Despite July and August typically being the wettest months of the year in New Jersey, their warmth usually results in evaporation rates exceeding rainfall. Thus, when heat ensues and rain is light for a few weeks—not uncommon in a Jersey summer—lawns, gardens, and fields require considerable irrigation to avoid wilting or browning. Such was not the case this past August and earlier in the summer, as rain was ample and quite timely in most areas and hot temperatures did not prevail for extended periods. More will be reported for the summer as a whole later in this report. For August in particular, the average of 5.06” of rain that fell across NJ was 0.96” above the 1981–2010 average. It ranked as the 41st wettest August since 1895 and the wettest since record wet conditions in 2011.
The average statewide August temperature of 71.7° was 1.3° cooler than the 1981–2010 average (tied with 1926, 1952, and 1985). It was 5.1° cooler than last year’s record warm August. Since 1895, there have been 57 cooler Augusts and 62 that were warmer, which reflects the fact that this year was only 0.2° cooler than the 1895–2017 average. Yes, Augusts have generally warmed in recent decades.
| City, State | Temp |
| West Creek, NJ | 88 |
| Hamilton, NJ | 88 |
| Mansfield, NJ | 87 |
| Sea Girt, NJ | 87 |
| Cherry Hill, NJ | 87 |
| City, State | Temp |
| High Point Monument, NJ | 76 |
| Seaside Heights, NJ | 79 |
| Fortescue, NJ | 80 |
| West Cape May, NJ | 80 |
| Wantage, NJ | 81 |
2 mph from the N
9 mph from the ENE
Sunny, with a high near 88. North wind around 8 mph.
Clear, with a low around 63. Light north wind.
Sunny, with a high near 91. Light and variable wind becoming northeast around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Mostly clear, with a low around 67. South wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 87. Northeast wind 3 to 6 mph.
A slight chance of showers after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 68. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
A chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 81. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 81. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 64. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 79.
Partly cloudy, with a low around 57.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 73.
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July 2017 proved to be an active month of weather throughout the Garden State. Time and time again, storms traversed the state, often depositing the heaviest rainfall in 30–40 mile west-to-east “corridors,” while elsewhere totals were much lighter. Such is the nature of showery summer rainfall, although in one case, the swath of heavy rainfall was associated with an out-of-season coastal storm. When all was said and done, rainfall occurred frequently enough to leave most locations with average to well above average monthly totals. The statewide average July rainfall was 6.33”. This is 1.76...
Occasionally there are months that defy a “directional” theme when it comes to the weather and climate conditions experienced across the Garden State. In other words, conditions didn’t lean markedly toward, for example, wet or dry, cold or warm, or calm or stormy. June 2017 was one of those “potpourri” months. There were thunderstorms with drenching rain and even two tornadoes occurred, yet there were stretches of comfortable, dry weather. There was a three-day heat wave, with the temperature going as high as 97°, and some cool nights, with 35° being the coldest observed temperature in the...
It is always comforting to enter the water demand season, namely summer, with a bit of a hydrological cushion. Such is the case this year across NJ, thanks to ample rain and some late-season snow in recent months. This timely precipitation has eliminated drought concerns that stemmed from drier-than-normal intervals during 2016. As a result of the precipitation deficits, ground water, streamflow, and reservoirs all dropped to precarious levels, thus the issuance last fall of a drought warning by the NJ Department of Environmental Protection over northern NJ and a drought watch in some...
We've fully rebuilt our charting to provide a rich, interactive experience. By leveraging the robust HighCharts library, this new incarnation of NJWxNet charting and graphing not only allows you to interact with the data presented, but provides easy export of PDF and SVG, easy printing and more.
To explore our new and improved charting tool, head to the Chart Viewer.
The NJ Weather and Climate Network partners with the NJ Division of the US Forest Service to help bolster fire safety in the NJ Pine Barrens and other forested regions throughout the state of NJ. Through the cooperative management of a number of remote weather observations stations throughout the state and the development of easy-to-use but powerful interfaces for analyzing the data collected at these stations, the NJ Weather and Climate Network helps provide the USFS with tools that aid in every day decision making regarding fire safety and more.
If there is one thing that was consistent with New Jersey's weather in May, and for that matter throughout this past spring (March-May), it was the inconsistency. Of course this is rather typical of many a spring month, as our region sits in the battle zone between reluctantly retreating winter conditions and sporadically advancing summer weather. When all was said and done, May 2013 came in with a near average statewide temperature of 60.7°. This was 0.1° below the 1981-2010 average and ranks as the 53rd mildest May of the past 119 years (1895-present). Precipitation averaged 4.01", a minute 0.01" above average and was the 42nd wettest on record. It was not only day-to-day conditions that varied in May, there were also notable differences in temperature and precipitation from one location to another.
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).
