Power Outage in Trenton, NJ

A tornado touched down along Emmons Drive along Route 1 in |Princeton, NJ as a remnant supercell moved northward after |producing the Mullica Hill and Burlington, NJ tornadoes earlier |Wednesday afternoon as Ida's remnants moved through the region. |Damage first occurred as several small branches were brought down |along the Whole Foods and Wendy's parking lots along Route 1 in |far eastern Princeton Township, with a continued path of minor |branch damage extending northward along Farber Road, Meadow Drive,|and Canal Pointe Boulevard adjacent to Route 1. Several medium-|size trees were also uprooted with numerous small branches having |been brought down along the western periphery of the Marketfair |shopping parking lot. ||From there, the tornado continued northward with minor tree |damage having occurred along Carnegie Center Boulevard as the |tornado moved northward. Several small branches were also brought |down in a residential area along Heritage Boulevard with one pine |tree even having been snapped. An additional pine tree was also |uprooted along Alexander Road near Glenview. The tornado then |snapped several small hardwood trees, knocking down several |utility poles and power lines along Washington Road. A tree was |also uprooted along Lower Harrison Street along Carnegie Lake |before the tornado lifted somewhere over the lake.

A tornado touched down along Emmons Drive along Route 1 in |Princeton, NJ as a remnant supercell moved northward after |producing the Mullica Hill and Burlington, NJ tornadoes earlier |Wednesday afternoon as Ida's remnants moved through the region. |Damage first occurred as several small branches were brought down |along the Whole Foods and Wendy's parking lots along Route 1 in |far eastern Princeton Township, with a continued path of minor |branch damage extending northward along Farber Road, Meadow Drive,|and Canal Pointe Boulevard adjacent to Route 1. Several medium-|size trees were also uprooted with numerous small branches having |been brought down along the western periphery of the Marketfair |shopping parking lot. ||From there, the tornado continued northward with minor tree |damage having occurred along Carnegie Center Boulevard as the |tornado moved northward. Several small branches were also brought |down in a residential area along Heritage Boulevard with one pine |tree even having been snapped. An additional pine tree was also |uprooted along Alexander Road near Glenview. The tornado then |snapped several small hardwood trees, knocking down several |utility poles and power lines along Washington Road. A tree was |also uprooted along Lower Harrison Street along Carnegie Lake |before the tornado lifted somewhere over the lake.

A spotter estimated 60 mph wind gusts with widespread power outages in the area. Time estimated from radar.

Power lines were downed near Circle Dr in Allentown. Time estimated from radar.

Multiple observations of sustained 40 to 50 mph winds with higher gusts were made, including at Trenton Mercer Airport (KTTN). Numerous reports of downed trees and power lines were received.

Several reports of downed power lines in the East Windsor Township area. Time estimated from radar.

Power lines were downed from strong winds. Time estimated from radar.

Power lines were downed from strong winds. Time estimated from radar.

Power lines were downed at Lawrenceville Rd and Province Line Rd. Time estimated from radar.

Several trees and power lines were downed in this area.

A tree fell across I-195 blocking Eastbound lanes near Exit 3. Trees, utility poles, and power lines were down on Great Road in Princeton. A tree fell across US-206 closing all lanes in Lawrence Twp. A large tree fell through a fence in Prospect Park.

Tree uprooted onto a house on King Avenue. Minor structural damage. Downed power lines in the area.

A severe thunderstorm knocked down trees, tree limbs and wires in Princeton Township. Cherry Valley Road was blocked between The Great Road and Province Line Road. Trees and wires were also knocked down on U.S. Route 206, Mercer Street, Crestview Road, Dempsey Avenue, Riverside Drive, Stuart Road, Terhune Road, Quaker Road and Cherry Hill Road. U.S. Route 206, Mercer Street, Cherry Valley and Stuart Roads were still closed the next morning. In Princeton Borough, about a dozen trees were knocked down. One vehicle in the Borough Hall parking lot was damaged by a fallen tree. About 500 homes and businesses lost power in Mercer County.

A severe thunderstorm caused extensive tree damage on and to the east of Princeton University in Princeton Borough. Wind damage was reported from Nassau Street to Carnegie Lake. Several homes and vehicles were damaged by fallen trees along Harrison Street, Sycamore Road and Cedar Lane. Four homes were badly damaged as were vehicles on the Butler Tract off of Harrison Street. This included graduate student housing. Some students and families were evacuated to the Frist Campus Center. On the university grounds itself, trees were knocked down around Palmer Stadium, along the intersection of Faculty Road and Broadmead Street, Ivy Lane and along Washington Road. In Princeton Township, wind damage occurred on the opposite side of Carnegie Lake along Plainsboro Road as far east as Connector Road. Some roadways remained closed due to the fallen trees into the 17th. Power was fully restored on the 18th. No injuries were reported.

A lightning strike caused a power failure at the Lawrence Township Police Department.

A severe thunderstorm knocked down trees and power lines in Lawrence Township. Pea size hail also fell from the severe thunderstorm. Trees were also knocked down in Hamilton and West Windsor Townships.

The second severe thunderstorm of the day, tore down several more trees, tree limbs and power lines across the southeast part of Mercer County.

The second severe thunderstorm of the day, tore down several more trees, tree limbs and power lines across the southeast part of Mercer County.

A severe thunderstorm tore down a few trees and power lines in Lawrence Township.

A severe thunderstorm tore down several trees and power lines and caused some light structural damage to a couple of homes. Some small hail also fell.

A severe thunderstorm knocked down scattered trees and power lines throughout Mercer County. The most concentrated wind damage was in Hopewell, Ewing and Lawrence Townships.

An F1 tornado (on the Fujita Scale) touched down in the eastern part of Trenton around Hillcrest and traveled northeast passing through the southern part of Ewing Township and into southwestern half of Lawrence Township before it lifted around the Franklin Corner area. Two persons were injured and many people were trapped in the vehicles. The worst wind damage and the strongest part of the tornado occurred near the intersection of Prospect Street and Olden Avenue in Ewing Township. Utility poles were snapped, power lines were on vehicles, store front windows were smashed and a couple of roofs were torn away. The roof of a chapel, towing service and Cadillac dealership were all badly damaged. Many vehicles at the dealership were damaged. Olden Avenue was closed for several days while debris was removed. Two trees fell through a home on Hazelhurst Avenue. A school bus was trapped by downed wires, but no children were injured. dealership lost its roof. Numerous trees and power lines were blown down and several telephone poles were snapped. In Lawrence Township, most of the tornado's damage occurred to the trees. Hundreds of stately trees were either snapped or uprooted. Numerous large trees were knocked down particularly along U.S. Routes 1 and 206 and the Princeton Pike. Other roadways with extensive tree damage included Darrah Lane, Stonicker Drive and Texas Avenue. The door was pulled from one home on Glenn Avenue. The roof of the library was peeled by the high winds. Downed trees and lines left many side streets impassable. The tornado remained on the ground for about five miles and its path width was about 100 yards. The estimated maximum winds were around 90 mph and the preliminary damage estimate was one million dollars. More than 50,000 homes and business lost power in Mercer, Burlington, Camden and Gloucester Counties because of the squall line of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes. All power was restored by the afternoon of the 24th.

Low pressure tracked through western Pennsylvania on the night on February 24 into the morning of February 25. A weak secondary area of low pressure developed off the New Jersey coast on the 25th. This complex system brought a period of precipitation to the mid-Atlantic. With the main low tracking west of the region, warmer air rushed in aloft, limiting the potential for snow to fall. However, a strong Canadian high pressure to the north, combined with the developing secondary low, caused cold air to be trapped near the surface. This caused precipitation to fall as a wintry mix across the region, including as several hours of sleet and freezing rain. In some cases, the ice accretion was enough to cause tree and power line damage. The system pulled away from the region by the afternoon of the 25th with warmer and drier weather following behind it.

A departing very deep cyclone combined with strong high pressure to the west yielded a strong pressure gradient from the Plains eastward to the northern Mid-Atlantic and New England regions. High winds gusting 50-60 mph resulted in scattered power outages and trees down across the region. Some minor structural damage also occurred.

A complex area of low pressure over the middle Atlantic, which involved several individual centers, slowly consolidated off the Virginia Capes Tuesday morning, March 20th into Wednesday March 21st along a frontal boundary. This primary low, the fourth nor'easter of March, gradually moved northeast Wednesday night, to a position southeast of the 40 North/70 West ���Benchmark��� coordinates on Thursday morning.||Rain developed across far southern New Jersey on Tuesday morning, March 20th. As this precipitation moved northward into a colder air mass, snow and sleet developed across the remainder of southern New Jersey during the afternoon hours.||Northeast winds increased throughout Tuesday, and gusted 40 to 50 mph along the Atlantic coast from Tuesday afternoon into Wednesday morning. ||Minor coastal flooding occurred along the New Jersey oceanfront around the times of high tide Tuesday night, Wednesday morning, and again Wednesday night.||During Tuesday evening, a mixed bag of precipitation developed, with freezing rain, sleet, and snow, except rain closer to the coast. ||Freezing rain lead to ice accretion up to 0.20��� across portions of southern New Jersey, causing downed trees and limbs, which impacted power lines, and led to power outages.||Meanwhile, higher elevations of eastern Pennsylvania and northwest New Jersey remained dry through the overnight hours of Tuesday into Wednesday. A change over to snow progressed southeast across New Jersey by late morning on Wednesday, March 21st, with the exception of Cape May County NJ, where it did not occur until the early to mid-afternoon. Meanwhile, snow began in the higher elevations of northwest New Jersey during the mid to late morning hours of Wednesday.||Moderate to heavy snowfall developed, and gradually overspread New Jersey, from Wednesday morning into the evening. Snowfall rates, particularly outside of the higher elevations of northern New Jersey were around one inch per hour at times. The snow gradually ended from west to east around midnight, except late night closer to the New Jersey shore.||Across New Jersey, snowfall amounts varied from less than 3 inches in portions of northern Sussex County and Cape May County, with a general 6 to 12 inches elsewhere, with the exception of portions of Monmouth, Ocean, and Burlington Counties, where some areas received 12 to 15 inches.||The weight of the heavy, wet snow brought down trees, limbs, and power lines across portions of southern New Jersey, which led to power outages. In fact, portions of Monmouth, southeast Burlington, Ocean, and Atlantic Counties in New Jersey were particularly hard hit with numerous trees and power lines down.

A cold front stalled across the region on March 1st. Meanwhile, a wave of low pressure developed along this front in the Ohio Valley and move east, deepening just southeast of Long Island on March 2nd. This large and very deep area of low pressure moved slowly east over the open waters of the North Atlantic Ocean through Sunday March 4th. This lead to a variety of weather hazards during this time frame.||Strong Northwest winds with gusts up to around 60 mph occurred on March 2nd and 3rd. This led to widespread damage to trees and power lines, causing extensive power outages across the region.||Minor coastal flooding over multiple tide cycles occurred along the New Jersey coast March 2nd through 4th. Moderate flooding occurred during the morning high tide of Saturday the 3rd in Monmouth County, most of the NJ oceanfront Saturday evening and again Sunday morning the 4th. Conversely, blowout tides occurred in portions of Delaware Bay late on March 2nd into the 3rd.||Heavy rainfall occurred in New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania on March 1st and 2nd, with widespread rainfall amounts of 1 to 2 inches. This resulted in flooding along the North Branch of the Rancocas Creek in Burlington County, the Millstone River at Blackwells Mills in Somerset County, and the Neshanic River in Southeastern Hunterdon County. In addition, areal and minor small stream flooding also occurred.||As the rain changed to snow on the 2nd, localized heavy snowfall occurred, particularly over the higher elevations. Southeast of the New Jersey Turnpike and Interstate 95, up to around 3 inches of snowfall was observed. To the Northwest of the New Jersey Turnpike and Interstate 95, up to around 6 inches of snow was measured with localized amounts of around 9 inches. Higher elevations mainly to the north of Interstate 80 in New Jersey generally reported greater than 9 inches of snow, with amounts ranging from 10 to 18 inches generally around 1,000 feet and above.

An area of low pressure tracked up the east coast interacting with a cold front which lead to rapid development of a winter storm across the state. This storm quickly moved out by the 5th. However, snowfall accumulations and gusty winds occurred with the storm. Blizzard conditions occurred along many coastal locations. Top wind gusts were generally around 40 mph across the state but were highest in Ocean county, closer to 60 mph. Snow amounts were highest in southern and coastal New Jersey with over 6 inches, totals were only a few inches further northwest. A state of Emergency was declared during the height of the storm. Several hundred vehicles were stranded and hundreds of thousands were without power at some point. Severe cold continued for the next week leading to many locations going to code blue operations and closing of the Cape May Lewes Ferry.

A band of gusty convective showers moved through during the morning hours in association with the remnants of tropical storm Cindy. Several reports of damage were reported from the winds. Thousands lost power.

Precipitation associated with a low pressure system moving north along a nearby offshore front began as light rain during the evening hours on the 4th, then turned to snow from northwest to southeast during the overnight hours. Locations near the shore received more precipitation, and more snow, given their closer proximity to the storm. A heavy, wet snow began accumulating before or near the beginning of the morning rush, and so transportation was effected until the snow was able to turn mush on area roads with increased traffic.||Jersey Central power reported more than 6,200 customers without power in Monmouth County. 1,500 in Freehold Twp, 1,400 in Aberdeen Twp and 1,700 without power in Ocean County.

An impulse from the west coast traversed the midsection of the country, then developed into a low pressure system as it tracked across the Gulf states before intensifying along the Carolina coast into a major nor'easter, producing record snowfall in parts of New Jersey on January 23rd. It then moved out to sea after passing by the mid-Atlantic coast early on January 24th. ||Snow began falling during the Friday afternoon commute on January 22nd, then continued, heavy at times, Friday night into early Sunday morning. Wind gusts up to 60 MPH produced blizzard conditions as visibilities dropped to one-quarter mile or less in spots. Some representative snowfall totals include: 17.5 inches in Buena Vista Township (Atlantic County), 22.5 inches in Florence (Burlington), 22.0 inches in Bellmawr (Camden), 11.3 inches near Wildwood Crest (Cape May), 13.5 inches in Newport (Cumberland), 21.0 inches in Deptford Township (Gloucester), 29.6 inches in Whitehouse (Hunterdon), 24.0 inches in Hamilton Township (Mercer), 27.7 inches in Metuchen (Middlesex), 22.0 inches in Manalapan (Monmouth), 30.0 inches in Long Valley (Morris), 21.0 inches in Jackson Township (Ocean), 14.0 inches in Pittsgrove Township (Salem), 30.0 inches in Bernards Township (Somerset), 16.0 inches in Stockholm (Sussex), and 28.0 inches in Harmony Township (Warren). ||A total of 10.1 inches of snow fell at the Atlantic City International Airport on the 23rd, establishing a new record for the date. The previous record daily snowfall for January 23rd was 1.2 inches set in 1948. ||Some wind gusts include 60 MPH at 0800EST on the 23rd in Pleasantville (Atlantic County), 64 MPH at 0628EST on the 23rd near Strathmere (Cape May), 55 MPH at 0830EST on the 23rd near Fortescue (Cumberland), 54 MPH at 0740EST on the 23rd near Sandy Hook (Monmouth), and 72 MPH at 0649EST on the 23rd at Bayville (Ocean). ||A 62-year-old male from East Greenwich (Gloucester County) died from a heart attack on Saturday evening, January 23rd, while he and his wife were walking home after his car got stuck in a snowdrift just up the street from his house. ||At one point during the storm, up to 270,000 customers were without power. Outages were concentrated closer to the coast where the strongest winds occurred. ||The New Jersey Department of Transportation spent approximately $25 million dollars to clear and maintain the state's highways and roadways. In seeking federal disaster aid, Governor Chris Christie announced the storm cost the state of New Jersey $82.6 million in damages and expenses. Federal Disaster Aid was requested for the following counties Burlington,Camden, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex , Monmouth, Morris, Ocean,Somerset and Warren Counties. The Governor has also requested the Small Business Act provide relief of up to $40K in loans for homeowners and $200K for businesses. In Ocean County the estimated cost is $465,000 for snow removal for overtime pay, fuel and treatment chemicals. On March 15, 2016, President Obama declared the following counties federal disaster areas: Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Somerset, and Warren, in addition to Bergen, Essex, Hudson, and Union counties. This declaration makes federal funding available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation and snow assistance for a continuous 48-hour period during the storm. ||Moderate to major flooding occurred along the New Jersey coast and associated back bays during this event. Record flooding was recorded in a few spots, including the ocean front in Cape May. Out of 66 municipalities surveyed for beach and/or dune erosion by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's Bureau of Coastal Engineering, 28 had minor damage, 21 had moderate damage, and 19 had major damage. The entire Raritan Bayshore suffered minor damage, while moderate damage began appearing in central Monmouth County. Heading south along the coast, the first instance of major damage appeared in Bay Head, Ocean County. A 100 foot flag pole was knocked off it's base in Ocean County due to the strong winds as well. Long Beach Township had to order 1,250 truckloads of sand to replace the lost sand. In addition, a 3.5 mile long steel wall along Brick and Normandy beaches were exposed which closed the beaches. Significant funds will need to be spent to replenish the sand. Damage in Sea Isle City was near $25 M in beach damage. In Burlington County, $4.7 M was spent on snow removal with $279K spent in Evesham and $189K in Mount Laurel. ||New Jersey Governor Chris Christie declared a State of Emergency on Friday, January 22nd for the duration of the event. Schools and many businesses recessed early on Friday afternoon in anticipation of the storm. Philadelphia International Airport canceled all Saturday flights, and 155 departures and 133 arrivals scheduled for Sunday.

An approaching cold front helped trigger a line of showers and thunderstorms that produced some wind damage as it moved through central New Jersey during the afternoon of the 22nd. Even though they weakened, the gust front from the storm continued to produce strong wind gusts all the way to the coast. The severe thunderstorm caused wind damage to a few homes and also resulted in about 1,200 Atlantic City Electric customers losing power. A few of the sub-severe wind gusts included 54 mph in Berkeley Township (Ocean County), 52 mph in Trenton (Mercer County), 49 mph in Fort Dix (Burlington County) and 48 mph in Port Monmouth (Monmouth County).

A winter storm on the first day of astronomical spring dropped snow across most of New Jersey on the 20th. Before precipitation ended, it transitioned to rain in the southern half of New Jersey. Snowfall averaged 3 to 7 inches from Gloucester and inland Atlantic Counties northward and two inches or less elsewhere in southern New Jersey. Little, if any, snow accumulated in Cape May County. The heaviest snow fell in the central third of the state. It was a heavy, wet snow and the snow did knock down some weak trees and tree limbs and caused isolated power outages in central New Jersey, primarily in Burlington County. The snow also caused traveling difficulties and accidents during the afternoon and evening. Speed restrictions were in place on major roadways. Some schools dismissed children early. The snow caused more than 1,150 flights to be cancelled on the 20th in the northeastern United States. ||Snow spread from south to north across New Jersey between 8 a.m. and Noon EDT. The snow fell heavy at times across central New Jersey during the late morning and afternoon. The snow changed to rain during the mid and late afternoon in southeast New Jersey and during the late afternoon and early evening in southwest New Jersey. Precipitation ended throughout the state during the second half of the evening.| |One of the worst reported accidents occurred in Hamilton Township (Atlantic County) during the early afternoon on the 20th when a 35-year-old man and 31-year-old woman died. The driver was traveling westbound on the Atlantic City Expressway when he lost control of his vehicle and subsequently crashed into another vehicle that was stopped on the right shoulder. A 38-year-old man was outside of his vehicle checking on a flat tire when the crash occurred. He was struck and thrown by the other vehicle, but survived. Other additional collisions occurred as other vehicles crashed into the backed-up traffic. Power outages occurred on the evening of the 20th as the snow continued to accumulate. About 100 homes and businesses were still without power on the morning of the 21st. The entire winter season cost the New Jersey Department of Transportation more than 100 million dollars in snow removal costs.| |Representative snowfall included 7.1 inches in Colts Neck (Monmouth County), 6.8 inches in Mount Holly (Burlington County), 6.5 inches in Moorestown (Burlington County), 6.4 inches in Hamilton Township (Mercer County), 5.7 inches in Brick Township (Ocean County), 5.5 inches in Delran (Burlington County), 5.3 inches in Medford Lakes (Burlington County), 5.1 inches in Pennington (Mercer County) and Howell (Monmouth County), 5.0 inches in Stanton (Hunterdon County) and East Brunswick (Middlesex County), 4.8 inches in Whitehouse Station (Hunterdon County) and Hillsborough Township (Somerset County), 4.5 inches in Pennsauken (Camden County), Clinton Township (Hunterdon County), Metuchen (Middlesex County), Mine Hill Township (Morris County) and Washington Township (Gloucester County), 4.4 inches in Denville (Morris County), 4.3 inches in Oxford (Warren County), Somerdale (Camden County), Barnegat Township (Ocean County) and Ewing (Mercer County), 4.2 inches in Bridgewater Township (Somerset County) and Pitman (Gloucester County), 4.1 inches in Long Branch (Monmouth County), 4.0 inches in West Deptford (Gloucester County) and Collingswood (Camden County), Old Bridge (Middlesex County) and Marcella (Morris County), 3.8 inches in Hammonton (Atlantic County) and Stafford Township (Ocean County), 3.6 inches in Hardyston Township (Sussex County), 3.5 inches in Belle Mead (Somerset County), Hackettstown (Warren County) and Highland Lakes (Sussex County), 3.0 inches in Wantage (Sussex County), 2.8 inches in Bayville (Ocean County), 1.6 inches in Estelle Manor (Atlantic County), 1.3 inches in Vineland (Cumberland County) and 0.3 inches at the Atlantic City International Airport. ||The onshore flow around the low pressure system coupled with higher spring astronomical tides associated with the new moon caused some minor tidal flooding with the high tide cycle on the evening of the 20th. At Sandy Hook (Monmouth County), the high tide reached 6.81 feet above mean lower low water. Minor tidal flooding begins at 6.70 feet above mean lower low water.||The snow was caused by a low pressure system that formed off the South Carolina coast early on the 20th. The low pressure system proceeded to move northeast and at 2 p.m. EDT on the 20th was located near Elizabeth City, North Carolina. The low pressure system was near the Delmarva coastal waters at 8 p.m. EDT on the 20th and from there it proceeded to move east the rest of the evening and overnight. The combination of a favorable storm track and sufficient cold air in place made it possible for an accumulating snow in most of New Jersey.

