“Holding On.” Perhaps you’re a bit perplexed attempting to interpret the title of this month’s report. Something with respect to temperature? Certainly, the warm season hardly relinquished its grip on the Garden State during the past month. September temperatures averaged above normal, mainly due to the second half of the month being warmer than the first half. Normally the second half averages approximately 5.0°–5.5° cooler than the first, however this year’s second half was 1.0°–1.5° milder than the first half in the north and about 2° milder in the south. Something regarding precipitation? It was the second consecutive month with below-normal statewide precipitation, with eleven of the past thirteen months having below-normal precipitation. The month ended with most of north Jersey categorized on the US Drought Monitor as being Abnormally Dry or in Moderate Drought, and October 1st found the NJ Department of Environmental Protection declaring a Drought Watch across the entire state.

August and summer 2025 weather conditions vacillated between heat with plenty of humidity to cool and quite pleasant. In the mix were also some local extreme storms with damaging impacts, while there were also some extended dry intervals. Flip flopping seems to appropriately sum up this Jersey summer in the weather department. This report first focuses on August conditions across the Garden State, then provides a summary of summer (June–August) conditions.

Tragically, this July demonstrated how weather danger lurks across the Garden State during summer months. July thunderstorm winds felled trees that resulted in three fatalities, lightning strikes killed two and injured others, and flash flooding took two lives and put countless others in perilous situations. No doubt, the often-relentless heat and humidity led to medical issues for those most vulnerable, be they old, young, infirmed, employed outdoors, or living in stifling locations devoid of air conditioning.

Looking back at the past month, or the first half of this year for that matter, “mysterious,” “puzzling,” or “difficult to understand” may best describe what has transpired when it comes to New Jersey’s weather and climate behavior. In other words, enigmas. More on the previous six months toward the end of this report. First a look at June, which followed a drought-busting (and hopefully not just interrupting) 7th wettest May, but resumed an only twice-broken string of months with below-normal precipitation back to May 2024 (August 2024 and May 2025). Then there were cool days that had some wondering when summer would ever arrive. That was answered with a vengeance later in the month with one of the more torrid June heatwaves on record. The worst of it ended by an unseasonable backdoor cold front.

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.

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.

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 the statewide monthly normal. However, March finished as the seventh consecutive and tenth of the past eleven months with below-normal precipitation. As a result, there were multiple wildfires, rather common in NJ springs.

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 of 2024/2025 (December–February), leaving an impression among many that this season had a wintrier feel than recent years. However, it was without a major nor’easter, be one excessively wet or white. Meanwhile, when all was said and done, a statewide drought warning remained in place. This report examines February conditions followed by a winter recap.

The first month of 2025 was cold, dry, and windy. It was the coldest January since 2014, one of the driest of the past 131 years, dew points dropped below zero or into the single digits on 23 days, and winds gusted to 40 mph or higher on 16 days. No doubt, a profitable outcome for those in the lip balm business!

The theme of “pressure” was selected to define the last month of 2024. In an absolute sense, this refers to a mid-December period with the highest atmospheric pressure recorded in New Jersey in over 40 years. It can also be linked with pressure differentials over the course of the month that resulted in many windy days. In a relative sense, it refers to the need to recoup the substantial precipitation deficit for the second half of the year in hopes that water resources will rebound, and by spring, drought will not be of great concern. Some progress in that direction was made from late November through December, but far more is needed in upcoming months.