the 39th mildest May since 1895. The average maximum temperature of 72.4° is 0.1° above normal, ranking 54th mildest. The average minimum of 51.0° is 0.8° above normal, ranking 25th mildest. The north came in at 60.0° (+0.1°, 46th mildest), the south 62.8° (+0.6°, 36th mildest), and the coast 62.2° (+1.2°, 25th mildest).
| City, State | Temp |
| East Brunswick, NJ | 89 |
| Sea Girt, NJ | 89 |
| Pennsauken, NJ | 88 |
| Jersey City, NJ | 88 |
| Lyndhurst, NJ | 88 |
| City, State | Temp |
| Walpack, NJ | 73 |
| West Cape May, NJ | 74 |
| Hackettstown, NJ | 75 |
| Fortescue, NJ | 77 |
| Basking Ridge, NJ | 77 |
0 mph from the ESE
0 mph from the E
A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 2am. Some of the storms could be severe. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72. West wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Partly sunny, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 95. Heat index values as high as 101. West wind 5 to 10 mph.
A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 8pm. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with a low around 68. Northwest wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Sunny, with a high near 89. Northwest wind around 5 mph.
Mostly clear, with a low around 66. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
A chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 90. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 8pm, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm between 8pm and 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 61. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 81.
Partly cloudy, with a low around 60.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 82.
Partly cloudy, with a low around 61.
A chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 86. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
A chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 62. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
A chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 88. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Search by zipcode or city/state for the latest conditions, forecasts, graphs, maps and more nearest to you.
April 2026 was a month ranking in the top ten for warmth, yet the major weather news of the month was a damaging late-month freeze. Weeks vacillated between warmth and cold, with the warm ones winning out. This thermal whiplash was accompanied by yet another below-normal month of precipitation, making this 21 of the past 24 months with below-normal totals across the Garden State. A Drought Warning issued by the NJ Department of Environmental Protection remains in place. The 54.4° average April temperature is 2.9° above the 1991–2020 normal. This ties as the 6th mildest since records...
As is common as winter transitions into spring, this weather/climate shift came in fits and starts this March. Included were some rapid thermal flips, occasional powerful winds, and enough rain in the north to ease drought concerns but well below-normal rain in the south, a region that during winter had been leading the way with beneficial precipitation. The only thing mostly missing, for the third consecutive March, was snowfall, as the persistent snow and ice cover of recent months quickly melted. With a statewide ranking of 12th warmest, March 2026 is the eighth over the past 26 years...
The adage “wash, rinse, repeat” is an appropriate one when reviewing New Jersey’s weather and climate conditions over this past winter. There were multiple snowstorms and cold spells throughout the season, with below-normal precipitation (rain and melted snow/sleet) in each month as the state continues to experience drought conditions that date back almost two years. All this will be covered in a seasonal overview later in this report. First, a recap of conditions in a February that exemplifies what all months experienced this past winter. The statewide February temperature averaged 29.6...
While many wondered if spring would ever arrive across the Garden State, the average April temperature was actually close to the long-term mean. At 51.5°, the month was 0.3° above average, ranking as the 35th mildest April since statewide records were established in 1895. Using the central NJ city of New Brunswick as an example, 16 days were above average, 12 below, and two spot on average.
While the core of the winter season (December-February) averaged quite a bit milder than usual across New Jersey (see winter summary in the February narrative), the broader cool season began with a November that was cooler than average with above-average snowfall and ended with a cooler and snowier than average March, making for what seemed to be a long winter. Looking more closely at March 2013, the statewide average of 38.3° was 2.8° below the 1981-2010 average and ranked as the 37th coolest since 1895. What a difference a year makes, as March 2012 was 11.5° warmer than this year! Precipitation (rain and melted snowfall) averaged 3.05", which is 1.18" below average and the 36th driest on record. Snowfall averaged 5.2", which is 1.0" above average.
Chilly conditions were rather consistent during March, with only six days where one or more observing stations in NJ reached a maximum of 60° or higher. There was an absence of excessive cold, with lows falling into the teens in some locations on 12 mornings, yet most of the state dropping no lower than the 20°s at any point. Beginning with the cold lows, the 3rd and 4th both dawned with the NJWxNet High Point and High Point Monument stations (Sussex County) at 18° and 19°, respectively. Walpack (Sussex) was coldest at 19° on the 9th. The 10th was one of the three coldest mornings statewide in March. Pequest (Warren), Berkeley Township (Ocean), and Walpack fell to 19°, with a total of 23 of the 55 stations in the NJWxNet at 25° or colder.
An amalgamation of cold and mild spells, a few moderate rain events, one significant snowstorm, and several local or minor snowfalls brought a rather average February in the weather department to New Jersey. Preliminary numbers indicate an average temperature of 32.5°. This is 1.3° below normal and 53rd warmest of the 119 Februaries since 1895. Precipitation averaged 3.28" (rain and melted snow/sleet), which is 0.42" above normal and 44th wettest. Snowfall averaged 6.8", which is 1.2" below normal and 53rd most snowy.
By mid-winter standards, January 2013 was not an exceedingly memorable one in the New Jersey weather and climate annals. But like every month, there were certainly events worthy of mention. This included the state's coldest week since 2007 and a surge of warmth late in the month that was broken by a squall line with strong winds and heavy rain.
Statewide, the January temperature averaged 33.7°, which is 2.5° above average. This ranks as the 27th mildest January since 1895 (119 years). Of the past 24 months, only one (November 2012) has averaged below normal. Going back a bit further, since March 2010, 30 of the past 35 months have been above average, one month was exactly average, and four months were below average.
The first three weeks of the month were mostly on the mild side. On five of the first 20 days, one or more station topped out at 55° or higher.
Sandy, a category 1 hurricane as it approached the New Jersey coast during the daytime hours of the 29th and a post-tropical cyclone as it came ashore near Atlantic City (Atlantic County) that evening, dealt the state a punishing blow. It brought hurricane-force wind gusts to coastal and inland sections, close to a foot of rain in the far south, a state record low barometric pressure, and a record storm surge along the coast and in adjacent water bodies. Additional
information on Sandy can be found later in this report, and a more complete analysis will be provided on an upcoming website from the state climate office.
Statewide, the month averaged 57.1°, which is 2.3° above average. This ranks as the 20th warmest October since statewide records commenced in 1895. It marks the 21st consecutive month with temperatures equal to (June 2012) or warmer than (all other months since February 2011) average. The first ten months of this year have averaged 58.9°, or 3.1° above the 1981-2010 average. This keeps 2012 on pace to be the Garden State's warmest year on record (Table 1).