Waves of low pressure that formed along a sinking cold front brought New Jersey heavy snow and the southern half of the state its heaviest snow of the season. Snowfall averaged 4 to 9 inches with the highest amounts in central New Jersey. Less snow fell in Sussex County. The heavy snow prompted Governor Chris Christie to declare a state of emergency and close state offices to non emergency personnel. Nearly all schools and universities in the state were closed on the 5th. Many were also closed the next day. The snow also caused hazardous travel and hundreds of accidents, including a fatal one in Somerset County. New Jersey Transit cross-honored transit tickets on the 5th and 6th.| |Precipitation with this event started as rain on the 4th. As colder air moved in from the north and precipitation intensity increased, the rain changed to all snow in northwest New Jersey between Midnight EST and 3 a.m. EST on the 5th, in the Raritan Basin and Mercer and Monmouth Counties between 3 a.m. EST and 6 a.m. EST on the 5th and in the southern half of the state (from the I295 corridor southeast and I195 corridor south) between 530 a.m. EST and Noon EST. The precipitation changeover included sleet in southeast New Jersey. The snow fell heavy at times in the central and southern part of the state from the late morning into the mid afternoon on the 5th. The snow ended during the late morning of the 15th in Sussex County. In the rest of the state it ended from northwest to southeast between 6 p.m. EST and 10 p.m. EST on the 5th. | |In Somerset County, in Raritan, a 62-year-old man died when the eastbound car he was driving collided with a westbound pickup truck on New Jersey State Route 28. The crash closed the roadway for approximately three hours on the morning of the 5th. Accidents that caused injuries occurred in Ocean County on U.S. Route 70 (overturned vehicle) and on the Garden State Parkway, both in Brick Township. ||Accidents that closed major roadways included U.S. Route 46 in both directions in Denville (Morris County), New Jersey State Route 48 in Carneys Point (Salem County), the Northbound New Jersey Turnpike outer roadways in Robbinsville (Mercer County) and New Jersey State Route 28 in Bridgewater Township (Somerset County). In Ocean County, County Route 539 in Barnegat was closed because of an overturned truck. Another accident along the same route in Manchester Township caused 4,000 people to lose power after a vehicle struck a pole. In Monmouth County, Long Branch police had to deliver a baby after a couple got lost on their way to the hospital. New Jersey State police responded to over 150 accidents and incidents. On the local level, South Brunswick (Middlesex County) police responded to 27 accidents alone. ||Speed reductions were in effect on the Garden State Parkway and New Jersey Turnpike. Many shopping malls in the greater Philadelphia metropolitan area were closed. Speed restrictions were in place on bridges crossing the Delaware River in and around Philadelphia. Amtrak modified its schedule along the Northeast Corridor. PATCO implemented a snow schedule on its commuter rail line. Many bus routes had delays and re-routes. The winter storm caused 3,646 flights (at least 650 in Philadelphia alone) to be canceled.||The impact from the winter storm continued into the 6th. Many schools were closed. The PARCC school tests had to be rescheduled. Dozens of accidents occurred on the Garden State Parkway in Monmouth County. One hour drives were taking three hours. ||Representative snowfall included 9.0 inches in Bethlehem Township (Hunterdon County) and Brick Township (Ocean County), 8.5 inches in Helmetta (Middlesex County) and Manalapan (Monmouth County), 8.3 inches in Westampton Township (Burlington County), 8.2 inches in Hillsborough Township (Somerset County), 8.0 inches in Pitman (Gloucester County) and Hopewell Township (Mercer County), 7.7 inches in Runnemede (Camden County), 7.6 inches in Manasquan (Monmouth County), 7.5 inches in Burlington Township (Burlington County), Pittsgrove Township (Salem County) and South Brunswick (Middlesex County), 7.4 inches in Ewing Township (Mercer County) and Randolph Township (Morris County), 7.3 inches in Somerville (Somerset County), 7.2 inches in Lacey Township (Ocean County) and Stewartsville (Warren County), 7.1 inches in Woodstown (Salem County), 7.0 inches at the Atlantic City International Airport and Cherry Hill (Camden County), 6.8 inches in Lambertville (Hunterdon County), 6.2 inches at Margate (Atlantic County), 6.0 inches in Shamong Township (Burlington County), Hackettstown (Warren County), Vineland (Cumberland County) and Beesleys Point (Cape May County), 5.9 inches in Chatham (Morris County), 5.5 inches in Woodbine (Cape May County) and Bridgeton (Cumberland County), 5.2 inches in Cape May (Cape May County) and 4.3 inches in Hardyston Township (Sussex County).||The cold front moved through New Jersey on the evening of the 4th. The wave of low pressure on the front was in the Tennessee Valley at that time. At 7 a.m. EST on the 5th, it reached western North Carolina and at 1 p.m. EST on the 5th, the strongest low pressure system wave was near Wilmington, North Carolina. Waves of low pressure continued to sink father south and at 7 p.m. EST on the 5th, the strongest wave was over central South Carolina. That wave and the associated cold front continued to move farther to the southeast that evening bringing an end to the snow in New Jersey. The fresh snow cover and clear skies that occurred overnight led to new daily low temperature records at both Trenton (6 degrees above zero) and at the Atlantic City International Airport (8 degrees above zero). In both places, the previous daily records for March 6th were set in the late 19th century.

Double barrel low pressure systems brought a winter storm to New Jersey on the 1st. All snow fell in northwest New Jersey. Elsewhere a combination of snow, sleet and especially freezing rain in southern New Jersey affected the state. Snowfall averaged around an inch or less in the southern half of the state and 1.5 to 3.5 inches in the northern half of the state. But, ice accumulations on exposed surfaces reached as high as around one-third of an inch in the southern half of the state and caused scattered power outages. In addition, numerous accidents occurred because of the slippery roads.||Precipitation started as snow and spread from south to north across New Jersey between 9 a.m. and Noon EST on the 1st. The snow fell heavier at times during the late morning in the southern part of the state and during the early and mid afternoon in the central and northern part of the state. Precipitation changed to sleet during the first half of the afternoon in the southern half of the state and during the late afternoon in the Raritan Basin and Monmouth County. Precipitation then changed to freezing rain by the middle of the afternoon on the 1st in the southern half of the state and from the late afternoon into the early evening in the Raritan Basin and Monmouth County. Precipitation changed to plain rain during the first half of the evening in southeast New Jersey. Elsewhere precipitation ended as either freezing rain or snow during the middle and late evening on the 1st. ||The weight of the ice caused power outages mainly in the southern half of the state as weak tree limbs and power lines came down. Atlantic City Electric reported about 1,200 of its customers lost power, with the greatest concentration in Cumberland County. One of the worst reported accidents was a two vehicle crash in Springfield Township (Burlington County) on U.S. Route 206 that injured eight people. In Princeton (Mercer County), police responded to nine car accidents in just a two hour period during the afternoon of the 1st. New Jersey Transit cross honored commuting tickets on Monday March 2nd.| |Representative ice accumulations included 0.4 inches in Haddon Heights (Camden County) and Newport (Cumberland County), 0.3 inches in Whiting (Ocean County), 0.25 inches in Florence (Burlington County), Freehold (Monmouth County) and Williamstown (Gloucester County) and 0.2 inches in Metuchen (Middlesex County), Trenton (Mercer County), Mount Holly (Burlington County) and at the Atlantic City International Airport (Atlantic County). ||Representative snowfall included 3.5 inches in Tewksbury Township (Hunterdon County), 3.3 inches in Chatham (Morris County), 3.0 inches in Whitehouse Station (Hunterdon County), Highland Lakes (Sussex County), Franklin Township (Somerset County) Randolph (Morris County) and Woodbridge (Middlesex County), 2.9 inches in Stewartsville (Warren County), 2.6 inches in Princeton (Mercer County), 2.5 inches in Red Bank (Monmouth County), Wantage (Sussex County) and North Plainfield (Somerset County), 2.0 inches in New Brunswick (Middlesex County), 1.7 inches in Ewing (Mercer County) and Long Branch (Monmouth County), 1.4 inches in Mount Holly (Burlington County), 1.3 inches in Estelle Manor (Atlantic County), 1.0 inch at Seabrook Farms (Cumberland County), 0.6 inches in Somerdale (Camden County) and Cape May (Cape May County) and 0.5 inches in Franklin Township (Gloucester County) and Jackson Township (Ocean County).||The winter storm was caused by the combination of an arctic high pressure system that left plenty of cold air in place near the surface and a low pressure system from the South that pumped precipitation into the region. At 7 a.m. EST on the 1st, a pair of low pressure systems were in Mississippi and the western Gulf of Mexico off the Texas coast. During the early afternoon, while the low pressure system moved into the Tennessee Valley, a new low pressure system was forming off of the South Carolina coast. The latter low pressure system moved rapidly northeast and was off the New Jersey coast at 7 p.m. EST on the 1st while the latter low pressure system became part of a series of lows along a cold front west of the Appalachians. The coastal low pressure system passed near Nantucket, Massachusetts around Midnight EST on the 2nd. It took most of the associated moisture and precipitation with it as the inland low pressure systems and frontal boundary weakened overnight.

The increasing pressure difference (gradient) between a rapidly intensifying low pressure system offshore and an arctic high pressure system moving east from the Great Lakes caused strong to high damaging northwest winds to occur in New Jersey from the late evening of the 14th into the afternoon of the 15th. Strong wind gusts started late in the evening on the 14th, peaked during the morning of the 15th and continued into the afternoon of the 15th. The highest winds occurred in the southern half of the state and in the higher terrain of Sussex County. In these latter locations, peak wind gusts averaged around 60 mph. In the rest of the northern half of the state, peak wind gusts averaged 45 to 50 mph. The strong to high winds caused isolated property damage (mainly stripped siding), knocked down or snapped numerous trees and tree limbs. This resulted in downed wires and power outages. About 5,000 homes and businesses lost power, mainly in southeast New Jersey. Nearly all power was restored on the evening of the 15th. The strong to high winds hampered road crews trying to keep roadways clear from the snow that fell on the 14th. It also ushered into New Jersey one of the coldest air masses of the entire winter season. ||In Cape May County, a hotel roof was partially torn off in Stone Harbor. New Jersey State Route 47 was closed in Middle Township because of a downed pole. Service was suspended on the Cape May-Lewes Ferry. In Atlantic City (Atlantic County), the high winds knocked down a street light electrical box. The wind also caused the cancellation of several events. Speed limits on Delaware River bridges in and around Philadelphia as well as on the Garden State Parkway were reduced.||Peak wind gusts included 66 mph in Cape May (Cape May County), 63 mph in West Cape May (Cape May County), 61 mph in Wantage (Sussex County), 59 mph in Vineland (Cumberland County) and Barnegat Inlet (Ocean County), 58 mph in Florence (Burlington County) and Tuckerton and Beach Haven (Ocean County), 53 mph in Sandy Hook (Monmouth County) and Millville (Cumberland County), 52 mph at the Atlantic City International Airport, 51 mph in Sea Girt (Monmouth County) and Waretown (Ocean County), 48 mph in Belmar (Monmouth County), 47 mph in Somerville (Somerset County), 46 mph in Lincoln Park (Morris County) and 45 mph in Readington (Hunterdon County).||The high winds were caused by the increasing pressure gradient (difference) between the rapidly intensifying offshore low pressure system and a high pressure system over the western Great Lakes. The low pressure system deepened (intensified) from 996 millibars at 7 p.m. EST on the 14th to 978 millibars at 7 a.m. EST on the 15th, 972 millibars at 1 p.m. EST on the 15th and 962 millibars as it passed through Nova Scotia at 7 p.m. EST on the 15th. The arctic high pressure system also was quite strong and averaged 1042 millibars while the highest winds were occurring. The strong to high winds ceased on the afternoon of the 15th when the low pressure system was sufficiently east of Delaware (and the high pressure system reached Michigan) for the strongest pressure gradient to move offshore.

Strong, gusty northwest winds occurred in the wake of a departing and intensifying low pressure system during the late afternoon into the middle of the evening on the 2nd in New Jersey. Peak wind gusts average around 50 mph and knocked down weak trees, tree limbs and wires. Scattered power outages occurred. This was further exacerbated by snow and ice on tree limbs in the northwest part of the state. Peak winds included 56 mph in Wantage (Sussex County), 55 mph in Cape May Harbor (Cape May County), 54 mph in Florence (Burlington County), 51 mph at the Atlantic City International Airport, 50 mph in Woodbine (Cape May County) and Beach Haven (Ocean County), 49 mph in Tuckerton (Ocean County), 47 mph at Egg Harbor Township (Ocean County), 46 mph in Ocean City (Cape May County), 45 mph in Millville (Cumberland County) and Sea Girt (Monmouth County) and 44 mph in Mullica Township (Atlantic County). The strong winds occurred as a low pressure system south of Cape Cod, Massachusetts started to intensify more rapidly as it moved northeast on the evening of the 2nd. This increased the pressure gradient (difference) between it and an approaching high pressure system from the central Mississippi Valley. As the low pressure system approached the Canadian Maritimes during the second half of that evening, the pressure gradient weakened and winds started to slowly decrease.

A winter storm dropped heavy snow in Northwest New Jersey and a mixture of snow, sleet and freezing rain in the central and southwest part of New Jersey on the evening of the 23rd into the morning of the 24th. Overall less wintry precipitation (a faster switch to rain) occurred progressively farther to the south and southeast in the state. Snowfall averaged 5 to 9 inches in northwest New Jersey; 2 to 5 inches in central New Jersey and less than two inches across southwest New Jersey. No snow fell in southeast New Jersey. Ice accumulations were generally around a trace. The snow caused traveling difficulties as well as postponement of social activities on the 24th. There were over 100 reported accidents in the state. The snow and accidents caused about 2,000 homes and businesses to lose power. New Jersey Transit cross-honored all commuting tickets. The onshore flow from the winter storm also caused minor tidal flooding in southern New Jersey during the morning high tide cycle on the 24th. ||Precipitation started as snow on the evening of the 23rd from southwest New Jersey northward between 9 p.m. EST and Midnight EST. In Northwest New Jersey, the snow fell at its heaviest during the pre-dawn hours on the 24th and ended between 8 a.m. EST and 10 a.m. EST on the 24th. In the Raritan Valley, snow also fell at its heaviest during the pre-dawn hours on the 24th, but then changed to freezing rain and sleet between 4 a.m. EST and 6 a.m. EST on the 24th. Precipitation in some areas changed to plain rain before ending later that morning. In the central third of New Jersey, a change to rain (with some sleet at the transition time) worked its way to the northwest from coastal areas and occurred between 1 a.m. EST and 5 a.m. EST on the 24th and remained rain until it ended around 8 a.m. EST on the 24th.||The winter storm and wintry weather caused numerous accidents. In Burlington County, In Mansfield Township, U.S. Route 206 was closed in both directions because a vehicle struck and knocked down a pole. In Warren County, in Washington Township, all lanes of New Jersey State Route 57 were closed in both directions because of an accident. In Monmouth County, in Freehold Township, a knocked down traffic signal caused a lane blockage on New Jersey Business Route 33. Accidents were reported along Interstate 195. A couple of accidents were reported on the New Jersey Turnpike in the central part of the state. Speed restrictions were in place throughout the entire length of the Garden State Parkway and the northern half of the New Jersey Turnpike. Speed restrictions were also in place on all of the major bridges crossing the Delaware River in and around Philadelphia. Throughout the state, about 20 high schools postponed SAT testing. ||Representative snowfall included 9.0 inches in Highland Lakes (Sussex County), 8.0 inches in Marcella (Morris County), 7.5 inches in Basking Ridge (Somerset County), Allamuchy (Warren County) and Newton (Sussex County), 7.2 inches in Wantage (Sussex County), 7.1 inches in Blairstown (Warren County), 6.9 inches in Rockaway (Morris County), 6.8 inches in Clinton (Hunterdon County), 6.5 inches in Parsippany (Morris County) and Greenwich Township (Warren County), 6.2 inches in Whitehouse Station (Hunterdon County), 6.0 inches in Montgomery Township (Somerset County), 5.5 inches in Lawrenceville (Mercer County) and Readington Township (Hunterdon County), 5.0 inches in Ewing (Mercer County) and Metuchen (Middlesex County), 4.3 inches in Freehold (Monmouth County), 4.0 inches in Cranbury (Middlesex County), 3.2 inches in Howell (Monmouth County), 3.0 inches in Bordentown (Burlington County), 2.7 inches in Brick Township (Ocean County), 2.5 inches in Long Branch (Monmouth County), 2.2 inches in Mount Holly (Burlington County), 1.5 inches in Haddon Heights (Camden County) and Toms River (Ocean County), 1.4 inches in Tabernacle (Burlington County) and 1.0 inch in National Park (Gloucester County). ||The onshore flow caused by the low pressure system resulted in minor tidal flooding during the high tide cycle on the morning of the 24th along coastal sections of Atlantic and Cape May Counties. The high tide in Atlantic City (Atlantic County) reached 6.32 feet above mean lower low water. Minor tidal flooding starts at 6.00 feet above mean lower low water. The high tide at the Cape May Ferry Terminal (Cape May County) reached 6.86 feet above mean lower low water. Minor tidal flooding starts at 6.70 feet above mean lower low water. ||The winter storm was caused by a low pressure system which moved along the northern Gulf of Mexico on the evening of the 22nd through the morning of the 23rd. It then started to track to the northeast and was in southeast Alabama on the afternoon of the 23rd and moved through southern Georgia overnight on the 23rd. A second low pressure system formed on its warm front that same night in South Carolina. This would become the primary low pressure system as it too tracked to the northeast. At 1 a.m. EST on the 24th, it was located near Norfolk, Virginia, 7 a.m. EST on the 24th over the Delmarva coastal waters as it started to intensify rapidly. At 1 p.m. EST on the 24th, the low pressure system was already southeast of Long Island, New York and would pass near Nantucket, Massachusetts later that afternoon. The lack of a high pressure system north of the system spared coastal and southern sections of New Jersey from also receiving heavy snow.

