There is rarely a month in New Jersey where something interesting, exciting, and different than normal doesn’t occur in the weather and climate department. However, not often do you find a month like this past June where one is left with their head spinning as smoke from near and distant wildfires darkened the sky, creating exceptionally unhealthy air quality, where growing drought concerns were quieted in most locations by late-month downpours, where two tornadoes touched down, and with temperatures averaging cooler than normal for the second consecutive month.

What can you say about a month that began with a swarm of tornadoes, finished with flooding rain, and in between, featured record heat, wildfires, and increasing drought concerns? Best to say that it was an odd one! Fitting this theme, the statewide average temperature of 55.4° was 3.9° above the 1991–2020 normal. This ranks as the third warmest April on record (since 1895) only behind 2017 and 2010 for top honors (Table 1). April was the fifth month of the past ten ranking in the top 10, joining July (#7), August (#1), January (#1), and February (#5; Figure 1).

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.

Post tropical storm Ida moved across the Garden State during the afternoon of September 1st into the early hours of the 2nd. It brought with it torrential rainfall, leading to flash and river flooding that took the lives of approximately 30 individuals and the rescue of countless more from raging waters. Additionally, it brought three tornadoes to southwestern and central areas, including the first EF-3 twister to strike New Jersey in 31 years. There were only minor injuries and no deaths from the tornadoes.

Ida’s Path

Wow, what a month. July 2021 provided a never-ending cascade of weather events, including a tropical storm, a record-tying number of tornadoes, large hail, flash floods, hot days, chilly nights, smoke-filled skies, and on the last day of the month, perhaps the nicest day of the summer. The statewide average precipitation of 7.59” was 2.88” above the 1991–2020 normal and ranked 8th wettest of all Julys back to 1895 (Table 1). It was the wettest July since 1975 and second wettest in almost 50 years.

Overview

May Overview