When the headline for this monthly report alludes to hazy May skies that were frequently overhead, you know it was a quiet period weather-wise across the Garden State. Such was the case during the middle two weeks of May and at month’s end, with smoke from wildfires in western Canada frequently passing well overhead, followed by smoke from fires in Nova Scotia and a few in NJ. Otherwise, May temperatures were cooler than normal, and rainfall sparse.

While March temperatures came in above normal, they were not nearly as anomalously mild as those seen in January and February. This quelled concerns that an early blooming season might arise, one that could result in damaged vegetation had an early bloom been followed by an unseasonable cold spell. The average March temperature across NJ was 42.1°. This was 1.2° above the 1991–2020 normal and ranks as the 30th mildest March since 1895. The average maximum temperature of 52.2° was 1.3° above normal, ranking 37th mildest.

Abnormal conditions were seemingly the norm cross the Garden State during the second month of 2023 and, for that matter, during much of the winter (December–February). More on winter later in this report. First, focusing on February, milder-than-normal temperatures and limited snowfall were the rule, a short-lived frigid blast was followed by 70° warmth, and the most notable February tornado of at least the past 74 years touched down.

January 2023 was unlike most any first month of the year a New Jersey resident has experienced. Temperatures were similar to those normally seen in March and accumulating snowfall was meager in the north and non-existent further south. NJ weather was more like that of the piedmont of North and South Carolina at this time of year. The statewide average temperature of 41.0° was 9.3° above the 1991–2020 normal and ties with 1932 as the mildest January since records commenced in 1895 (Table 1). The average high of 48.9° was 8.6° above normal, ranking 2nd mildest.

As has so often been the situation in 2022, December’s weather never settled into any persistent pattern. Unless, of course, a pattern of frequent variations constitutes persistence! In any case, it seems appropriate to co-label this combined monthly and annual report as intervals in search of identities!

When it comes to shedding the winter coat and thinking of warm weather to come, March is known to have its early spring teases. Then, along comes some late winter cold to remind us winter is not quite ready to disappear. This spring foolery was on exceptional display this month. High temperatures jumped into the 70°s on the 6th and 7th, then back to the cold until the 70° mark was again eclipsed during four of the five days from the 15th–19th.

The second month of 2022 and third month of winter continued a theme since December. Whether you call it a see saw, swing, or merry-go-round, it fits the theme of playground equipment as it never seemed any one particular variety of weather became established for all that long. More will be said about winter at the end of this report, but when it came to February, the end result was a somewhat warmer-than-normal month with about average precipitation and a dearth of snowfall.

When it comes to cold and snow, the second month of winter wasn’t anything like the first. New Jersey was right in the heart of winter to start off 2022, and nowhere was that more apparent than in southern coastal counties where far more than an average winter’s snow fell. At some locations, the total exceeded that of the most recent three winters combined. The prevailing storm track was such that the northwest corner of the state received the least snow, yet saw seven days with low temperatures dipping below zero.

For the 13th consecutive year, we in the state climate office have evaluated the myriad daily, monthly, and annual observations gathered across New Jersey during the course of the year to choose what we feel were the most significant and impactful 10 weather and climate events of 2021.

February Overview