A winter storm on the 26th, the day before Thanksgiving Day, dropped heavy snow over parts of northwest New Jersey and caused power outages as well as additional traveling difficulties. Governer Chris Christie declared a state of emergency. Speed limits were reduced on all major roadways. Snowfall along the Interstate 95/295 corridor averaged around an inch, but snowfall reached between 3 and 12 inches in the northwest part of the state and was very elevation dependent. The weight of the heavy, wet snow tore down tree limbs, trees and power lines in the northwest part of the state. About 23,000 homes and businesses lost power. Many schools in the northern part of the state either closed or dismissed students early.||Precipitation began as rain throughout most of the state from south to north between 4 a.m. EST and 8 a.m. EST on the 26th. As precipitation intensity increased, the rain changed to snow in northwest New Jersey between 8 a.m. EST and 10 a.m. EST that morning. The snow fell at its heaviest from the late morning into the early afternoon. As precipitation intensity lessened during the second half of the afternoon and evening, precipitation mixed with or changed back to rain in lower terrain locations in northwest New Jersey. Along the Interstate 95/295 corridor, as precipitation intensity increased, the rain mixed with or even changed to sleet and snow during the midday hours before changing back to rain. The highest accumulations along this corridor were in Middlesex and Mercer Counties. In southeast New Jersey, just rain fell. Precipitation ended from south to north between 10 p.m. EST on the 26th and Midnight EST on the 27th.||The wintry precipitation on a busy travel day caused numerous accidents. New Jersey State Police responded to about 100 accidents as well as about 100 calls for assistance on major roadways. A snow related fatal accident occurred in Woodbridge (Middlesex County). In Somerset County, a jack-knifed tractor-trailer blocked two lanes of westbound Interstate 78 near Warren. In Hunterdon County, in Holland Township, a driver skidded off the road, the vehicle overturned and came to a stop in a creek. The driver was not injured. The declared state of emergency gave personnel the authority to reassign personnel and equipment, order evacuations and make changes to traffic flow on major roadways. ||About 23,000 homes and businesses lost power, mainly in Jersey Central Power and Light's service area in the northwest part of the state. Most of the outages were in Sussex and Morris Counties. About 2,100 Jersey Central Power and Light customers were still without power on the morning of the 28th. In Sussex County, Sussex Rural Electric Cooperative also reported about 1,150 members were still without power at 10 a.m. EST on the 27th. The number was down to about 600 members at Noon EST on the 27th with the greatest concentration in Scenic Lakes, Lake Wallkill and Pleasant Valley Lake areas. In Sussex County, in Hardyston Township, a destroying house fire was believed to have been started by a surge when power was restored. ||Representative snowfall (this included the sleet along the Interstate 95 corridor) included 11.5 inches in Highland Lakes (Sussex County), 10.7 inches in Wantage (Sussex County), 8.9 inches in Sussex (Sussex County), 8.2 inches in Bethlehem Township (Hunterdon County), 8.1 inches in Lake Hopatcong (Morris County side), 7.3 inches in Jefferson Township (Morris County), 7.2 inches in Liberty Township (Warren County), 7.0 inches in Marcella (Morris County), 5.5 inches in Blairstown (Warren County), 5.0 inches in Holland Township (Hunterdon County), 4.5 inches in Butler (Morris County), 4.0 inches in Stewartsville (Warren County), 3.7 inches in Rockaway (Morris County), 3.5 inches in Kingwood Township (Hunterdon County), 3.4 inches in Hackettstown (Warren County), 3.0 inches in Peapack (Somerset County), 2.0 inches in Hopewell Township (Mercer County), Bound Brook (Somerset County) and Metuchen (Middlesex County), 1.8 inches in South Brunswick (Middlesex County), 1.6 inches in Hillsborough (Somerset County), 1.1 inches in Florence (Burlington County) and 1.0 inch in Ewing Township (Mercer County).||In addition to the wintry precipitation inland, the onshore flow around the nor'easter caused minor tidal flooding along the Atlantic coast from Ocean County southward as well as in lower Delaware Bay during the daytime high tide cycle on the 26th. The high tide in Atlantic City (Atlantic County) reached 6.32 feet above mean lower low water. Minor tidal flooding starts at 6.0 feet above mean lower low water. The high tide in Cape May (Cape May County) reached 6.77 feet above mean lower low water. Minor tidal flooding starts at 6.7 feet above mean lower low water.| |The wintry mix was caused by a low pressure system that formed in the Gulf of Mexico on a cold front on the 25th. The low pressure system moved north-northeast, crossed northern Florida during the late evening on the 25th, was located near Wilmington, North Carolina at 7 a.m. EST on the 26th, off the Virginia coastal waters at 1 p.m. EST on the 26th, about 150 miles east of the central New Jersey coast at 7 p.m. EST on the 26th and passed near Nantucket Island, Massachusetts during the late evening on the 26th.

For the second consecutive day, a cluster of strong to severe thunderstorms affected central and northern New Jersey during the late afternoon and early evening of the 3rd. About 33,000 homes and businesses lost power throughout the state from the combination of wind damage and lightning strikes. Counties that suffered most of the outages were Cumberland, Hunterdon, Morris, Ocean and Sussex Counties.

The strong pressure gradient (difference) between an intensifying strong low pressure system and a high pressure system in the Ohio Valley caused high to strong northwest winds to occur across New Jersey from the evening of the 12th following a cold frontal passage through the daytime hours on the 13th. Peak wind gusts averaged around 50 mph, with some gusts as high as around 60 mph. The strongest winds occurred overnight on the 12th. The high winds toppled a tree that killed one man in Sussex County and the high winds damaged the roof of one store in Morris County. In addition, the prolonged period of strong winds caused weak tree limbs, trees and power lines to be knocked down and caused widely scattered power outages. About 1,700 homes and businesses lost power and a number of roadways were closed because of downed trees and limbs.||In Sussex County, a 74-year-old man was killed when an 80 foot tall tree fell completely through his home on Maxim Drive in Hopatcong on the afternoon of the 13th. The tree also damaged the neighboring home. Roofing debris on a kerosene heater started a small fire. A police officer rescued two dogs in the house and was injured extinguishing the fire. In Morris County, a piece of roofing material of a Bed, Bath and Beyond store on International Drive in Flanders was ripped away. The roofing debris struck a gas line and started a small fire. The mall was evacuated as a precaution. In Burlington County, a downed tree blocked U.S. Route 206 in Mansfield Township. In Camden County, a downed tree damaged a business sign in Camden. Another downed tree blocked Kearsarge Road in Camden.||Peak wind gusts included 62 mph in Cape May (Cape May County), 59 mph in Harvey Cedars (Ocean County) and Wantage (Sussex County), 58 mph in Tuckerton (Ocean County), 56 mph in Cape May (Cape May County), 52 mph in Sandy Hook (Monmouth County) and Brick Township (Ocean County), 50 mph at the Atlantic City International Airport, 49 mph at the McGuire Air Force Base (Burlington County), 48 mph in Newport (Cumberland County) and Sea Girt (Monmouth County), 47 mph in Absecon (Atlantic County), 46 mph in Trenton (Mercer County) and Belmar (Monmouth County) and 45 mph in Lumberton (Burlington County). ||The low pressure system responsible for the strong winds emerged from the Rockies on the evening of the 10th. It reached central Missouri on the evening of the 11th and western Pennsylvania on the afternoon of the 12th. It already was an intense 984 millibar low pressure system. The northeast moving 982 millibar low pressure system reached central New Jersey at 8 p.m. EDT on the 12th as its cold front as moving through the state. The 981 millibar low pressure system was near Boston, Massachusetts at 11 p.m. EDT on the 12th and reached Nova Scotia as a 976 millibar low pressure system at 5 a.m. EDT on the 13th. It continued to move northeast through the Canadian Maritimes during the day on the 13th and very slowly weakened. By evening on the 13th, the high pressure system was close enough to New Jersey that the pressure gradient (difference) weakened and the strong winds stopped.

A winter storm dropped heavy snow and sleet as well as some freezing rain across most of New Jersey, except for the immediate coast. Snowfall and sleet totals average 10 to 20 inches from around the Interstate 95 corridor northwestward with the highest amounts in Warren and Sussex Counties. Elsewhere, snowfall and sleet amounts dropped considerably the closer to the coast municipalities were located. Ice accumulations were generally less than one tenth of an inch. Little if any snow or sleet accumulations occurred along the coastal strips of Cape May and Atlantic Counties. ||Snow overspread New Jersey from south to north between 9 p.m. EST and Midnight EST on the 12th. Three bands of heavy snow, in which snowfall rates averaged two to three inches per hour, moved through the state. The first one mainly affected the southern third of the state around 3 a.m. EST on the 13th. The second one moved through the entire southern half of the state (away from the coast where it was rain by then) between 4 a.m. EST and 7 a.m. EST on the 13th. The last one formed in the southern half of the state around 6 a.m. EST on the 13th and proceeded to move north through the entire state by 2 p.m. EST on the 13th. After the snow bands moved through, precipitation changed to rain in the southeast part of the state during the morning of the 13th, the southwest and central part of the state during the second half of the morning and around midday on the 13th and during the afternoon of the 13th in the northwest part of the state. Some pockets of freezing persisted. Thunderstorms moved through the state during the late afternoon and early evening on the 13th, some with small hail. Then as the low pressure system pulled offshore, precipitation changed back to snow during the second half of the evening on the 13th and ended after Midnight EST on the 14th. The last snow band exited New Jersey between 2 a.m. EST and 5 a.m. EST on the 14th. ||Governor Chris Christie declared a state of emergency and New Jersey State Offices were closed and non-essential personnel did not have to report to work. Many schools, malls, businesses, other government and local offices as well as municipal courts never opened on the 13th. Many schools in the northern part of the state were also closed on the 14th. New Jersey State offices opened late on the 14th. There were speed restrictions on the New Jersey Turnpike and the Delaware River crossings. The early start to the heavy snow cut down on the number of accidents. The New Jersey State Police responded to 334 motor vehicle accidents and 632 calls for assistance. Many of the flights into and out of the Atlantic City International Airport were cancelled. The snow did not cling to tree limbs as well and there were only about 400 homes and businesses that lost power in Public Service Electric and Gas's service area. One of the hardest hit businesses were florists as the heavy snow wreaked havoc (tens of thousands delayed) on the flower deliveries for Valentine's Day. The latest event strained municipal budgets further and increased the shortage of salt supplies in the region. The weight of the snow started to cause structural damage. In Raritan (Somerset County), strip mall roofing collapsed on U.S. Route 202. No injuries occurred. ||Representative snowfall included 22.8 inches in Montague Township (Sussex County), 19.2 inches in Highland Lakes (Sussex County), 19.1 inches in Blairstown (Warren County), 17.3 inches in Rockaway Township (Morris County), 17.2 inches in Wantage (Sussex County), 16.0 inches in Butler (Morris County), 15.4 inches in Stewartsville (Warren County), 15.3 inches in Boonton (Morris County), 15.2 inches in Bridgewater (Somerset County), 14.5 inches in Marcella (Morris County), 14.4 inches in Greenwich Township (Warren County), 14.0 inches in Kingwood Township (Hunterdon County), 13.8 inches in Bound Brook (Somerset County), 13.1 inches in Metuchen (Middlesex County), 12.7 inches in Florence (Burlington County), 12.2 inches in Westampton Township (Burlington County), 11.6 inches in Washington Township (Gloucester County) and Readington Township (Hunterdon County), 11.5 inches in Clinton Township (Hunterdon County), 11.2 inches in South Plainfield (Middlesex County), 10.6 inches in Burlington Township (Burlington County), 10.5 inches in Flemington (Hunterdon County), 10.0 inches in Moorestown (Burlington County) and Ewing (Mercer County), 9.4 inches in Lindenwold (Camden County), 8.9 inches in Jackson Township (Ocean County), 8.6 inches in Woodstown (Salem County), 8.5 inches in Pitman (Gloucester County), 8.3 inches in Tabernacle (Burlington County), 7.6 inches in Egg Harbor City (Atlantic County), 7.5 inches in Estell Manor (Atlantic County), 4.0 inches in Woodbine (Cape May County), 3.3 inches in Berkeley Township (Ocean County), 3.0 inches at the Atlantic City International Airport and 2.2 inches in Lavallette (Ocean County).| |The winter storm was caused by a low pressure system that formed in the western Gulf of Mexico on the 11th and moved east on the 12th. This was preceded by an arctic high pressure system that passed over the Middle Atlantic States that same day and left plenty of initial cold, dry air in place. A new low pressure system formed east of Florida on the 12th and would become the primary low pressure system for the event. It moved northeast and was near Wilmington, North Carolina at 7 p.m. EST on the 12th. From there, it continued northnortheast and passed near Elizabeth City, North Carolina at 7 a.m. EST on the 13th. Once it reached the Atlantic again, it started to intensify rapidly and reached the Delmarva coastal waters early in the afternoon on the 13th. At 7 p.m. EST on the 13th, the low pressure system was off the New Jersey coast and deepened to 986 millibars (11 millibar drop in 12 hours). From there the low pressure system moved northeast and intensified even more rapidly as it passed just east of Long Island, New York and passed near Boston, Massachusetts as a 976 millibar low pressure system at 4 a.m. EST on the 14th. This low pressure system deepened to 968 millibars at 10 a.m. EST on the 14th while over Maine before finally leveling off. The close pass to the New Jersey coast permitted this low pressure system to bring in above freezing (milder) air into the state, if not at the surface, at least aloft and caused a period of non-snow to occur before ending as snow again as it departed.

A major winter storm brought heavy snow and sleet to northwest New Jersey and a wintry mix which included a significant accumulation of ice to the central third of New Jersey. Snowfall reached one foot in Sussex County and ice accumulations were as high as half an inch. The snow that was still on the trees from the just concluded winter storm was a major contributing factor to the power outages. The weight of the snow, then sleet and freezing rain on limbs all collaborated to cause more tree damage then would have occurred if trees were bare at the start of the event. It was the worst ice related outages in the Public Service Electric and Gas's service area since 1999. Governor Chris Christie declared a State of Emergency and all New Jersey State offices were closed on the 5th for all non-essential workers. Except in the southeast part of the state, schools were closed. Rutgers University was closed also. New Jersey State Police responded statewide to about 170 accidents and around 180 calls for assistance from disabled motorists. ||In the southern half of the state, precipitation started as sleet during the late evening on the 4th. In the southeast part of the state, precipitation changed to plain rain. But in inland Monmouth and in Mercer County and the Philadelphia eastern suburbs, precipitation changed quickly over to freezing rain within about an hour of the start. Precipitation then changed to plain rain from south to north between 4 a.m. EST and 9 a.m. EST on the 5th. The rain ended that afternoon. In the Raritan Valley and northwest New Jersey, precipitation started as snow right around Midnight EST on the 5th. The snow fell heavy at times before sunrise in northwest New Jersey. Precipitation then changed to sleet from south to north between 3 a.m. EST and 8 a.m. EST on the 5th. In the Raritan Valley, the precipitation changed quickly to freezing rain and then to plain rain around 9 a.m. EST on the 5th. In northwest New Jersey, the sleet continued for a couple of hours and the transition to freezing rain occurred during the second half of the morning. A change to plain rain occurred during the early afternoon (except for parts of Sussex County) and the accumulating precipitation ended around 3 p.m. EST on the 5th. A very light wintry mix then occurred in northwest New Jersey during the early evening of the 5th. ||Public Service Electric and Gas reported about 110,000 of its customers lost power with Mercer, Burlington and Middlesex Counties most affected. Power was fully restored late in the day on the 7th. Jersey Central Power and Light reported about 44,000 of its customers lost power with Middlesex and Monmouth Counties most affected. Power was fully restored on the afternoon of the 6th. One of the hardest hit municipalities with outages was Lambertville as 40 percent of the city lost power. Atlantic City Electric reported about 2,000 of its customers lost power. Restoration assistance came from as far away as Canada. The ice caused considerable traveling problems for all modes of transportation. The speed limit on the New Jersey Turnpike was reduced to 35 mph. Northeast Corridor rail service was suspended between Trenton and New York City. Train service was also suspended on the North Jersey Coastal Line. New Jersey Transit went on a storm schedule and cross honored train and bus tickets. Bus delays averaged one hour.||Some major roadway lane or complete closures due to downed trees included New Jersey State Routes 68 and 70 in Springfield and Pemberton Townships respectively and U.S. Route 130 in Burlington Township all in Burlington County and Eastbound Interstate 195 in Hamilton Township and New Jersey State Route 29 in Hopewell Township in Mercer County. A major accident with injuries occurred on Interstate 676 in Camden (Camden County). In Somerset County, a volunteer firefighter was injured when the truck he was in skidded on ice into a tree in Raritan Township. ||Even when the precipitation changed to rain, the problems did not end. Snow and ice clogged catch basins caused poor drainage roadway flooding. In Middlesex County, the U.S. Routes 1 and 9 corridor in Woodbridge and in Mercer County, New Jersey State Route 31 in Hopewell Township were most affected. An elderly couple had to be rescued from their flooded car on U.S. Route 9 in Woodbridge. | |Representative snowfall and sleet accumulations included 11.0 inches in Wantage and Montague Townships (Sussex County), 8.0 inches in Highland Lakes (Sussex County), 6.0 inches in Blairstown (Warren County) and Randolph (Morris County), 5.2 inches in Butler (Morris County), 5.0 inches in Marcella (Morris County), 4.4 inches in Parsippany (Morris County), 4.0 inches in Bernards Township (Somerset County), 3.8 inches in Bethlehem Township (Hunterdon County), 3.6 inches in Hackettstown (Warren County), 3.5 inches in Tewksbury Township (Hunterdon County), 3.0 inches in Flemington (Hunterdon County), 2.7 inches in Bridgewater (Somerset County), 2.2 inches in Woodbridge (Middlesex County), 2.0 inches in Iselin (Middlesex County) and Montgomery Township (Somerset County) and 0.8 inches in Pennington (Mercer County). ||Representative ice accumulations included 0.50 inches in Tewksbury Township (Hunterdon County) and Metuchen (Middlesex County), 0.40 inches in Florence (Burlington County) and Rockaway (Morris County), 0.30 inches in Ewing (Mercer County) and Bridgewater (Somerset County), 0.25 inches in Washington Township (Gloucester County), Princeton (Mercer County) and Monroe Township (Middlesex County) and 0.12 inches in Glassboro (Gloucester County).||The winter storm was caused by a low pressure system that formed in the western Gulf of Mexico on the morning of the 4th and a surface high pressure system that passed over the region and helped initially lock in cold air near the surface. This low pressure system moved northeast and reached Mississippi during the early evening of the 4th and the Tennessee River Valley around Midnight EST on the 5th. About the same time, a secondary low pressure system was forming on the primary low's warm front off the North Carolina Coast. Both low pressure systems in tandem proceeded to move northeast and at 7 a.m. EST on the 5th, the primary low pressure system was over southeast Ohio with the secondary low pressure system off the Delaware Coast. As is typically the case, the primary low pressure system weakened and reached western Pennsylvania during the early afternoon on the 5th while the now stronger secondary low pressure system was just off of Long Beach Island on the New Jersey coast. This secondary low pressure system intensified as it rapidly moved northeast and was southeast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts at 4 p.m. EST on the 5th. What was left of the primary low pressure system trundled across Eastern Pennsylvania and Northern New Jersey during the late afternoon and early evening of the 5th.

Snow fell across the central and northern third of New Jersey mainly from the early morning through the late afternoon on the 3rd. In central New Jersey, precipitation started as rain at the onset which changed over fairly quickly to snow. The southern third of the state remained mostly rain with little to no snow accumulation. Snowfall varied greatly across the area but in general a widespread 6 to 9 inches of snow was recorded in the northern half of the state, with progressively lesser amounts farther south in the southern half of the state. ||Precipitation began falling around midnight on the 3rd as rain. It fell as snow from the start in northwest New Jersey as the precipitation expanded northward into the area between 3 a.m. EST and 5 a.m. EST on the 3rd. In central New Jersey, the rain changed to snow between 3 a.m. and 8 a.m. EST, while farther to the south, the changeover occurred close to the end of the precipitation event. The heaviest snow during the daylight hours during the morning and ended between 4 p.m. EST and 6 p.m. EST that evening. A State of Emergency was declared by Governor Chris Christie due to the impacts of the snow across the state. Non-essential state employees were dismissed early. Businesses and local governments staggered dismissals. The snow caused slippery traveling conditions, especially on untreated and less traveled roadways. In Middlesex County alone, Woodbridge and South Brunswick Townships had 100 accidents. One of the worst accidents occurred in Hunterdon County in Tewksbury Township when a tractor-trailer skidded off of Interstate 78. The heavy, wet snow tore down weak tree limbs and power lines and caused power outages as about 6,500 homes and businesses lost power. Many municipalities declared snow emergencies. Many schools were closed and other events were postponed or cancelled. The heavy snow caused suspension of trash and recycling collections and caused salt supplies to run low. More salt was already used through this storm than all of last winter season.||Representative snowfall amounts included 9.1 inches in Metuchen (Middlesex County), 9.0 inches in Ringwood (Hunterdon County), 8.8 inches in Branchburg (Somerset County), 8.6 inches in Stewartsville (Warren County), 8.5 inches in Spotswood (Middlesex County) and Hanover Township (Morris County), 8.4 inches in Hopewell Township (Mercer County), 8.0 inches in Ewing Township (Mercer County) and Freehold (Monmouth County), 7.8 inches in Marcella (Morris County), 7.7 inches in Readington Township (Hunterdon County), 7.5 inches in Belle Mead (Somerset County), 7.3 inches in Hackettstown (Warren County), 7.0 inches in Hopatcong (Sussex County), 6.8 inches in Florence Township (Burlington County), 6.0 inches in Long Branch (Monmouth County) and Newton (Sussex County), 4.5 inches in Westampton Township (Burlington County), 4.2 inches in Haddon Heights (Camden County), 3.8 inches in Lakehurst (Ocean County), 3.6 inches in Toms River (Ocean County), 3.5 inches in National Park (Gloucester County), 1.4 inches in Lindenwold (Camden County), 1.3 inches in Pitman (Gloucester County) and only a trace at the Atlantic City International Airport.| |The heavy snow was caused by a low pressure system that formed on a cold front in eastern Texas on the morning of the 2nd. The low moved northeast and reach Mississippi on the evening of the 2nd, western North Carolina on the morning of the 3rd, the Delmarva coastal waters during the afternoon on the 3rd and then moved quickly offshore. As the precipitation intensity increased and colder air moved into the state, the rain changed to snow.

One of the harshest arctic outbreaks in years occurred in New Jersey on the 7th. Some record calendar day low temperatures occurred and combined with strong northwest winds produced wind chill factors as low as 15 to 25 degrees below zero in most areas that morning. Low temperatures were near zero. High temperatures struggled to reach double digits. The excessive cold caused many schools to either cancel classes or have delayed openings. Some delayed opening also occurred on the morning of the 8th in the northwest part of the state. AAA Mid-Atlantic reported an 81 percent increase in service calls, mainly for dead batteries. Amtrak reported extensive delays in its rail service. The cold weather also affected power supplies. PJM Interconnection, the agency that oversees the electric grid supplying the region, said electricity suppliers were struggling to keep up with surging demand as the cold forced some power plants to shut. An all-time winter record usage was recorded at 8 a.m. EST on the 7th, 138,600 megawatts surpassing the previous record from 2007. Utilities asked their customers where possible to switch to diesel or fuel oil. ||While some low temperatures were higher than what occurred on January 4th, the wind made it feel much colder than the air temperatures. Low temperatures included 8 degrees above zero in Stone Harbor (Cape May County), 6 degrees above zero in Woodbine (Cape May County) and Ship Bottom (Ocean County), 5 degrees above zero at the Atlantic City International Airport and Millville (Cumberland County), 4 degrees above zero in Cherry Hill (Camden County), 3 degrees above zero in Belmar (Monmouth County), Berkeley Township (Ocean County), Mount Laurel (Burlington County) and South Harrison (Gloucester County), 2 degrees above zero in Trenton (Mercer County) Somerville (Somerset County) and New Brunswick (Middlesex County), 1 degree above zero in Morristown (Morris County), zero in Sussex (Sussex County), 1 degree below zero in Hackettstown (Warren County) and Kingwood and 4 degrees below zero in Netcong (Morris County).||Lowest hourly wind chill factors included (they all occurred during the morning of the 7th) 21 degrees below zero in Kingwood (Hunterdon County), 20 degrees below zero in Wantage (Sussex County), Berkeley Township (Ocean County) and Basking Ridge (Somerset County), 19 degrees below zero in Belmar (Monmouth County) and Morristown (Morris County), 18 degrees below zero in Trenton (Mercer County), at the Atlantic City International Airport and McGuire Air Force Base (Burlington County), 16 degrees below zero in Millville (Cumberland County) and 12 degrees below zero in Wildwood (Cape May County).

A series of low pressure systems combined with a high pressure system passing across nearby Canada to bring a winter storm of snow, sleet and freezing rain from the morning into the overnight on the 14th. Snowfall averaged 4 to 7 inches in northwest New Jersey, 3 to 6 inches in the Raritan Basin and Monmouth County and around an inch in southwest New Jersey. Ice accumulations averaged one-quarter of an inch in northwest and west central New Jersey and around one-tenth of an inch in southwest New Jersey. The combination caused extremely difficult traveling conditions as well as isolated power outages. It also was the second consecutive weekend that a winter storm affected New Jersey. Numerous spin-outs and accidents were reported, although most did not involve serious injuries. In Hunterdon County, a 21-year-old driver and passenger were injured after striking a tree in Delaware Township. Other tree crashes occurred in Middletown (Monmouth County) and Bernards Township (Somerset County). ||Precipitation types varied location by location with the most snow in Sussex County and little if any wintry weather in southeast New Jersey. In Sussex County, snow began early on the 14thand fell at a steady pace. The snow did not change to sleet and freezing rain until near the end of the event early on the 15th. Across the rest of northwest New Jersey and the Raritan River Basin, the snow began between 6 a.m. EST and 10 a.m. EST and fell at its heaviest during the early evening. The snow changed briefly to sleet and then freezing rain during the second half of the evening on the 14th. Some lower elevation locations changed over to rain early on the 15th and precipitation ended between 3 a.m. EST and 5 a.m. EST on the 15th. In Mercer and Monmouth Counties and southwest New Jersey, snow began during the afternoon of the 14th and changed over briefly to sleet and then to freezing rain around 6 p.m. EST. The freezing rain then changed to plain rain during the early to mid evening and continued until precipitation ended overnight.||Representative snowfall included 7.0 inches in Lake Hopatcong (Morris County), Blairstown and Belvidere in Warren County and Wantage (Sussex County), 6.5 inches in Hackettstown (Warren County), 6.4 inches in Highland Lakes (Sussex County), 6.0 inches in Allamuchy (Warren County), 5.8 inches in Whitehouse Station (Hunterdon County), 5.5 inches in Hanover Township (Morris County) and Hardyston (Sussex County), 5.3 inches in Kingwood Township (Hunterdon County), 5.1 inches in Lincroft (Monmouth County) and Woodbridge (Middlesex County), 4.7 inches in Red Bank (Monmouth County), 4.5 inches in Perth Amboy (Middlesex County), Hazlet (Monmouth County), Parsippany (Morris County), Bound Brook (Somerset County) and Stewartsville (Warren County), 3.9 inches in Hillsborough (Somerset County), 3.8 inches in Colts Neck (Monmouth County) and Somerville (Somerset County), 3.5 inches in Clinton (Hunterdon County), 3.4 inches in Lawrence Township (Mercer County), 3.0 inches in Belle Mead (Somerset County), 2.4 inches in Ewing Township (Mercer County), 1.8 inches in Florence (Burlington County), 1.7 inches in Long Branch (Monmouth County), 1.1 inches in Mount Laurel (Burlington County) and 0.3 inches in Somerdale (Camden County) and National Park (Camden County). ||Representative ice accumulations included one quarter of an inch in Ringwood (Hunterdon County) and Lake Hopatcong (Morris County), two tenths of an inch in Haddon Heights (Camden County), Trenton (Mercer County), Hillsborough (Somerset County) and Stewartsville (Warren County) and one tenth of an inch in Mount Laurel (Burlington County) and Ringoes (Hunterdon County). ||The winter storm was caused by a series of low pressure systems, one emerging from the central Rockies and the second forming in the western Gulf of Mexico on the evening of the 13th. They reached Missouri and Mississippi respectively on the morning of the 14th. Meanwhile, a high pressure system with a fresh supply of cold air reached southern Quebec Province, Canada. While the southern low pressure system weakened, the northern one reached the central Ohio Valley at 4 p.m. EST on the 14th as the center of the high pressure system started to cross the Saint Lawrence River Valley and slowly eased east during the evening and overnight. A new low pressure system was starting to form on the warm frontal boundary in North Carolina. This latter low pressure system started to intensify as the Ohio Valley low pressure system started to weaken. At 10 p.m. EST on the 14th, the former low pressure system reached the lower Chesapeake Bay. This low became the main low pressure system and passed just east of Atlantic City, New Jersey at 1 a.m. EST on the 15th and eastern Long Island at 7 a.m. EST on the 15th. The sequence of secondary formation helped to lock in colder air near the surface in most of northwest New Jersey.

A strong northwest flow following a cold frontal passage produced wind gusts as high as around 45 mph inland and around 50 to 55 mph along the coast of New Jersey from the evening of the 23rd into the afternoon of the 24th. The strong winds came in two spurts, one just following the cold frontal passage on the 23rd and a more prolonged and sustained period from the pre-dawn hours into the middle of the afternoon on the 24th. Winds started diminishing as a strong high pressure system came closer to the area. The strong winds knocked down weak trees limbs and power lines and also hampered firefighter efforts extinguishing wildfires. The strong winds also greatly hampered firefighters battling a house fire in Sussex County. Peak wind gusts included 56 mph in Cape May (Cape May County), 55 mph in Perth Amboy (Middlesex County), 54 mph in West Cape May and Cape May Harbor (Cape May County), 52 mph in Sandy Hook (Monmouth County), 49 mph in Tuckerton (Ocean County), 48 mph at the McGuire Air Force Base (Burlington County), 47 mph in Wantage (Sussex County), 46 mph at Harvey Cedars (Ocean County) and Sea Girt (Monmouth County) and 45 mph in Mullica (Atlantic County) and the Atlantic City International Airport.

The combination of wraparound moisture from the departing nor'easter and a new upper low disturbance brought heavy snow to Sussex and Morris Counties and an accumulating snow through central New Jersey from the late afternoon on March 7th through March 8th. Snowfall averaged 5 to 10 inches in Sussex and Warren Counties, 3 to 6 inches in the rest of the Passaic Basin as well as in the Raritan Basin and 2 to 5 inches across the rest of the central third of New Jersey. Accumulations in the southern third of New Jersey were less than 2 inches. The snow impacted the morning commute and travel on the 8th, especially in Morris County. Multiple accidents were reported on Interstates 80 and 287 as well as New Jersey State Route 23. In Morris County, New Jersey State Route 15 was closed in Jefferson because of an accident. Speeds on the New Jersey Turnpike were lowered to 45 mph. The accumulating snow caused about 1,500 homes and businesses to lose power in northwest New Jersey. New Jersey Transit cross honored bus and rail tickets. Rail and bus delays averaged 15 to 30 minutes. ||Intermittent precipitation started again on the 7th as rain with some wet snow mixed in far northwest New Jersey. As the precipitation intensity increased, the rain changed to snow in Sussex County during the late afternoon on the 7th and the rest of central and northern New Jersey (from north to south) as the evening of the 7th progressed. The rain changed to snow after Midnight EST on the 8th in the southern third of the state. The snow fell at its heaviest during the morning commute on the 8th. While the snow persisted into the afternoon on the 8th, the intensity lessened and indirect insolation from the March sun prevented much snow from additionally accumulating from the late morning onward. In fact, except for far northwest New Jersey, the snow changed to rain before ending that afternoon. ||Representative snowfall included 11.8 inches in Highland Lakes (Sussex County), 10.5 inches in Wantage (Sussex County), 9.3 inches in Jefferson Township (Morris County), 8.8 inches in Hardyston Township (Sussex County), 8.0 inches in Lake Hopatcong (Morris County), 7.0 inches in Rockaway Township and Marcella (Morris County), 6.5 inches in Freehold (Monmouth County), 6.0 inches in Hackettstown (Warren County), 5.1 inches in North Brunswick and Metuchen (Middlesex County), 5.0 inches in Boonton (Morris County), 4.9 inches in Hillsborough Township (Somerset County), 4.5 inches in Andover (Sussex County) and Bound Brook (Somerset County), Lawrence Township (Mercer County), Flemington (Hunterdon County), Allamuchy (Warren County) and Colts Neck (Monmouth County), 4.4 inches in Hamilton Township (Monmouth County), 4.2 inches in Woodbridge (Middlesex County), 4.1 inches in Clinton (Hunterdon County), New Brunswick (Middlesex County) and Hopewell (Mercer County), 4.0 inches in Edison (Middlesex County), 3.9 inches in Mount Laurel Township (Burlington County), 3.8 inches in Liberty Township (Warren County) and Mine Hill Township (Morris County), 3.7 inches in Stockton (Hunterdon County), 3.6 inches in Pemberton (Burlington County), 3.5 inches in Bedminster Township (Somerset County) and Long Branch (Monmouth County), 3.4 inches in Montgomery Township (Somerset County), 3.3 inches in Belmar (Monmouth County), 3.2 inches in Red Bank (Monmouth County), Stewartsville (Warren County) and Burlington Township (Burlington County), 3.0 inches in White House Station (Hunterdon County), 2.8 inches in Neptune Township (Monmouth County), 2.7 inches in Brick Township (Ocean County), 2.6 inches in Point Pleasant (Ocean County) and Tabernacle (Burlington County), 1.7 inches in Lacey Township (Ocean County) and Somerdale (Camden County), 1.6 inches in Washington Township (Gloucester County), 1.5 inches in Franklin Township (Gloucester County), 1.4 inches in Estell Manor (Atlantic County) and 0.9 inches at the Atlantic City International Airport.

An intense nor'easter brought strong to high winds across most of central and southern New Jersey on the 6th into the 7th as well as minor to moderate tidal flooding along Raritan Bay, lower Delaware Bay and on the ocean side. The coastal flooding was exacerbated by wave action as waves off of Barnegat (Ocean County) reached 15 feet and seas offshore 25 feet. The coastal flooding caused new breaches in Mantoloking, flooded roadways and prompted some voluntary evacuations in Monmouth and Ocean Counties. Peak wind gusts reached around 70 mph and downed trees, tree limbs and wires and caused some structural damage. About 50,000 homes and businesses lost power. Power was restored by the 7th. Because of the adverse weather, New Jersey Transit cross honored rail and bus tickets. Trash pick-ups were postponed. At least minor tidal flooding persisted into the morning high tide cycle on the 10th. This was the greatest and most persistent tidal flooding to affect the New Jersey coast since Hurricane Sandy last October. ||Minor tidal flooding started with the high tide cycle on the morning of the 6th in Cape May County. Widespread minor tidal flooding occurred with the afternoon high tide cycle on the 6th and then areas of moderate tidal flooding occurred during the morning high tide cycle on the 7th. This high tide cycle caused the most road closures. Minor tidal flooding also occurred with both high tide cycles on the 8th. On top of the tidal flooding was wave action as well as heavy rain. In addition, the persistent north to northeast winds prevented the back bays from emptying. The highest tide at Cape May (Cape May County) reached 7.54 feet above mean lower low water and at Sandy Hook (Monmouth County) 7.63 feet above mean lower low water. Moderate tidal flooding starts at 7.7 feet above mean lower low water. The highest tide at Atlantic City (Atlantic County) reached 6.95 feet above mean lower low water. Moderate tidal flooding starts at 7.0 feet above mean lower low water. Other highest tides for this event included (there are no established category thresholds at these sites) 8.02 feet above mean lower low water at South Amboy (Middlesex County) and Keansburg (Monmouth County), 6.86 feet above mean lower low water at Sea Bright (Monmouth County) and 7.29 feet above mean lower low water at Sea Isle City (Cape May County). ||In Monmouth County, voluntary evacuations were requested in Brielle and Manasquan. Along Raritan Bay, New Jersey State Route 35 was closed in Aberdeen. In Union Beach, Florence Avenue and Front Street (near the Flat Creek) were closed. Along the ocean side, New Jersey State Route 36 (Ocean Avenue) was closed from Sea Bright through Highlands. In Sea Bright, flood waters reached homes and in the downtown area, vehicles and buildings were surrounded by flood waters. Flooding also occurred along New Jersey State Route 36 in Long Branch. Other road closures occurred in Manasquan, Monmouth Beach and Sea Girt.||In Ocean County, on the ocean side, in Mantoloking, three dune breaches closed New Jersey State Route 35 between Herbert and Lymans Street. The roadway was reopened later on the 7th. Voluntary evacuations were recommended in Toms River, Brick, and Long Beach Townships. Tidal flooding was reported in Long Beach Township in its Brant Beach and Holgate areas. On the bay side of Ocean County, in Berkeley Township, tidal flooding in Barnegat Bay reached into Balsam Drive, Main Street and Bayview Avenue. Roadways on Pelican Island and Seaside Park also had some water on them. In Lacey Township, tidal flooding was reported in the Hawaii section as well as along the Bayside Beach Club.||In Atlantic County, tidal flooding damaged 500 homes along the bay side in Atlantic City. The Black Horse Pike (U.S. Routes 40 and 322) were reduced to just one lane in both directions between Atlantic City and Pleasantville. Exit 2 off of the Atlantic City Expressway was closed because of this flooding. In Absecon, flooding affected the White Horse Pike (U.S. Route 30) and the southbound lanes of U.S. Route 9. Tidal flooding closed Ohio Avenue and Shore Road. ||In Cape May County, tidal flooding closed the George Redding Bridge (State Route 47) leading into Wildwood. Roadway flooding was reported in Ocean City (where residents were advised to move their vehicles to higher ground), Avalon and Stone Harbor. Vehicles were trapped in flood waters on Landis Avenue in Sea Isle City. Angelsea Drive was closed in North Wildwood. Tidal flooding was also reported in Washington Township in Burlington County.||Northeast winds intensified as the morning of the 6th continued and reached their peak during the afternoon and early evening. As winds slowly backed to the north during the evening, wind speeds diminished. The high winds blew off part of the roof of a condominium in Stone Harbor (Cape May County). Downed poles and wires also necessitated the closure of Stone Harbor Boulevard. The winds forced the cancellation of four crossings by the Cape May-Lewes Ferry on the 6th. Normal ferry service resumed on the 7th. In Cumberland County, the high winds partially lifted and damaged the roof of a Vineland High School. Water entered the building. In Atlantic City (Atlantic County), the State Street beach patrol building was destroyed by the high winds. In Ocean County, the high winds tossed considerable sand onto New Jersey State Route 35 in Point Pleasant. It also destroyed the canopy of one hotel. In Monmouth County, the chafing by high tension wires (caused by the wind) led to a fire at a condiment factory in Sea Bright. There was an empty trailer ban on the Walt Whitman and Commodore Barry Bridges across the lower Delaware River.||Peak wind gusts included 69 mph Ocean City (Cape May County) and in Cape May (Cape May County), 68 mph in Tuckerton (Ocean County), 67 mph in Cape May Harbor (Cape May County), 64 mph in Harvey Cedars and Barnegat Light (Ocean County), 61 mph in Sea Girt (Monmouth County), 60 mph in Somers Point (Atlantic County), 59 mph in Wildwood (Cape May County), 58 mph in Berkeley Township (Ocean County), 57 mph in Belmar (Monmouth County), 56 mph in West Cape May (Cape May County) and Brick Township (Ocean County), 54 mph in Newport (Cumberland County), 53 mph at the Atlantic City International Airport and Woodbridge (Middlesex County), 52 mph in Trenton (Mercer County), 51 mph at the McGuire Air Force (Burlington County), Eatontown (Monmouth County) and Millville (Cumberland County), 50 mph in Woodstown (Salem County), 49 mph in Cream Ridge (Monmouth County), Princeton (Mercer County) and Coyle Field (Burlington County), 48 mph in Oldmans Township (Gloucester County), 47 mph in Morristown (Morris County), Society Hill (Somerset County) and Williamstown (Gloucester County) and 43 mph in Somerville (Somerset County).. ||The nor'easter low pressure system emerged from the southern Rockies on the 4th and moved into the Tennessee Valley on the morning of the 5th, passed across the southern Appalachians during the evening of the 5th and reached northeastern North Carolina on the morning of the 6th. From there it slowly moved northeast and was off the Delmarva Peninsula on the afternoon of the 6th. It then drifted slowly offshore to the east that evening and that motion continued on the 7th and 8th. The low pressure system was not that intense overall (never deppeened to less than 985 millibars near the coast), but a strong high pressure system that was located over southeastern Canada helped intensify the surface pressure gradient (difference) throughout this event.

A rapidly intensifying ocean storm that moved south to north over the western Atlantic produced strong gusty west to northwest winds from the late morning on the 17th into the early morning on the 18th. Peak wind gusts averaged 45 mph inland and 45 to 55 mph along the immediate coast and knocked down weak trees, tree limbs and wires and caused isolated power outages. Peak wind gusts included 57 mph in Cape May (Cape May County), 50 mph in Seaside Park (Ocean County), 49 mph in High Point (Sussex County), 48 mph in Wantage (Sussex County) and Eatontown and Sandy Hook in Monmouth County, 47 mph in Brick Township and Point Pleasant in Ocean County, 46 mph in Tuckerton (Ocean County), 44 mph at the Atlantic City International Airport and Trenton (Mercer County) and 43 mph in Millville (Cumberland County) and Somerville (Somerset County). ||The northward moving ocean storm intensified from a 1001 millibar low pressure system east of North Carolina on the evening of the 16th, to a 979 millibar low pressure system well east of New Jersey on the morning of the 17th and peaked as a 954 millibar low pressure system over Nova Scotia at 7 p.m. EST on the 17th. From there it slowly weakened as it moved toward Newfoundland overnight. As this low moved farther away from New Jersey, the strong winds ceased.

An area of low pressure developed across the northern plains on Thursday February 7th, tracking eastward. Meanwhile, another area of low pressure developed along the coast of North Carolina, tracking northeast. Both lows approached the area on Friday February 8th with the coastal low intensifying as it moved toward the northeast. The two lows interacted with one another with the coastal low eventually absorbing the inland low late Friday. The system moved off toward New England on Friday night, moving into the Canadian maritimes by Saturday afternoon. ||Schools across northern New Jersey closed on Friday February 8th in advance of the expected snow. Roadways became slippery and hazardous across the state. Speed restrictions were posted on many area roadways including the Atlantic City Expressway, Garden State Parkway and New Jersey Turnpike. Bus and rail service were suspended due to hazardous road conditions and icy rails. Bus and Rail service was restored by Saturday afternoon. In addition, scattered power outages were reported, mainly in the northern portion of the state, with service restored by Saturday afternoon. ||A 50 year old woman was killed when she lost control of her car and slid into oncoming traffic in Piscataway (Middlesex County) . A 65 year old man in the oncoming car suffered minor injuries in the crash.||Majority of the winds were a result of the northwesterly flow behind the departing low although a few of the gusts occurred in the northeast flow as the storm deepened. Wind gusts were generally in the range of 40 to 50 mph with a few higher gusts reported. Scattered power outages reported as result of the gusty winds. Peak wind speeds included 56 mph in Cape May Harbor (Cape May County), 53 mph in Wantage (Sussex County), 51 mph at the High Point Monument (Sussex County), 49 mph at the Cape May Ferry Terminal (Cape May County), 46 mph in Tuckerton (Ocean County), 43 mph in Woodbine (Cape May County) and at the Atlantic City Marina, and 41 mph in Sea Girt (Monmouth County) and West Cape May (Cape May County).||Precipitation started to spread across the area during the morning hours on Friday February 8th. Areas across northern New Jersey started as all snow and remained snow through the entire event. Some areas started as a mix of snow and rain before changing over to all rain during the daytime hours. A changeover to all snow occurred during the evening. Total snowfall accumulations varied widely across the forecast areas with a fairly tight gradient from northeast to southwest in New Jersey. Amounts across the higher terrain were mainly in the 9 to 12 inch range with up to 14 inches reported in parts of Sussex and Morris Counties. Mainly 4 to 9 inches were reported across the remainder of northern and central New Jersey. South central New Jersey saw 3 to 6 inches with southern New Jersey seeing 3 inches or less. Only trace amounts of snow were reported across the southern most points in New Jersey.||Representative snowfall included 14.1 inches in Vernon Township (Sussex County), 14.0 inches in Chatham (Morris County), 13.0 inches in Green Pond (Morris County), 12.0 inches in Mine Hill Township (Morris County), 11.5 inches in Allenhurst (Monmouth County), 11 inches in Wall Township (Monmouth County), 8.9 inches in Metuchen (Middlesex County), 8.8 inches in South Plainfield (Middlesex County), 8.5 inches in Basking Rdige (Somerset County), 8.2 inches in Bound Brook (Somerset County), 7.8 inches in Allamuchy Township (Warren County), 7.2 inches in Lawrenceville (Mercer County) and Flemington (Hunterdon County), 7.0 inches in Forked River (Ocean County), Princeton and Pennington (Mercer County), and Mansfield Township and Hackettstown (Warren County), 6.8 inches in Wertsville (Hunterdon County) and Point Pleasant (Ocean County), 6.5 inches in Lanoka Harbor (Ocean County), 5.8 inches in Bordentown (Burlington County), 5.5 inches in Southampton (Burlington County), 4.5 inches at the Mount Holly WFO (Burlington County), 2.5 inches in Mays Landing (Atlantic County), 2.3 inches in Washington Township (Gloucester County), 2.0 inches in Vineland (Cumberland County), Berlin (Camden County), Buena Vista and Hammonton (Atlantic County), 1.8 inches in Pennsauken (Camden County), 1.7 inches at the Atlantic City Airport, and 0.5 inches in Woodbine, Beesley's Point and Seaville (Cape May County).

Strong to high winds occurred across New Jersey from the middle of the evening on the 30th into the early afternoon of the 31st in New Jersey. Peak wind gusts reached between 45 mph and 65 mph and downed weak trees, tree limbs and power lines and caused power outages. Approximately 20,000 homes and businesses lost power. The wind damage was exacerbated by isolated severe thunderstorms that moved through the central part of the state during the early morning on the 31st. All of the high winds and most of the highest wind gusts occurred in the south to southwest flow preceding a cold frontal passage during the early morning on the 31st. However, strong wind gusts near 50 mph continued in the westerly flow following the cold frontal passage during the morning and into early afternoon on the 31st. The cold front moved through the state between 5 a.m. EST and 7 a.m. EST on the 31st. ||PSE&G reported about 11,000 outages across New Jersey, 3,400 of them in Burlington County. Power was expected to be fully restored later in the day on the 31st. In Burlington County, parts of northbound U.S. Route 206 northbound were closed because of fallen trees. Sections of U.S. Route 30 in Camden County were also closed because of downed trees. Atlantic City Electric reported about 3,600 of its customers were without power, more than 2,500 were in Atlantic County. In central New Jersey, the most concentrated reported wind damage and power outages occurred in Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean Counties. In Monmouth County, about 1,700 JCP&L customers lost power. Outages were reported in Freehold, Upper Freehold and Millstone. In Middletown, downed power lines led to a blown transformer. In Ocean County, power outages were reported in Lakewood, Berkeley, Manchester, Plumsted and Lacey Townships. Uprooted trees were reported in Toms River. In Middlesex County, the high winds knocked down wires in multiple locations throughout the county. One downed tree damaged a vehicle in South Brunswick. Trees and wires were also reported knocked down in Cape May County. In Morris County, loose shingles were torn from a house in Chester.||Peak wind gusts included 63 mph in Sandy Hook (Monmouth County), 61 mph in Gloucester City (Camden County), 59 mph in Ancora (Camden County) and Tuckerton (Ocean County), 57 mph in Woodbine (Cape May County) and Berkeley Township (Ocean County), 56 mph in Florence (Burlington County), Seaside Park (Ocean County) and Woodbridge (Middlesex County), 55 mph in Oswego Lake (Burlington County), 54 mph at the Atlantic City International Airport, 53 mph in Chatsworth (Burlington County), Cream Ridge (Monmouth County), Trenton (Mercer County), Upper Deerfield Township (Cumberland County) and Cape May (Cape May County), 52 mph in Lumberton (Burlington County), Monmouth Beach (Monmouth County) and Dennis Township (Cape May County), 51 mph in Oceanville (Atlantic County) and Lavallette (Ocean County), 50 mph in Pittstown (Hunterdon County), 49 mph in Stewartsville (Warren County) and 47 mph in Washington Township (Gloucester County), Hackettstown (Warren County) and Millville (Cumberland County).| |The strong to high winds were caused by a land bombing low pressure system that intensified rapidly as it moved through the Great Lakes on January 30th and into Quebec Province on January 31st. The central pressure of the low pressure system over Illinois deepened from 992 millibars at 7 a.m. EST on the 30th to 968 millibars at 7 a.m. EST on the 31st when it was in Quebec Province. The low pressure system continued to deepen and the following morning, the pressure was 944 millibars as it was crossing the Labrador Sea (The lowest analyzed pressure with this system was 940 millibars.). The rapid deepening of the surface low intensified the southerly flow preceding its cold front and then the pressure gradient (difference) between the low pressure system and a high pressure system entering the Northern Plains continued strong winds into the afternoon of the 31st. The low pressure system moved far enough away from New Jersey for the strong winds to cease later that day.

Strong northwest winds occurred across central and northern New Jersey during and for several hours after a cold frontal passage during the afternoon of the 20th. Peak wind gusts average around 45 mph and knocked down weak tree limbs and power lines. Peak wind gusts included 48 mph in Perth Amboy (Middlesex County), 47 mph in Morristown (Morris County) and Somerville (Somerset County) and 44 mph at the McGuire Air Force Base (Burlington County) and High Point (Sussex County).

The same low pressure system that brought snow to New Jersey on the 29th intensified rapidly as it moved northeast overnight and reached Nova Scotia on the morning of the 30th. At 7 a.m. EST the surface pressure had dropped to 964 millibars. The northwest circulation between the intense low pressure system and the approaching high pressure system in the lower Tennessee Valley produced strong winds across New Jersey during the day on the 30th. Peak wind gusts averaged 45 to 50 mph inland and 50 to 55 mph along the coast and knocked down shallow rooted trees, weak tree limbs and wires and caused isolated power outages. The strong winds also forced the cancellation of four departures of the Cape May-Lewes Ferry. Most of the peak wind gusts occurred during the afternoon. Peak wind gusts included 55 mph in Cape May (Cape May County), 53 mph in Tuckerton and Seaside Heights (Ocean County), 52 mph in Barnegat (Ocean County) and West Cape May (Cape May County), 50 mph in Sea Girt (Monmouth County), 49 mph in Eatontown (Monmouth County), 47 mph at the Atlantic City International Airport, 46 mph in Ancora (Camden County) and Hamilton (Mercer County) and 44 mph in Millville (Cumberland County). The combination of the end of the intensification process of the low pressure system and the movement of the high pressure system closer to the state (and the low pressure system farther away) caused the strong winds to cease the afternoon of the 30th.

An intense low pressure system brought strong to high northeast winds into central and eastern New Jersey mainly during the evening of the 26th. Peak wind gusts reached hurricane force gusts in Ocean County. The strong to high winds caused some structural damage as well as knocking down trees, tree limbs and wires and caused power outrages. Jersey Central Power and Light reported about 7,000 of its customers lost power in Ocean and Monmouth Counties. The onshore flow also caused minor tidal flooding from Lower Delaware Bay north through Raritan Bay during the evening high tide cycle on the 26th and moderate tidal flooding in Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean Counties during the morning high tide cycle on the 27th. The tidal flooding was exacerbated by heavy flooding rain that fell during the evening and overnight on the 26th. As the low pressure system moved into New Jersey, the strong to high winds ceased. Because of the adverse weather, New Jersey Transit cross honored bus and rail tickets.||Peak wind gusts included 74 mph in Brick (Ocean County), 70 mph in Tuckerton and Barnegat (Ocean County), 68 mph in Harvey Cedars (Ocean County), 61 mph in Sandy Hook (Monmouth County), 58 mph in Monmouth Beach (Monmouth County), 57 mph in Oceanport (Monmouth County), 54 mph in Florence (Burlington County), Point Pleasant and Seaside Heights (Ocean County), 51 mph at the Atlantic City International Airport (Atlantic County), 49 mph in West Cape May (Cape May County), 48 mph in Oceanville (Atlantic County) and 46 mph in Trenton (Mercer County) and the Marina in Atlantic City (Atlantic County).||Tidal flooding affected the northern half of New Jersey the hardest. The heavy rain exacerbated the flooding on roadways. In Middlesex County, in Woodbridge, the intersection of Port Reading Avenue and Watson Avenue was closed over the Spring Creek. In Laurence Harbor, tidal flooding occurred between New Jersey State Route 35 and the Monmouth County border with Cliffwood Beach and Aberdeen Township. In Monmouth County, sections of New Jersey State Route 35 in Aberdeen and Hazlet Townships were also flooded and closed. New Jersey State Route 36 in Sea Bright was flooded. In Ocean County, New Jersey State Route 35 was flooded in Mantoloking Borough. Brick Township closed off its part of the barrier islands to traffic and Toms River Township reported some ocean breaches on its barrier islands. In Barnegat Bay, tidal flooding caused the closure of Mandalay and Drum Point Roads. Tidal flooding was reported along Hovsons Boulevard and in the Silverton and Holiday City areas of the township. In Atlantic County, U.S. Route 9 in Absecon and the Black Horse Pike (U.S. Routes 40 and 322) approaching Atlantic City were closed because of tidal flooding. ||From south to north in the state, the highest tide at Cape May (Cape May County) reached 7.11 feet above mean lower low water. Minor tidal flooding starts at 6.7 feet above mean lower low water. The highest tide at Atlantic City (Atlantic County) reached 6.4 feet above mean lower low water. Minor tidal flooding starts at 6.0 feet above mean lower low water. The highest tide in Sandy Hook (Monmouth County) reached 7.83 feet above mean lower low water. Moderate tidal flooding starts at 7.7 feet above mean lower low water. The morning high tide on the 27th also reached 8.01 feet above mean lower low water at Keansburg (Monmouth County) and 8.93 feet above mean lower low water at South Amboy (Middlesex County). There are no established tide categories for the latter two sites.| |The strong to high winds and the subsequent tidal flooding were caused by the pressure gradient (difference) between a low pressure system that passed across the southeast part of the state and a high pressure system over nearby New England and southeast Canada. The low itself moved from Texas on Christmas Day northeast into the Tennessee Valley on the 26th. A secondary low pressure system formed in the Carolinas on the 26th and became the main low. This low moved northeast and passed through southern Delaware on the evening of the 26th and across southeast New Jersey overnight on the 26th.

A deep low pressure system tracked across the Lower Great Lakes northeastward into the St. Lawrence Valley from the evening of the 20th into the daytime of the 21st. Its associated strong cold front swept eastward through the Mid Atlantic region and across New Jersey during the early morning of the 21st. In addition, a secondary area of low pressure formed along the frontal boundary, west of Delaware Bay, and deepened rapidly. The approaching cold front and the deepening secondary low pressure produced a strong southeasterly flow over the region that resulted in peak wind gusts ranging from 46 mph to 64 mph across the state. About 35,000 homes and businesses lost power because of downed trees, tree limbs and wires. In addition, the significant southeast flow allowed water to pile up along the New Jersey shore and into Delaware Bay, producing minor to moderate coastal flooding at the time of high tide on the morning of the 21st. Tidal flooding increased further along tidal sections of the Delaware River as major flooding occurred. Moderate to heavy rain fell across the state, with storm totals ranging between 1 to 3 inches. This rain resulted in some mainly minor flooding of smaller streams and creeks in southern New Jersey.||The strong onshore flow contributed to higher high tides with minor to moderate tidal flooding occurring along the southern New Jersey oceanfront and in Barnegat Bay. In Ocean County, tidal flooding was reported on the barrier island section of Brick Township. In Toms River Township, tidal flooding was reported in the Green Island and Silverton sections of the township on Barnegat Bay. High tide at Atlantic City Reached 6.71 feet above mean lower low water. Minor tidal flooding starts at 6.0 feet above mean lower low water. High tide at Cape May reached 7.82 feet above mean lower low water. Moderate tidal flooding starts at 7.7 feet above mean lower low water.||The southeasterly flow pushed water up the Delaware Bay and into the tidal portions of the Delaware River, causing major tidal flooding to occur. Major tidal flooding occurred in both Philadelphia and Reedy Point. High tide at Reedy Point reached 9.2 feet above mean lower low water. Major tidal flooding starts at 9.2 feet above mean lower low water. High tide in Philadelphia reached 10.35 feet above mean lower low water. This was the third highest tide on record. Major tidal flooding starts at 10.2 feet above mean lower low water. The high tide reached 11.13 feet above mean lower low water in Burlington City (Burlington). There are no established levels of tidal flooding at this site. ||In Cumberland County, tidal flooding along the bay and the Maurice River caused water to spill over the causeway. In addition, a dike was broken in Maurice River Township near Matts Landing Road. Flooding was reported along Route 47. In Maurice River Township, Main Street in Dorchester was covered in 4 to 5 feet of water and Beaver Dam Road and County Route 553 were covered with 2 feet of water. In Commercial Township, homes in Bivalve and Port Norris were surrounded by water. Cove Road was flooded and closed. In Downe Township, the tides and waves knocked down bulkheads and forced the displacement of two families. One thousand feet of unpaved road was also reported to be washed away in Gandys Beach.||In Salem County, tidal flooding closed Hook Road in Pennsville Township (along the Salem Canal), Sinnickson Landing Road (along the Salem River) in Elsinboro Township, New Jersey State Route 45 in Salem (along the Salem River) and County Route 540 in Mannington Township (along the Salem Creek). Tidal flooding also affected the Penns Grove Carneys Point Library again. Tidal flooding off of Oldmans Creek flooded Woodstown-Pedericktown Road. The tidal surge combined with freshwater runoff to cause flooding of Acton Station Road in Mannington Township and Alloway-Quinton Road in Alloway and Quinton Townships.||In Gloucester County, several roadways were closed due to tidal flooding. In Logan Township, High Hill Road off the Raccoon Creek and Center Square Road off of Oldmans Creek were flooded. In West Deptford Township, Crown Point Road was closed between the Mid Atlantic Parkway and Mantua Grove Road off of the Main Ditch. Tidal flooding was reported along the Big Timber Creek near Westville. Water was reported to have entered at least one home in the area. Parts of Route 130 and Route 47 were closed due to flooding in the area. ||In Camden County, a combination of tidal and freshwater flooding caused lanes on the Admiral Wilson Boulevard to be blocked as far east as New Jersey State Route 38. Flooding was also reported at the Brooklawn Circle and U.S. Route 130 in Gloucester City (Off of the South Branch of the Big Timber Creek), where the highway was closed in both directions. In Burlington County, home evacuations were performed due to tidal flooding in Burlington City.||In Southern New Jersey, wind related power outages were concentrated in Cumberland and Salem Counties. The Gloucester County College and Institute of Technology canceled classes on the 21st because of power outages. A downed pole closed a section of New Jersey State Route 47 in Gloucester County. In central New Jersey, power outages were concentrated in the Toms River area. In Northern New Jersey, approximately 27,000 homes and businesses lost power. Some of the more concentrated outages were in Pequannock and East Hanover in Morris County. In Hunterdon County, downed trees, poles and wires closed roadways in East and West Amwell Townships. Peak wind gusts included 64 mph in Sandy Hook (Monmouth County), 62 mph in Burlington (Burlington County), 59 mph in Eatontown (Monmouth County), 58 mph in Westville (Gloucester County), 57 mph in Sea Girt (Monmouth County) and at North Beach (Ocean County), 56 mph at the Millville Airport (Cumberland County), 55 mph in Tuckerton (Ocean County), 54 mph in Seaside Heights (Ocean County) and in Mullica Township (Atlantic County), 52 mph in Ocean City (Cape May County) and at McGuire Air Force Base (Burlington County) and also at the intersection of Interstate 78 and County Road 525 (Somerset County), 51 mph at the Atlantic City International Airport (Atlantic County), 50 mph in Hamilton (Mercer County) and also at the intersection of I-295 and Route 140 (Salem County), 49 mph in Upper Deerfield Township (Cumberland County), 48 mph at Cape May Harbor (Cape May County) and at the Belmar-Farmingdale Airport (Monmouth County), 47 mph at the Trenton Airport (Mercer County) and in New Brunswick (Middlesex County) and also in Harvey Cedars (Ocean County), and 46 mph in Pittstown (Hunterdon County). Strong winds occurred throughout central to southern parts of the state, beginning a few hours prior to daybreak and ending soon after sunrise on the 21st. A few areas also recorded high winds during this timeframe. Winds decreased by mid-morning following the passage of the surface cold front.

A strong nor'easter caused high winds along the coast, heavy snow in east central New Jersey, ten foot waves along the ocean front and minor tidal flooding along the ocean front with the overnight high tide on the 7th. It caused set backs with restoration efforts near and along coastal areas caused by post tropical storm Sandy, particularly in Monmouth and Ocean Counties. It also forced some coastal area evacuations again. Elsewhere across the state, winds were lighter, but accumulating snows occurred in most areas. Snowfall averaged 1 to 5 inches in most of the state, but reached 6 to 12 inches in Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean Counties. The least snow fell in Hunterdon and coastal Cape May Counties. The former was too far west while the latter had mostly rain. Unfortunately the heaviest snow fell in the counties that were affected the hardest by Sandy and upwards of an additional 150,000 mainly Jersey Central Power and Light customers lost power. The combination of heavy snow and wind brought down additional trees, poles and wires.||Bands of precipitation pushed westward into the state from the offshore nor'easter on the 7th. In many places during the daytime hours, the precipitation started as rain or changed over to rain when the precipitation intensity was lighter, but fell as snow at other times. The precipitation was concentrated in the southern half of the state. From the late afternoon into the overnight hours, the heavier precipitation bands shifted north into the central and northern part of the state. This combined with falling temperatures to around the freezing mark to have snow accumulate more efficiently. Several bands of heavier snow passed through Monmouth and Ocean Counties overnight and gave them the heaviest snow in the state. All of the snow exited the state by 3 a.m. EST on the 8th. Strong to high north to northwest winds buffeted the coastal areas of the state mainly during the second half of the day on the 7th. The winds peaked during the late afternoon. In Sussex County, the strongest winds occurred late in the evening on the 7th.||Toms River, Point Pleasant, Berkeley and Brick Townships in Ocean County and Middletown Township in Monmouth County issued mandatory evacuations. In Toms River, it was along the ocean front, but also suggested voluntary evacuations for communities along the Toms River and Barnegat Bay. In Brick Township, 10,000 residents were ordered to evacuate. In Middletown Township, the evacuation order covered the area between Keansburg and Atlantic Highlands and from New Jersey State Route 36 to Raritan Bay. The combination of the heavy snow and wind caused renewed power outages to east central New Jersey and approximately 100 major road closures occurred because of downed poles, trees and wires. In Ocean County, sections of Interstate 195 as well as New Jersey State Routes 35, 37, 70 and 72 were closed. In Monmouth County, sections of Interstate 195 were closed as were New Jersey State Routes 18. 33, 34, 36 and 79. In Middlesex County, parts of U.S. Route 1 and New Jersey State Route 18 were closed and in Mercer County, U.S. Route 206 was closed. Snow related traffic accidents were reported in Vernon and Hopatcong in Sussex County. ||Representative snowfall included 13.0 inches in Freehold (Monmouth County), 12.0 inches in Allaire (Monmouth County), Jackson (Ocean County), Manchester Township (Ocean County), 11.0 inches in Howell Township (Monmouth County), 8.5 inches in Beachwood (Ocean County), 7.8 inches in Cheesequake (Middlesex County), 7.2 inches in Hightstown (Mercer County), 6.2 inches in Bayville (Ocean County), 6.0 inches in Oakhurst (Monmouth County), Washington Township (Morris County) and Bernards Township (Somerset County), 5.5 inches in Carteret and Woodbridge (Middlesex County), 5.3 inches in Hillsborough (Somerset County), 5.2 inches in Point Pleasant (Ocean County), 5.0 inches in Hopewell (Mercer County), 4.5 inches in Butler (Morris County), Crosswicks (Burlington County) and Montgomery (Somerset County), 4.0 inches in Estell Manor (Atlantic County), 3.5 inches in Voorhees (Camden County), Tabernacle (Burlington County) and Ewing (Mercer County), 3.0 inches in Boonton and Randolph (Morris County), Vernon and Highland Lakes (Sussex County), Hackettstown (Warren County), Tabernacle (Burlington County), Somerville (Somerset County), Robbinsville (Mercer County), Buena Vista (Atlantic County) and Malaga (Gloucester County), 2.6 inches in Mount Laurel (Burlington County), 2.5 inches at the Atlantic City International Airport and Berlin (Camden County), 2.4 inches in Woodbine (Cape May County), 2.3 inches in Mount Laurel (Burlington County), 2.1 inches in Wantage (Sussex County), 2.0 Parsipanny (Morris County) and 1.7 inches in Pittsgrove Township (Salem County).||Minor tidal flooding and the highest tides occurred with the early morning high tide cycle on the 8th. Tidal flooding up the Toms River flooded New Jersey State Route 166 in the Beachwood section of Berkeley Township (Ocean County). The Black Horse Pike (U.S. Routes 40 and 322) in Pleasantville (Atlantic County) was closed in both directions because of tidal flooding near South Franklin Boulevard. Highest tides included 7.12 feet above mean lower low water in Cape May (Cape May County), 6.59 feet above mean lower low water in Atlantic City (Atlantic County), 7.26 feet above mean lower low water in Keansburg (Monmouth County) and 7.21 feet above mean lower low water in South Amboy (Middlesex County).||Peak wind gusts included 63 mph in Point Pleasant (Ocean County), 58 mph in Cape May (Cape May County), 50 mph at High Point (Sussex County), 48 mph at Barnegat Inlet (Ocean County) and 46 mph in Wantage (Sussex County).||The nor'easter was still a relatively weak low pressure system over the northeastern Gulf of Mexico on the morning of November 6th. At 7 p.m. EST on the 6th, it was located east of North Carolina and was starting to intensify. It moved to the northnortheast and at 7 a.m. EST on the 7th, the surface pressure lowered to 994 millibars and it was about 150 miles east of the Delmarva Peninsula. From there it moved very slowly to the northnortheast and intensified. At 7 p.m. EST on the 7th, its surface pressure was down to 984 millibars. Overnight, the surface pressure remained about the same and at 7 a.m. EST on the 8th, the 986 millibar nor'easter was just south of Cape Cod. The rather offshore track kept most of the highest impacts from the nor'easter right along the immediate coast.

Strong south winds preceding an approaching squall line and cold front caused pockets of wind damage across New Jersey during the second half of the morning through the middle of the afternoon on the 18th. Peak wind gusts averaged 45 and 55 mph. The strong winds knocked down tree limbs, weak trees and wires and caused isolated structural damage from either downed trees or the winds themselves. The combination of the strong winds and squall line knocked out power to approximately 31,000 homes and businesses in New Jersey. Power was fully restored by the evening of the 19th. ||In Camden County, one person was injured when a tree fell onto a vehicle in Bellmawr. In Cape May County, in Wildwood, the winds knocked a facade off a tattoo parlor and damaged the boardwalk in front of the business. In Gloucester County, siding was blown off an apartment building on Delsea Drive in Malaga. Downed trees damaged vehicles in Deptford and Claymont. In Middlesex County, downed trees damaged vehicles at the Old Bridge Township Municipal Building and closed New Jersey State Route 27 in South Brunswick. In Monmouth County, in Wall Township, downed wires caused traffic lights to be out in four intersections. In Wanamassa (Ocean Township), a downed tree damaged a house near Sunset Avenue. A downed tree also damaged a house in North Plainfield (Somerset County). ||Peak wind gusts included 55 mph in Sandy Hook (Monmouth County), 54 mph at the Atlantic City International Airport, 51 mph in Bivalve (Cumberland County), 49 mph in Woodstown (Salem County) and Point Pleasant (Ocean County), 48 mph in Ocean City (Cape May County) and 45 mph in Seaside Heights (Ocean County). The strong south winds in combination with high astronomical spring tides coming off the new moon produced pockets of minor tidal flooding during the morning high tide cycle on the ocean and lower Delaware Bay during the morning of the 18th and more widespread minor tidal flooding along the Upper Delaware Bay and tidal sections of the Delaware River during the afternoon of the 18th. In Bay Head (Ocean County), four roadways were flooded on the Barnegat Bay side during the morning high tide. In Sandy Hook, the high tide reached 6.82 feet above mean lower low water. Minor tidal flooding begins at 6.7 feet above mean lower low water. At Reedy Island (New Castle County, Delaware), the high tide reached 7.4 feet above mean lower low water. Minor tidal flooding begins at 7.2 feet above mean lower low water. In Philadelphia, the high tide reached 8.4 feet above mean lower low water. Minor tidal flooding begins at 8.2 feet above mean lower low water.

The combination of a weak cold front and upper air disturbance triggered scattered strong to severe thunderstorms, which produced damaging winds and areas of heavy rain across portions of central New Jersey during the afternoon and evening of the 9th. About 9,000 homes and businesses lost power, more than half in Middlesex County. As of 830 p.m. EDT on the 9th, there were still about 2,400 Public Service Electric and Gas customers without power.

Pulse type severe thunderstorms caused scattered wind damage in New Jersey on the afternoon and evening of the 28th. Over 43,000 homes and businesses lost power in the state. One of the hardest hit locations was Freehold Borough in Monmouth County where outages lasted into the 30th. Atlantic City Electric reported about 13,000 customers lost power in its service area, most in Atlantic County. Outages lasted into the 29th in East Windsor and Ewing in Mercer County and Long Branch in Monmouth County.

Both excessive heat and more humidity returned to central and southern New Jersey starting on Independence Day and lasted until the 7th. The heat and humidity taxed people in the southeastern part of the state that still had no power from the Derecho that went through overnight on June 29th. ||High temperatures on the 2nd and 3rd were around 90 degrees and humidity levels were relatively low. High temperatures on the 4th reached into the lower and mid 90s and combined with more humidity produced afternoon hourly heat indices of near 100F. High temperatures on the 5th and 6th were generally in the lower to mid 90s, with hourly afternoon heat indices near 100F. The heat and humidity peaked on the 7th with high temperatures around 100F and afternoon hourly heat indices peaking around 105F. A thunderstorm complex preceding a cold front helped bring lower temperatures during the evening of the 7th and the cold front cleared the southern part of the state during the morning of the 8th. Coupled with more cloudiness, high temperatures were no higher than the lower 90s on the 8th and below 90F in most places on the 9th. ||Highest temperatures all occurred on the 7th and included 101F in Lumberton (Burlington County) and Cherry Hill (Camden County), 100F in Trenton (Mercer County), Toms River (Ocean County), Wildwood (Cape May County) and Atlantic City (Atlantic County), 99F in Belmar (Monmouth County), South Harrison (Gloucester County) and New Brunswick (Middlesex County), 98F in Somerville (Somerset County) and Lakehurst (Ocean County), 97F in Woodstown (Salem County) and Kingswood (Hunterdon County) and 96F in Barnegat Light (Ocean County).

More humid air returned on July 1st as an ongoing heat wave persisted across most of central and southern New Jersey. Afternoon heat index values reached around 100 degrees. Many residents of Salem, Cumberland and Atlantic Counties were still without power from the powerful derecho which came through the area overnight on the 29th. Cooling centers were opened to provide relief. Other people that could afford it, went to Atlantic City for the weekend (July 1st was a Sunday). High temperatures were mostly in the mid to upper 90s and included 97 degrees in Hillsborough (Somerset County), Lumberton (Burlington County) and Belmar (Monmouth County), 96 degrees in Lakehurst (Ocean County) and New Brunswick (Middlesex County), 95 degrees in Trenton (Mercer County), Point Pleasant (Ocean County) and Sicklerville (Camden County), 94 degrees in Woodbine (Cape May County), 93 degrees in Millville (Cumberland County), Kingwood (Hunterdon County) and Woodstown (Salem County) and 91 degrees at the Atlantic City International Airport. A weak cold front moved through the state overnight on the 1st. It was not enough to end the heat wave, but dropped humidity levels (and subsequently the heat index) lower on the 2nd.

An unseasonably hot and humid day produced high temperatures in the mid to upper 90s in most of New Jersey. South of the Interstate 80 corridor, the combination of heat and humidity levels, produced maximum hourly heat indices that reached between 100F and 105F. The heat and humidity set the stage for the powerful derecho that affected the southeast part of the state later that night. High temperatures on the 29th included 99 degrees in Mansfield (Burlington County), 98 degrees in Lumberton (Burlington County), 97 degrees in Sicklerville (Camden County), 96 degrees in Andover (Sussex County) and Seaside Heights (Ocean County), Trenton (Mercer County) and Lakehurst (Ocean County), 95 degrees in Somerville (Somerset County), Belmar (Monmouth County), New Brunswick (Middlesex County), Woodstown (Salem County), Clayton (Gloucester County) and Millville (Cumberland County), 94 degrees at the Atlantic City International Airport (Atlantic County) and 93 degrees in Kingwood (Hunterdon County), Stewartsville (Warren County), Wildwood (Cape May County) and the Marina in Atlantic City (Atlantic County). While some high temperatures on the 30th reached into the lower 90s, the derecho brought in slighter drier air in its wake.

Unseasonably hot weather that started on the 20th in New Jersey, persisted into the 22nd across the southern third of the state resulted in high temperatures in the mid to upper 90s and afternoon heat indices of around 100 degrees. For most locations within the state, the 21st was the hottest day in the stretch. The heat caused some telephone pole and power line fires in Hopatcong (Sussex County) on the 21st. New Jersey utilities reported scattered outages due to the heat. Cooling centers were opened in Middlesex County in Edison, Perth Amboy and New Brunswick and in Franklin Township in Somerset County. The excessive water usage within the city of Camden (Camden County) caused a drop in water pressure. The city advised residents to boil the water before drinking it. The drop in water pressure caused the Camden River Sharks to postpone their scheduled baseball game the evening of the 21st. ||Highest temperatures included 99 degrees in Lumberton (Burlington County) and Toms River (Ocean County), 98 degrees in Sicklerville (Camden County), 97 degrees in Belmar (Monmouth County), Hillsborough (Somerset County), Point Pleasant (Ocean County), Clayton (Gloucester County) and Millville (Cumberland County), 96 degrees in Somerville (Somerset County), the Atlantic City International Airport, Cream Ridge (Monmouth County) and Woodbine (Cape May County), 95 degrees in Trenton (Mercer County), Woodstown (Salem County), Cape May County Courthouse (Cape May County), Andover (Sussex County), Sussex (Sussex County) and 94 degrees in Hope (Warren County), Parsippany (Morris County) and Kingwood (Hunterdon County). The hot spell ended when a cold front moved through New Jersey overnight on the 22nd.

Strong southwest winds preceding an approaching cold front produced wind gusts of around 45 mph over the higher terrain of Sussex County as well as sections of central New Jersey from the late morning into the middle of the afternoon on the 8th. The strong winds knocked down some weak tree limbs and power lines and caused isolated outages. Peak wind gusts included 49 mph at the Atlantic City Marina (Atlantic County) and High Point (Sussex County), 47 mph at Wantage (Sussex County), 46 mph at the McGuire Air Force Base (Burlington County) and 43 mph in Lakehurst (Ocean County) and Trenton (Mercer County).

A nearly seventy millibar surface pressure difference between an intense low pressure system moving through the Canadian Maritimes (it bottomed at 963 millibars at 1 p.m. EST on the 25th in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence) and a high pressure system in the Central Plains produced nearly twenty-four hours of strong winds (isolated pockets of high winds) across New Jersey from the late evening on the 24th through the early evening on the 25th. The strong winds downed weak trees, tree limbs and power lines and caused scattered outages. | |Peak wind gusts included 62 mph in Wantage (Sussex County), 61 mph in Seaside Park (Ocean County), 56 mph in Brick (Ocean County), 53 mph in Sandy Hook (Monmouth County), 52 mph in Tuckerton (Ocean County), 51 mph in Perth Amboy (Middlesex County) and Keansburg (Monmouth County), 50 mph in Stewartsville (Warren County), 48 mph in Atlantic City (Atlantic County) and Cape May (Cape May County), 46 mph at the Atlantic City International Airport (Atlantic County) and 45 mph in Millville (Cumberland County). The strong winds started shortly after a cold frontal passage moved through New Jersey during the early evening of the 24th and persisted into the evening on the 25th. Winds started to slowly diminish after the low pressure system started to weaken and moved farther away from New Jersey.

Strong westerly winds were recorded early in the morning and again later in the day on the 13th across New Jersey, following a cold frontal passage. Peak wind gusts averaged between 45 and 55 mph, resulting in downed tree limbs and isolated power outages. Atlantic City Electric reported about 3,000 of its customers lost power in southern New Jersey. In addition to the power outages, a 63 mph wind gust in Hopewell Township (Cumberland County) resulted in roof damage, along with a grain silo and tractor trailer being knocked over. Other peak wind gusts included 54 mph in Red Lion (Burlington County), 53 mph in Tuckerton (Ocean County), 51 mph at the Atlantic City Marina (Atlantic County), 51 mph in Harvey Cedars (Ocean County), 50 mph in Perth Amboy (Middlesex County), 48 mph in High Point (Sussex County), 45 mph at the Atlantic City International Airport (Atlantic County), 45 mph at Monmouth Beach (Monmouth County), and 40 mph in Morristown (Morris County). The strong westerly winds measured early in the morning accompanied an arctic cold front, and another round of higher wind gusts occurred around midday in the strong cold air advection. As the pressure gradient (difference) relaxed late in the day, the strong winds subsided from west to east across the area.

An unprecedented winter storm for late October not only dropped heavy snow across parts of central and all of northwest New Jersey, but caused widespread power outages as many deciduous trees still had leaves. President Barack Obama declared Sussex, Warren, Morris, Hunterdon, Somerset and Middlesex major federal disaster areas. Over 800,000 utility customers lost power. Power was not fully restored until November 4th. Governor Chris Christie declared a state of emergency and urged people to stay off the roads. Shelters and warming stations were opened. About 25 major roadways were closed and 60 others had partial closures. Downed trees and power lines caused major disruptions of rail service in the northern half of the state. Morris County was one of the hardest hit counties in the state. Across Hunterdon, Warren, Morris and Sussex Counties snowfall averaged 6 to 12 inches with higher terrain locations around 15 inches. The 19.1 inch snowfall in Barry Lakes (Sussex County) established a new October snowfall record for the state of New Jersey and is higher than any November snowfall record. In the rest of the Raritan Basin and Mercer County, accumulations averaged 3 to 7 inches and in western Monmouth County and southwest New Jersey accumulations averaged around an inch. Just rain fell in southeast New Jersey. | |Precipitation started as snow during the morning of the 29th in Sussex and Warren Counties and remained as snow throughout the event. The snow fell at its heaviest during the afternoon and ended late that evening. Across the Passaic and Raritan Basins as well as Mercer County, precipitation initially started as rain during the morning of the 29th, but as the precipitation intensity increased, it changed to snow between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. EDT in most places. The snow fell heavy at times between 11 a.m. EDT and 5 p.m. EDT. As precipitation became lighter, it mixed with some sleet and rain, especially at lower elevations that evening. Precipitation ended late that evening. In Monmouth County and southwest New Jersey, precipitation type was intensity driven. Precipitation started as rain during the early morning of the 29th. As waves of heavier precipitation passed over the counties, precipitation type changed back and forth between snow, rain and sleet. As the intensity lessened during that evening, precipitation changed back to rain and ended around Midnight EDT on the 30th.||This snowstorm caused more incidences of damage in Public Service Electric and Gas's service area than Irene did. About 570,000 PSE&G customers lost power throughout the state. About 250,000 Jersey Central Power and Light customers lost power. In Morris County, Interstate 287 was closed in six separate locations. Other sections of major roadways closed in the county included Interstate 80, U.S. Routes 46 and 206 and New Jersey State Routes 10, 24, 53 and 124. In Washington and Mendham Townships alone 11 roadways were closed. Two shelters were opened in the county. In Sussex County, roads were blocked in Newton and Sparta. Sections of New Jersey State Routes 23, 94 and U.S. Route 206 were closed. Sections of Interstate 80 in Warren County were closed. In Somerset County, three separate sections of Interstate 287 were closed. Some schools in the western part of the county were closed on Monday the 31st. Suspended commuter rail service along the Morris and Essex Lines had a ripple effect of increasing roadway congestion as commuters had to take their vehicles instead of the trains. Full rail service was resumed on November 2nd. ||Representative snowfall included 19.1 inches in Barry Lakes (Sussex County), 17.0 inches in Lake Hopatcong (Morris County), 16.6 inches in Marcella (Morris County), 15.5 inches in Wantage (Sussex County) and Warren Glen (Warren County), 14.5 inches in Randolph Township (Morris County), 12.5 inches in Holland Township (Hunterdon County), 10.8 inches in Blairstown (Warren County), 10.0 inches in Butler (Morris County), 9.0 inches in Stockton (Hunterdon County) and Hackettstown (Warren County), 8.3 inches in Newton (Sussex County), 8.1 inches in Stewartsville (Warren County), 7.0 inches in Hopewell (Mercer County), 6.3 inches in Phillipsburg (Warren County), 5.6 inches in Woodbridge (Middlesex County), 5.0 inches in Flemington (Hunterdon County) and Bridgewater Township (Somerset County), 4.8 inches in Bridgewater (Somerset County), 4.7 inches in Lawrence Township (Mercer County), 4.6 inches in Metuchen (Middlesex County) and Morristown (Morris County), 3.0 inches in New Brunswick (Middlesex County), 2.0 inches in Freehold (Monmouth County), 1.4 inches in Berlin (Camden County), 1.3 inches in Cream Ridge (Monmouth County), 1.2 inches in Florence and Mount Laurel (Burlington County) and 1.0 inch in Cherry Hill (Camden County).||The unprecedented winter storm was caused by an intensifying low pressure system that moved from Georgia on the evening of the 28th northeast to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina at 8 a.m. EDT on the 29th. From there it took a turn more toward the northnortheast and was off the Delmarva Peninsula at 2 p.m. EDT on the 29th. The low pressure system started moving to the northeast again and passed southeast of Montauk Point, New York at 8 p.m. EDT on the 29th and just southeast of Nantucket, Massachusetts at 2 a.m. EDT on the 30th. While the storm track would be ideal for a winter time snow, for an event like this to occur in late October, it needed assistance from a high pressure system that left dry air initially in place and made it easier for a process known as evaporational cooling to take place and make it cold enough for snow. Once the precipitation intensity became heavier, another process known as dynamical cooling (heat is removed from the air mass as it melts the snow) more than compensated for the warm air that was moving in from the Atlantic Ocean to keep precipitation in west central and northwest New Jersey falling as snow.

One of the most oppressive heat waves since mid July 1995 enveloped New Jersey from July 21st through the 24th. The heat was responsible for two deaths and hundreds of heat related injuries. Many locations had high temperatures that reached into the 100s. The most oppressive day was July 22nd when the combination of temperature and dew points pushed many afternoon heat index values to 110F to around 120F. While high temperatures on July 23rd were similar in the central and southern parts of the state, dew point temperatures and the heat index values were lower.||There were heat related deaths in Burlington and Mercer Counties. Both people were found indoors without air-conditioning. There were hundreds of cases heat exhaustion and other heat related illnesses. Health authorities were seeing younger people than typical. The largest concentration of heat related injuries occurred at the Vans Warped Tour stop at Monmouth Park in Oceanport (Monmouth County) on the 24th. Three hundred and one people were treated for heat exhaustion, twenty-seven were taken to hospitals, three were admitted. One child suffered heat exhaustion while participating in a rugby tournament in Morris County on the 23rd. | |To combat the heat, many counties, cities and municipalities opened cooling centers. Nearly every county in the state opened cooling centers. New Jersey activated its 211 information line. The hours of air-conditioned senior citizen centers were extended. People flocked to the malls, movie theaters and pools to keep cool. Construction workers adjusted their work days and started early. Paving work was postponed. Water and electrical service shutoffs were postponed. Home air-conditioning repairs, ice suppliers, automobile air conditioning repairs, chilly treat vendors all saw increases in demand as was an increase in water deliveries. Ironically the excessive heat caused a drop in people going to the beaches as even there it was too hot and humid. ||Utilities urged people to conserve electricity and water while many were setting usage records. Overall there were not many heat related power. The PJM Interconnect (manages high voltage transmission systems) which includes Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and New Jersey set an all time record usage of 158,000 megawatts at 5 p.m. EDT on July 21st. Atlantic City Electric set a new usage record of 3,074 megawatts at 3 p.m. EDT on the 22nd. Public Service Electric and Gas had its second highest electrical usage on record also on the 22nd only behind August 1, 2006.| |The lack of rain along with the heat was stressing both farm crops (corn and soybeans in particular) and livestock||Highest temperatures (all of which occurred on either the 22nd or 23rd in the southeast part of the state) included 106 degrees at the Mercer County Airport in Trenton, 105 degrees at the Atlantic City International Airport and New Brusnwick (Middlesex County), 104 degrees in Somerville (Somerset County) and Chatham (Morris County), 103 degrees in Lakehurst (Ocean County), 102 degrees in Belmar (Monmouth County) and Sicklerville (Camden County), 101 degrees in Lumberton (Burlington County, Pequest (Warren County) and Andover (Sussex County) and 100 degrees in Millville (Cumberland County) and Wildwood (Cape May County). The highest hourly heat index at the Atlantic City International Airport was 122 degrees on the 22nd. ||At the Atlantic City International Airport, the 105 degree high temperature was the second hottest day on record and hottest since June 28, 1969 (106 degrees) and the 4th highest maximum temperature on record. The minimum temperature of 84 degrees on the 23rd was the warmest or highest minimum temperature on record. The monthly average temperature of 81.0 degrees was not only the warmest July on record, but also the warmest month ever. The 20 days in which the maximum temperature reached 90 degrees or high is second only to 1983 with 21 days. ||At the Mercer County Airport in Trenton, the monthly average temperature of 80.9 degrees was not only the warmest July on record, but also the warmest month ever. The 21 days in which the maximum temperature reached 90 degrees or high also established a new record. | |This heat wave helped make July 2011 the third hottest July on record for the state of New Jersey with a statewide average temperature of 78.4 degrees. | |A weak cold front ended the heat wave on the 25th.

A very strong cold frontal passage produced strong to high winds across New Jersey during the afternoon and early evening on the 25th. Peak wind gusts averaged 50 to 60 mph, with most of the highest gusts in the southern half of the state. The winds downed numerous trees, tree limbs and power lines and also caused some structural damage. Strong south winds started during the mid to late morning of the 25th, but by far the highest wind gusts occurred during the first hour after the cold front passed that afternoon. Lesser, but still strong, wind gusts persisted into the evening. ||In Atlantic City (Atlantic County), an eight block stretch of the Boardwalk was closed after the high winds tore down a billboard atop of the Central Pier and sent plywood onto the street. In Atlantic County, about 2,000 homes and businesses lost power in Northfield, Linwood and Somers Point. In Cumberland County, about 3,200 homes and businesses lost power. In Salem County, a tree fell onto and damaged a garage in Woodstown. In Camden County, poles were snapped in Pine Hill and fencing was blown down in Erial. ||Peak wind gusts included 61 mph in Tuckerton (Ocean County), 60 mph at the Atlantic City International Airport, 59 mph in Brick (Ocean County), 57 mph in Cape May (Cape May County), 55 mph in Bivalve (Cumberland County), Clayton (Gloucester County) and Harvey Cedars (Ocean County), 54 mph in Keansburg (Monmouth County), 52 mph in Trenton (Mercer County), 51 mph in Cream Ridge (Monmouth County).||The strong to high winds were caused by the pressure difference between a large high pressure system in the middle of the United States and an intense low pressure system that moved through eastern New England and the Canadian Maritimes. The winds received an additional boost from the large atmospheric pressure rises that occurred just after the cold front passed.

Strong to high west to northwest winds affected New Jersey from the evening of the 18th into the evening of the 19th. Peak wind gusts averaged around 55 mph. The winds tore down trees, tree limbs and wires and caused power outages. Most of the highest winds and damage occurred in the central and southern part of the state. About 22,000 homes and businesses lost power. While more than two-thirds of the outages were resolved by the evening of the 19th, full power restoration did not occur until the evening of the 20th. All Delaware River Bridges in the local Philadelphia area had speed reductions and banned empty tractor-trailers through the evening of the 19th. The PATCO high speed commuter rail line into Philadelphia was shut down during the morning because of a power outage. The stronger winds began following a cold frontal passage on the evening of the 18th. The strong to high winds reached their peak speeds during the late morning and afternoon of the 19th and then slowly decreased during the evening of the 19th. | |In Middlesex County, three poles were snapped by the high winds on U.S. Route 1 in Plainsboro and closed two northbound lanes into the evening. Uprooted trees damaged a couple of homes and vehicles. In Mercer County, a partial scaffolding collapse on a new overpass on Interstate 195 in Robbinsville near the New Jersey Turnpike western extension closed a traffic lane for several hours during the afternoon. Two telephone poles snapped in Robbinsville on Tindall Road. In Burlington County, a downed century old oak tree damaged the back of a home in Cinnaminson Township. In Edgewater Park, a greater than 200-year-old white pine tree was split in half. In Camden County, Gloucester Township reported about fourteen weather related incidences. Large trees were reported knocked down in Haddon and Cherry Hill Townships. In Salem County, four roadways were closed because of downed trees. Speed limit signs were also ripped down on Golfwood Avenue in Carneys Point Township. In Cumberland County, a downed tree damaged the nursery room and attic of an unoccupied home on Cambridge Street in Vineland. This was one of six wind related incidents in the city. ||Peak wind gusts included 59 mph in Tuckerton (Ocean County), 58 mph in West Creek (Ocean County) and Wantage (Sussex County), 56 mph in Atlantic City (Atlantic County) and Cape May (Cape May County), 55 mph in Keansburg (Monmouth County), 54 mph in Cream Ridge and Sandy Hook (Monmouth County), Ewing (Mercer County), Florence (Burlington County) and Hillsborough (Somerset County), 53 mph in Bivalve (Cumberland County), Barnegat (Ocean County), Stewartsville (Warren County) and Perth Amboy (Middlesex County), 52 mph at the Atlantic City International Airport and Seaside Heights (Ocean County), 51 mph at Sandy Hook (Monmouth County), Ocean City (Cape May County), Millville (Cumberland County), Trenton (Mercer County) and Lumberton (Burlington County), 50 mph in Ringoes (Hunterdon County), 48 mph in Cape May (Cape May County), Kingwood (Hunterdon County), Somerville (Somerset Airport) and Chatsworth (Burlington County) and 47 mph in Blue Anchor (Camden County).||The strong to high winds were caused by the large pressure difference between a strong high pressure system building into the United States from central Canada and a low pressure system in the Canadian Maritimes. Winds started decreasing when the low pressure system moved east of the Canadian Maritimes on the night of the 19th and the high pressure system reached the Great Lakes.

A protracted winter storm dropped several inches of sleet and snow in Sussex County and included a long period of freezing rain that produced ice accretions of around half an inch in the Raritan Basin and the rest of Northwest New Jersey. The ice accretions took down weak trees, tree limbs and power lines. About 36,000 homes and businesses lost power. Power was not fully restored until the afternoon of the 3rd. Amtrak rail service between Philadelphia and New York City was disrupted on the 2nd because of icy conditions. Many schools were closed on the 1st and 2nd or closed early on the 1st. All New Jersey Department of Motor Vehicle offices were closed at 1 p.m. EST on the 2nd because of power outages. Recycling and trash collections were delayed. Township municipal meetings were cancelled. This latest winter storm further taxed snow removal budgets, snow days on school calendars and exacerbated the shortage of salt. ||Precipitation started as snow across central and northern New Jersey during the early morning of the 1st. As warmer air moved in aloft, the precipitation changed to sleet and then freezing rain between 7 a.m. EST and Noon EST on the 1st. Precipitation tapered off to mainly freezing drizzle during the afternoon of the 1st. Heavier precipitation moved in again during the evening of the 1st and fell as a mixture of sleet and freezing rain in northwest New Jersey and freezing rain in the Raritan Basin. Overnight colder air moved in aloft in far northern New Jersey and precipitation changed back to all sleet. Toward sunrise on the 2nd, this process started to reverse at both the surface and aloft. Warmer air was moving north again and the freezing rain changed to plain rain across the Raritan Basin and Mercer County between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. EST and precipitation changed to all freezing rain in northwest New Jersey. Precipitation ended as freezing rain around 11 a.m. EST on the 2nd in northwest New Jersey. ||In Sussex County, numerous vehicles skidded off roadways. In Sparta, an ambulance and postal truck collided, but no injuries occurred. In Warren County, the weight of the snow and ice caused a garage collapse in Washington Township. In Morris County, there were three rollover accidents on Interstate 80 that resulted in injuries. Public bus service was suspended in Parsippany. A barn collapsed because of the weight snow and ice in Long Valley. In Hunterdon County, rollover accidents occurred on Interstate 78. In Somerset County, many roads were closed in Warren township. In Mercer County, a six vehicle accident occurred on Quakerbridge Road in West Windsor Township. ||Representative snow and sleet accumulations included 5.2 inches in Wantage (Sussex County), 4.5 inches in Green Pond (Morris County), 3.5 inches in Fredon (Sussex County), 3.0 inches in Butler (Morris County), 0.9 inches in Stewartsville (Warren County) and 0.7 inches in Bedminster (Somerset County). Representative ice accretions included 0.55 inches in White House (Hunterdon County), 0.50 inches in Edison (Middlesex County) and Stewartsville (Warren County), 0.38 inches in Hopewell (Mercer County), 0.30 inches in Somerset (Somerset County), 0.20 inches in Wantage (Sussex County) and 0.1 inches in Green Pond (Morris County).||The protracted precipitation event was caused by a pair of low pressure systems. The first low pressure system moved into the upper Ohio River Valley on the morning of the 1st and then weakened during the day. The second and more stronger low pressure system moved northeast from the lower Mississippi Valley during the early afternoon of the 1st into the lower Ohio River Valley during the early evening of the 1st. It continued to move northeast through the Ohio River Valley overnight and reached northwest Pennsylvania at 7 a.m. EST on the 2nd. At the same time, a high pressure system slid across southern Canada and kept a fresh supply of cold air at and near the surface. This considerably slowed the progression of warmer air in New Jersey. A secondary low pressure system formed on the low's warm front over the Delmarva Peninsula that morning and moved off the New Jersey coast during the late morning. The offshore passage of this low pressure system ended the precipitation associated with this event.

A protracted winter storm with a one-two punch affected nearly all of New Jersey from the early morning of the 26th into the early morning of the 27th. The first phase of the storm affected the southeast part of the state the least, while the second phase of the storm affected all of the state. Snowfall rates of 2 to 4 inches per hour along with thundersnow occurred during the evening of the 26th. Snow and sleet accumulations reached 12 to 18 inches in southwest New Jersey and the Passaic and Raritan Basins with lesser amounts elsewhere, especially toward and along the southeast coast.||Across southwest New Jersey, precipitation began as snow at the start of the morning commute on the 26th. The snow changed to rain during the late morning. Precipitation became spottier during the mid day hours. Steadier rain started again late in the afternoon on the 26th and changed to heavy sleet during the early evening. The sleet changed to snow by 8 p.m. EST and fell heavy at times around Midnight EST on the 27th. The snow ended around 3 a.m. EST on the 27th. Across southeast New Jersey, precipitation began as snow at the start of the morning commute on the 26th. The snow changed to rain during the morning. Precipitation became spottier during the mid day hours. Steadier rain started again late in the afternoon on the 26th and changed to sleet and then snow during the evening. The snow fell heavy at times during the late evening. The snow ended around 4 a.m. EST on the 27th. Across northern New Jersey, north of Interstate 195, snow spread north between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m. EST on the 26th. The snow fell heavy at times in the Raritan Basin during the morning and several inches accumulated by Noon EST. Precipitation became spottier during the afternoon and mixed with sleet, freezing rain and rain at times south of Interstate 80. Steadier precipitation, which fell as or changed the precipitation back to snow started during the early evening on the 26th. The snow fell heavy at times from mid evening until a little after Midnight EST on the 27th. The snow ended around 4 a.m. EST on the 27th. ||The one-two punch hit central and southwest New Jersey the hardest. Many municipalities declared snow emergencies. There were more than three dozen accidents during the morning of the 26th in the Philadelphia suburbs and included major roadways New Jersey State Routes 42 and 55 and Interstate 295. There was an eleven vehicle accident on the Atlantic City Expressway. In one accident, in Gloucester Township (Camden County), a police officer was injured while investigating another accident on College Drive. In central New Jersey, Franklin Township (Somerset County) police along responded to 60 calls between 630 a.m. EST and 1230 p.m. EST on the 26th. Many schools throughout the state dismissed early and cancelled after school activities.| |As bad as conditions were during the morning of the 26th, they became worse when the second punch of even heavier snow came through starting on the evening of the 26th. Snowfall rates reached 2 to 4 inches per hour. State Police responded to over 150 incidents on major roadways and interstates throughout the state. Many of them were disabled or jack-knifed tractor trailers that became stuck on entrance and exit ramps. The weight of the snow also downed trees and tree limbs which blocked roadways and caused over 25,000 homes and businesses lost power. Hardest hit were Burlington and Camden Counties. Many schools and County Colleges were closed on the 27th. Princeton University was also closed. Numerous county courts and or municipal offices were either closed, or opened late. New Jersey State Offices were open two hours late. Most New Jersey Transit bus lines were not operating on the morning of the 27th. The River Rail Line ran on a Sunday Schedule. Garbage and recycling pick-ups were postponed. ||In Salem County, State Road 49 was closed for most of the event. In Gloucester County, a disabled tractor-trailer forced the closure of U.S. Route 322 in Woolwich Township. In Camden County, a downed tree blocked a lane of Interstate 295 in Bellmawr. In Burlington County, a downed tree forced lane closures on U.S. Route 206 in Bordentown. In both Burlington and Camden Counties, there were numerous entrance and exit ramps to Interstates 295 and 676 that were closed because of disabled vehicles. In Mercer County, in Princeton Township, a driver was injured after driving into a pole. The township municipal building was used as a shelter. In Somerset County, in Montgomery Township, a commercial building collapsed from the weight of the snow. In Middlesex County, the 30.4 inches of snow to date in New Brunswick established a new record for the month of January. Plainsboro and South Brunswick Township police responded to over 120 calls of assistance. Some county schools were also closed on the 28th. In Sussex County, over 20 vehicles drove off roadways, the most in Sparta Township. The continued onslaught of winter weather was causing numerous municipalities to exhaust their snow removal budgets. The heavy snow also took its toll on plows as many needed to be repaired after this event. | |Representative snowfall included 17.7 inches in Hillsborough (Somerset County), 17.5 inches in Edison (Middlesex County) and North Holmdel (Monmouth County), 17.2 inches in Gibbstown (Gloucester County), 17.1 inches in Princeton (Mercer County), 16.2 inches in Clinton (Hunterdon County) and Red Bank (Monmouth County), 15.7 inches in Metuchen (Middlesex County), 15.5 inches in Stewartsville (Warren County), 15.2 inches in Ewing (Mercer County), 15.0 inches in Lambertville (Hunterdon County), 14.0 inches in Maple Shade (Burlington County), Phillipsburg (Warren County) and Morristown (Morris County), 13.7 inches in Florence (Burlington County), 13.2 inches in Bridgewater (Somerset County), 12.8 inches in Somerdale (Camden County), 12.1 inches in Cream Ridge (Monmouth County), 9.9 inches in Tabernacle (Burlington County), 9.0 inches in Marcella (Morris County) and Whiting (Ocean County), 8.9 inches in Sparta (Sussex County), 8.0 inches in Malaga (Gloucester County), 7.2 inches in Vineland (Cumberland County), 6.9 inches in Newton (Sussex County), 6.5 inches in Carneys Point (Salem County), 4.0 inches in Ship Bottom (Ocean County) and Quinton (Salem County), 3.6 inches in Estell Manor (Atlantic County), 3.4 inches at the Atlantic City International Airport, 2.0 inches in Woodbine (Cape May County) and 0.9 inches in Cape May (Cape May County). The onshore flow associated with the winter storm caused pockets of minor tidal flooding along the oceanfront during the early morning high tide on the 27th. The high tide at Atlantic City (Atlantic County) reached 6.15 feet above mean lower low water. Minor tidal flooding begins at 6.0 feet above mean lower low water.||The latest winter storm was caused by a low pressure system that emerged from the western Gulf of Mexico on the 25th and moved northeast to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina at 7 a.m. EST on the 26th. From there it turned slightly more to the northnortheast and passed through the Delmarva coastal waters during the afternoon and early evening on the 26th and then continued northeast and passed just south of Cape Cod, Massachusetts early on the 27th. The turn more toward the coast permitted some warmer air to reach into central and southern New Jersey during the day on the 26th. The heavy snow burst was triggered by the surface low's upper air support that passed through the state on the night of the 26th.

Strong to high winds that started during the afternoon of the winter storm on the 26th persisted into the evening of the 27th. Peak wind gusts were around 50 mph, except along some shore points and in the higher terrain of Sussex County where gusts reached into the 60s. The strong to high winds knocked down some weak tree limbs and power lines. The largest effect though was the considerable blowing and drifting of the snow the wind caused. This hampered plowing and clean-up operations after the snow ended throughout the day on the 27th. Many roadways and ramps remained closed, especially in the eastern part of the state. About 7,000 homes and businesses lost power. The Cape May-Lewes Ferry cancelled all Delaware Bay crossings before 3 p.m. EST on the 27th.||The winds were caused first by the rapid intensification of the winter storm low pressure system and then the pressure gradient (difference) between the low pressure system and a strong high pressure building east from the central part of the United States. Winds eased as the low moved farther away from the Middle Atlantic States as the day progressed on the 27th as well as it stopped intensifying after the morning of the 27th. The low pressure system's surface pressure bottomed at 961 millibars at 10 a.m. EST on the 27th as it was passing just east of Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

The pressure gradient (difference) between an intensifying low pressure system that moved northeast through the Saint Lawrence River Valley and a high pressure system building into New Jersey from the southwest produced strong west winds during the day on the 17th. This was in addition to the strong to severe thunderstorms that moved through the state during the early morning of the 17th. ||Daytime peak wind gusts averaged around 45 mph and tore down weak trees, tree limbs and wires. The combination of the severe thunderstorms during the early morning and the gradient strong winds during the day of the 17th caused about 35,000 homes and businesses to lose power. All power was restored by Midnight EST on the 18th. More than half of Public Service Electric and Gas's outages occurred in Gloucester, Burlington and Camden Counties. Jersey Central Power and Light's outages were concentrated in Sussex and Morris Counties. In Sussex County, in Lafayette Township, the strong winds knocked down two poles across New Jersey State Route 15 near its intersection with Mudcut Road. The roadway was closed for several hours between U.S. Route 206 and New Jersey State Route 94. The strong winds caused the Delaware River Port Authority to temporarily ban empty container trucks from crossing the Betsy Ross Bridge into or out of Philadelphia between 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. EST on the 17th. ||The calendar day peak winds (some of these occurred during the early morning thunderstorms) included 55 mph in Bivalve (Cumberland County), 54 mph in Trenton (Mercer County), 51 mph in East Keansburg (Monmouth County), 50 mph in Wantage (Sussex County), 46 mph in Barnegat (Ocean County), 45 mph in Stewartsville (Warren County) and Seaside Heights (Ocean County) and 44 mph at the Atlantic City International Airport (Atlantic County).

Strong south to southeast winds during the day and evening on the 30th and periods of rain downed weak trees, tree limbs and wires in central and southern New Jersey, especially in the southwest part of the state. Peak wind gusts averaged 40 to 45 mph, except they reached 50 to 55 mph along the immediate coast of Monmouth and Ocean Counties. The combination of the southeast winds and fresh water runoff also caused widespread minor tidal flooding during the evening high tide along the tidal sections of the Delaware River and its tributaries on the 30th.||About 10,000 homes and businesses lost power in the southern part of the state, with most of the outages concentrated in Cumberland, Salem and Gloucester Counties. Weak trees and tree limbs were knocked down in Alloway Township (Salem County) and in Deptford, Elk, Pitman and Washington Townships in Gloucester County. ||Peak wind gusts included 55 mph at Point Pleasant (Ocean County), 51 mph in Keansburg (Monmouth County), 50 mph in Barnegat (Ocean County), 43 mph in Trenton (Mercer County) and 40 mph at the Atlantic City International Airport (Atlantic County) and Cape May (Cape May County).||The early evening high tide reached 8.59 feet above mean lower low water in Philadelphia. Minor tidal flooding starts at 8.2 feet above mean lower low water while moderate tidal flooding starts at 9.2 feet above mean lower low water. The afternoon high tide reached 7.60 feet above mean lower low water at Reedy Point (New Castle County Delaware). Minor tidal flooding starts at 7.2 feet above mean lower low water while moderate tidal flooding starts at 8.2 feet above mean lower low water.||The strong wind was caused by the pressure difference between a high pressure system off the Eastern Seaboard and a low pressure system that moved from North Carolina north into Pennsylvania during the day on the 30th. As the initial low pressure system weakened and the frontal boundary moved closer to New Jersey, winds diminished overnight on the 30th.

A complex of showers and strong to locally severe thunderstorms preceding a cold frontal passage caused wind damage mainly in the central and northern part of New Jersey during the first half of the evening on the 22nd. Public Service Electric and Gas reported about 10,000 of its customers lost power, half of them in Middlesex County. Power was not fully restored until after the afternoon of the 23rd.

An approaching cold front helped trigger some severe thunderstorms across central New Jersey during the late afternoon of the 16th. The Princeton area was hit the hardest. About 2,600 homes and businesses lost power mainly in Mercer and Middlesex Counties. Power was not fully restored until the 18th in Mercer County.

A strong cold frontal passage triggered strong to severe thunderstorms across New Jersey during the second half of the afternoon on the 25th. Power was not fully restored until after the evening of the 26th. Numerous trees and wires were knocked down and approximately 66,000 homes and businesses lost power.

The hottest weather of the summer season occurred on July 5th through the 7th throughout the state of New Jersey. Many high temperatures on the 6th and 7th exceeded 100 degrees, some places even on the 5th exceeded 100 degrees. Because it was relatively dry, the afternoon temperatures and heat indices were the same during the afternoons of the 6th and 7th. For many areas, this was the first time since August of 2001 that high temperatures exceeded 100 degrees and also for two consecutive days. Trenton matched its consecutive day record (three) of 100 degrees or more originally set in 1966. ||The hot weather started on the 4th and peaked on the 6th and 7th. An onshore flow lowered maximum temperatures on the 8th and 9th, even though some 90s still occurred. The heat wave ended for all on the 10th as a slow moving cold front moved through the state. ||In response to the heat, cooling centers were opened in Middlesex and Morris Counties. In Gloucester County, the 146 residents of the West Deptford Manor Care Health Services were relocated after the air-conditioning failed. There were cases of heat exhaustion along Monmouth County boardwalks. The strain on electrical networks caused about 3,700 homes and businesses to lose power on the 6th. This included most of Milltown in Middlesex County where power was out for about 20 hours. The heat wave caused a water emergency declaration in East Brunswick. It was lifted on the 8th.||Highest temperatures included 105 degrees in New Brunswick (Middlesex County), 104 degrees in Trenton (Mercer County), Hillsborough (Somerset County), Marlboro (Monmouth County), Pennsauken (Camden County) and Lumberton (Burlington County), 103 degrees in Seabrook and Millville (Cumberland County), Somerville (Somerset County), and Flemington (Hunterdon County), 102 degrees at the Atlantic City International Airport, Boonton (Morris County), 101 degrees in Sussex (Sussex County) and Phillipsburg (Warren County), 100 degrees in Berkeley Township (Ocean County), 95 degrees in Cape May and 90 degrees in Barnegat (Ocean County).

Strong west winds affected New Jersey from the afternoon into the evening on the 8th. Peak wind gusts averaged around 50 mph and tore down weak trees, tree limbs and wires and caused a few road closures. About 21,500 homes and businesses lost power in northern and central New Jersey. The downed wires also started some small fires in addition to fanning a couple of larger wildfires. In Sussex County, in Frankford Township, a tent collapsed at the Garden State Horse Show. All the people and horses were rescued from underneath the fallen tent and no injuries were reported. Festivities for the rest of the day were cancelled.||Peak wind gusts included 54 mph in Keansburg (Monmouth County), 52 mph in Burlington (Burlington County) and Toms River (Ocean County), 50 mph at the Atlantic City Marina and at the Atlantic City International Airport, 48 mph in Morristown (Morris County), 47 mph in Millville (Cumberland County), 46 mph at the McGuire Air Force Base (Burlington County) and Sandy Hook (Monmouth County), 45 mph in Deans (Middlesex County) and Harvey Cedars (Ocean County) and 44 mph in Trenton (Mercer County). ||The strong west winds were caused by the pressure difference between an intensifying low pressure system that moved through the Saint Lawrence Valley and a high pressure system moving toward the east from the Northern Plains.

Strong to high winds downed thousands of trees and tree limbs, hundreds of telephone poles and caused a record breaking outage for Public Service Electric and Gas (PSE&G). Over half a million utility customers throughout the state lost power. Dozens of homes were damaged by fallen trees, a few other homes were damaged by the high winds themselves and crane damage occurred in Atlantic City. There were three reported injuries. Numerous roadways were closed because of downed trees and debris including the New Jersey Turnpike in Mercer and Burlington Counties. Amtrak suspended rail service on the 13th between Philadelphia and New York City because of downed wires. New Jersey Transit suspended its Atlantic City Line between Philadelphia and Atlantic City until the morning of the 15th because of downed poles. The authority also suspended all service west of Summit (Union County) on the 13th. PSE&G reported about 459,000 customers lost power during the storm, making it the worst storm in the utility's history. The previous record was during Tropical Storm David in September, 1979 when 432,000 customers lost power. Full restoration occurred on the 18th. About 180,000 Jersey Central Power and Light customers lost power, most of them in Ocean and Monmouth Counties. About 2,000 Atlantic City Electric customers lost power. Governor Chris Christie declared a state of emergency on March 14th. Winds started to increase during the morning of the 13th, but reached their peak during the afternoon hours. Winds then decreased as the late afternoon and evening continued from south to north in the state.||In Atlantic City (Atlantic County), boom debris from a partially collapsed 780 foot crane at the Revel Entertainment site fell down on a four block area. A police officer was injured from the falling debris. Four stories of glass were also damaged. About 385 people who live near the crane site were evacuated for two days until the crane was lowered. Elsewhere in Atlantic City, the roof of one home was torn away, the front of a building collapsed, the roof above a cleaning establishment was partially torn away and a home under construction collapsed. ||In Burlington County, overpass construction material blew onto the New Jersey Turnpike near Bordentown. This forced the closure of the turnpike between exits 4 and 7 during the afternoon. Major roadways closed because of downed trees included U.S. Route 206 in Southampton, County Route 541 in Lumberton and Hartford Road in Medford. In Mercer County, Princeton Township was hit hard. About 60 roadways were closed due to downed trees and/or flooding. Four roadways were still closed on the 15th. One driver was injured after driving into a fallen tree. A downed tree damaged a vehicle and home. In Princeton Borough, five roadways were closed and there were numerous basements that were flooded. Two people suffered carbon monoxide poisoning from their generator. Six roadways were closed in West Windsor Township. Trees also fell through homes in Hamilton and Ewing Townships.||In Somerset County, tremendous tree damage occurred in Montgomery Township. Schools were closed on the 15th as six roadways were still closed. Traffic on U.S. Route 206 was very heavy because it was the only roadway over the Millstone River that was open. Roads were also closed due to downed trees in Bernards Township, Benardsville Borough and Far Hills Borough. In Middlesex County, a large tree fell on a vehicle and injured two people. Another person was injured while chainsawing a downed tree. A tree fell onto a home in New Brunswick. The Middlesex Water Company had a 48 hour boil water notice for ten townships within the county. In Monmouth County, in Oceanport, downed trees damaged a few homes. The roof framing of a home collapsed. In Morris County, large parts of Whippany, Hanover, East Hanover and Morris Townships lost power.||Peak wind gusts included 73 mph at the Marina in Atlantic City (Atlantic County), 70 mph in Keansburg (Monmouth County), 67 mph at the Atlantic City International Airport (Atlantic County); Sandy Hook (Monmouth County), Lakehurst and Seaside Heights (Ocean County), 65 mph at Brant Beach (Ocean County), Chatsworth (Burlington County) and Monmouth Beach (Monmouth County); 63 mph in Trenton and Lawrenceville (Mercer County), Harvey Cedars (Ocean County), and at the McGuire AFB (Burlington County), 62 mph in Ocean City (Cape May County) and Perth Amboy (Middlesex County), 61 mph in Burlington (Burlington County), 60 mph in Bayville (Ocean County), 59 mph in Belmar (Monmouth County), 51 mph in Morristown (Morris County), 48 mph in Millville (Cumberland County) and 45 mph in Pittstown (Hunterdon County) and Bridgewater (Somerset County). ||The high to strong winds was caused by the pressure gradient or difference between a high pressure system over the Canadian Maritimes and an intense low pressure system moving toward New Jersey from Virginia. The strongest winds occurred during the afternoon on the 13th and weakened once the center of the low pressure system came closer to New Jersey.

The third widespread winter storm of February alone spread heavy snow and strong winds across most of New Jersey from the early morning of the 25th into the afternoon of the 26th. The heaviest snowfall was in northwest New Jersey which averaged one to two feet. Snowfall across the Raritan Valley and Monmouth County averaged six to twelve inches and snowfall in southern New Jersey averaged four to ten inches with lower amounts in Cape May and coastal Atlantic County. Precipitation started as rain during the late evening of the 24th in southern New Jersey and changed to snow as the precipitation intensity increased during the early morning of the 25th. In the northern half of the state, precipitation started as snow during the early morning of the 25th. Except for northwestern New Jersey, the snow that fell during the day on the 25th had a hard time accumulating on roadways that mainly stayed wet. Once the sun set, both the snowfall intensity and wind increased. But unlike the previous winter storm, the wind increased first and then the snow became heavier. Less power outages occurred. The snow fell heavy at times overnight on the 25th and decreased in intensity during the day on the 26th. The snow ended during the afternoon of the 26th. The strongest winds occurred from 6 p.m. EST on the 25th and 6 a.m. EST on the 26th.||Most schools in New Jersey were closed on the 26th. New Jersey Transit suspended bus service in central and northern New Jersey on the 26th. New Jersey Transit lines had minor delays. The snow led to numerous accidents across the state. New Jersey State Police responded to about 500 incidents and 250 accidents. In Monmouth County, the male driver of a Sports Utility Vehicle was injured after he drove into a snow plow. Municipal meetings were canceled as were sports games. Because the winds increased before the heavier snow, Public Service Electric and Gas reported less than 1,000 of its customers lost power. | |Representative snowfall included 26.5 inches in Montague (Sussex County), 26.4 inches in Highland Lakes (Sussex County), 19.5 inches in Newton (Sussex County), 18.0 inches in Marcella (Morris County) and Knowlton (Warren County), 17.5 inches in Liberty (Warren County), 16.2 inches in Rockaway (Morris County), 16.0 inches in Blairstown (Warren County), 15.6 inches in Califon (Hunterdon County), 14.5 inches in Randolph (Morris County), 14.1 inches in Stewartsville (Warren County), 14.0 inches in Hackettstown (Warren County), 13.3 inches in Metuchen (Middlesex County), 13.0 inches in Colts Neck (Monmouth County), 12.0 inches in Old Bridge (Middlesex County), 12.0 inches in Butler (Morris County), 11.2 inches in High Bridge (Hunterdon County), 11.0 inches in Whiting (Ocean County), 10.8 inches in Red Bank (Monmouth County), 10.0 inches in Toms River (Ocean County), 9.9 inches in Tabernacle (Burlington County) and Somerville (Somerset County), 9.5 inches in White House Station (Hunterdon County), 9.4 inches in Cream Ridge (Monmouth County) and North Brunswick (Middlesex County), 9.0 inches in Flemington (Hunterdon County) and Bridgewater (Somerset County), 8.7 inches in Estell Manor (Atlantic County), 8.6 inches in Pottersville (Somerset County), 8.2 inches in Ewing (Mercer County), 8.1 inches in Belle Mead (Somerset County), 7.7 inches in Pittsgrove (Salem County), 7.6 inches at the Atlantic City International Airport, 7.5 inches in Malaga (Gloucester County), Pennington (Mercer County) and Burlington (Burlington County), 7.0 inches in Hammonton (Atlantic County), North Plainfield (Somerset County) and Millville (Cumberland County), 6.4 inches in Mount Laurel (Burlington County), 6.2 inches in Cherry Hill (Camden County), 6.0 inches in Robbinsville (Mercer County), 5.7 inches in Berkeley (Ocean County), 5.4 inches in Vineland (Cumberland County), 5.2 inches in Somerdale (Camden County), 5.0 inches in Glassboro (Gloucester County) and Manahawkin (Ocean County), 4.8 inches in Point Pleasant (Ocean County), 4.3 inches in Willingboro (Burlington County), 3.8 inches in Eldora (Cape May County) and 2.1 inches in Cape May (Cape May County).||Peak wind gusts included 62 mph in Cape May (Cape May County), 52 mph at the Atlantic City Marina (Atlantic County), 51 mph in Sandy Hook (Monmouth County), 49 mph in Seaside Heights (Ocean County), 48 mph in Wantage (Sussex County), 47 mph in Brant Beach (Ocean County), 45 mph in Avalon (Cape May County), 44 mph at the McGuire Air Force Base (Burlington County) and Millville (Cumberland County) and 43 mph at the Atlantic City International Airport. ||This last winter storm concluded a record breaking and unprecedented month for snow in February across southern New Jersey. At the nearby Philadelphia International Airport, the 51.5 inches of snow that fell in February 2010 was the snowiest February and month on record. The 51.5 inches of snow that fell in February by itself would qualify as the 5th snowiest winter on record. In all, 78.7 inches of snow fell this season in Philadelphia, the snowiest on record. The previous record was 65.5 inches set in 1995-6. At the Atlantic City International Airport, the 36.6 inches of snow that fell during February 2010 was the snowiest February and month ever on record. The seasonal snowfall total of 58.1 inches was also the snowiest season on record, surpassing the previous record of 46.9 inches set in 1966-7 by nearly a foot.||The winter storm was caused by a low pressure system that formed east of Florida on the 24th. At 7 a.m. EST on the 25th, it (992 millibar low pressure system) was well east of the North Carolina coast and was intensifying rapidly as it was moving north. At 1 p.m. EST on the 25th, it was a 987 millibar low well east of the Delmarva Peninsula. At 7 p.m. EST on the 25th, it was a 978 millibar low just east of Long Island. At 10 p.m. EST on the 25th, it deepened to 972 millibars and was located along the Rhode Island and Massachusetts border. From there, a rare occurrence happened as the low pressure system retrograded or move westward. At 1 a.m. EST on the 26th, the 972 millibar low was in Connecticut; at 7 a.m. EST it weakened to 979 millibars and was over New York City. It spent the rest of the daylight hours weakening over the New York City area and then drifted slowly north that night. The heaviest snow across a widespread area occurred during the retrogression process, but the intensity of the snow decreased once the low pressure system weakened.

For the second time within a week a major winter storm affected New Jersey. Blizzard conditions occurred at times across the extreme southern part of the state during the afternoon and early evening of the 10th. Snowfall averaged 7 to 15 inches across northwest New Jersey, 12 to 20 inches across central New Jersey and 6 to 12 inches across the southern third of New Jersey. Ice accretions were less than one tenth of an inch. Two storm related deaths occurred in Burlington and Middlesex Counties.||In the southeast part of the state, snow began during the early evening on the 9th. As warmer air moved in aloft, the snow changed to sleet and freezing rain just after Midnight EST on the 10th. Surface temperatures responded slower and the sleet and freezing rain changed over to rain during the early morning (before sunrise) of the 10th. Some sleet mixed in from time to time. As the low pressure system moved northeast of the region, the rain changed back to snow around Noon EST on the 10th and fell heavy at times from the afternoon into the early evening. Winds also increased and blizzard conditions occurred from the middle of the afternoon into the early evening of the 10th in the extreme southern part of the state. The snow ended late in the evening on the 10th. Along the New Jersey Turnpike corridor in the southwest and central part of the state, snow began during the early evening on the 9th. As warmer air moved in aloft, the snow changed to sleet and freezing rain between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. EST on the 10th. Surface temperatures responded slower and the sleet and freezing rain changed over to rain during the morning of the 10th. Some sleet mixed in from time to time. As the low pressure system moved northeast of the region, the rain changed back to snow around Noon EST on the 10th and fell heavy at times during the afternoon. Winds also increased and started to down snow laden tree limbs and trees. The snow ended late in the evening on the 10th. In the Raritan Valley and Northwest New Jersey, snow began during the evening of the 9th and fell at its heaviest during the afternoon of the 10th. The snow ended during the evening of the 10th.| |States of emergencies continued (from the previous winter storm) in Cape May and Atlantic Counties. Many additional counties, cities and municipalities issued their own snow and/or states of emergencies. Many city, federal, social and county offices as well as courthouses were closed on the 10th. Except for court houses, most were reopened on the 11th. Municipal meetings were canceled as were sports games and racing cards. Flights were canceled going in and out of Atlantic City International Airport. State police reported nearly 500 accidents throughout the state. Schools were closed on the 10th and 11th, some even on the 12th. A limited number of businesses were opened on the 10th. New Jersey Transit canceled and or combined bus service on the 10th. Because the heavy snow clung to the trees first and then the winds increased, New Jersey utilities reported about 100,000 new outages, 80,000 in the southern half of the state and 14,000 in Cape May County alone. There was considerable pine tree damage. Several shelters were opened. Many school districts ran out of snow days and municipal snow removal budgets were exceeded. Trash collections were postponed. The combination of the two heavy snow events within a week started causing roof collapses in the southern half of the state.||In Burlington County, a 51-year-old man in Riverside died after a porch awning collapsed onto him. A Sunnyside Farm barn collapsed in Westampton and the roof of a Rite-Aid collapsed in Marlton. A shelter was opened in Medford as 1,900 homes within the township lost power. In Middlesex County, a 54-year-old man was killed by a snapped tree limb in East Brunswick. In Cumberland County, a carport collapsed in Vineland, slightly injuring a woman. A gas station roof collapsed in Maurice River Township. Walmart roof collapses were reported in Cape May, Gloucester and Ocean Counties. In Camden County, there were over 100 reports of downed trees in Cherry Hill. In Gloucester County, a warehouse nearly totally collapsed in Deptford Township. In Salem County, a garage collapse badly damaged eight vehicles. Blizzard conditions hampered power restoration efforts in Cape May County. Before the latest storm began, 11,000 homes and businesses were without power and an additional 14,000 lost power. Power was not fully restored until the 17th. ||Representative snowfall included 20.0 inches in South Plainfield (Middlesex County), 18.7 inches in Ewing (Mercer County), 18.0 inches in Hopewell (Mercer County), 17.9 inches in Flemington (Hunterdon County), 17.6 inches in Hillsborough (Somerset County), 17.0 inches in Blackwood (Camden County), Cheesequake (Middlesex County), Jackson (Ocean County) and Sewell (Gloucester County), 16.6 inches in Belle Mead (Somerset County), 16.5 inches in Lavallette (Ocean County), 16.4 inches in New Brunswick (Middlesex County), 16.0 inches in Princeton (Mercer County), Medford (Burlington County) and Colts Neck (Monmouth County), 15.9 inches in Mount Holly (Burlington County), 15.5 inches in Clinton (Hunterdon County) and Bridgewater (Somerset County), 15.1 inches in Tabernacle (Burlington County) and Stewartsville (Warren County), 14.8 inches in Somerville (Somerset County), 14.6 inches in Point Pleasant (Ocean County), 14.5 inches in Mount Laurel (Burlington County) and Swedesboro (Gloucester County), 14.0 inches in Red Bank (Monmouth County), 13.7 inches in Manchester (Ocean County), 13.5 inches in Vineland (Cumberland County), 13.4 inches in High Bridge (Hunterdon County), 13.2 inches in Princeton (Mercer County), 13.0 inches in Old Bridge (Middlesex County) and Milton (Morris County), 12.2 inches in Malaga (Gloucester County), 12.0 inches in Somerdale (Camden County) and Butler (Morris County), 11.7 inches in Sparta (Sussex County), 11.6 inches in Rockaway (Morris County), 11.5 inches in Hackettstown (Warren County), 11.0 inches in Shrewsbury (Monmouth County), 10.3 inches in Hammonton (Atlantic County) and Hopatcong (Sussex County), 10.0 inches in Newport (Cumberland County) and Parsippany (Morris County), 8.6 inches in Estell Manor (Atlantic County), 7.8 inches in Upper Deerfield (Cumberland County), 7.3 inches at the Atlantic City International Airport, 7.1 inches in Cape May (Cape May County) and 6.5 inches in Wantage (Sussex County). ||Only 10 days into February and the seasonal total of 50.1 inches of snow to date at the Atlantic City International Airport already made it the snowiest season on record surpassing the previous record of 46.9 inches set in 1966-7.||Peak wind gusts included 68 mph in Cape May (Cape May County), 54 mph at the Cape May Ferry Terminal (Cape May County), 44 mph in Tuckerton (Ocean County), 42 mph in Newport (Cumberland County) and 41 mph in Atlantic City (Atlantic County). The onshore flow preceding the low pressure system helped cause minor tidal flooding with the morning high tide on the 10th along coastal New Jersey. The high tide at Cape May (Cape May County) reached 6.78 feet above mean lower low water. Minor tidal flooding starts at 6.7 feet above mean lower low water. Minor to locally moderate beach erosion also occurred with the winter storm. Vertical cuts averaged 1 to 3 feet along the ocean front with the highest cuts reported in Ocean County.||The low pressure system responsible for the latest winter storm and blizzard emerged from the Big Bend of Texas on the morning of the 8th. It moved northeast and reached the Tennessee Valley on the morning of the 9th. At 7 p.m. EST on the 9th, it was located near Charleston, South Carolina. It then moved northnortheast and was near Norfolk, Virginia at 1 a.m. EST on the 10th, Georgetown, Delaware at 7 a.m. EST on the 10th, Atlantic City, New Jersey at 10 a.m. EST on the 10th and just east of Seaside Heights, New Jersey at 4 p.m. EST on the 10th. The low pressure system then drifted slowly east the rest of the afternoon into the overnight of the 10th. The pass of the low pressure system into the state permitted warmer air aloft and at the surface to make it into the central and southern parts of New Jersey during the first half of the day on the 10th, before the heavier snow and then in the extreme south blizzard conditions occurred. The heaviest accumulating snow occurred just to the north and west of this changeover in central New Jersey.

A major winter storm dropped 20 to 30 inches of snow across the southern third of New Jersey, 10 to 20 inches across the central third of New Jersey and less than 10 inches of snow north of Interstate 78 in the northern third of New Jersey from the afternoon of the 5th into the afternoon of the 6th. Blizzard conditions occurred in the southeastern part during the early morning of the 6th as winds gusted up to 50 mph. The 18.2 inches of snow that fell at the Atlantic City International Airport (Atlantic County) was the 3rd highest single snowfall event on record. The 28.5 inches of snow that fell at the Philadelphia International Airport was the 2nd highest single snowfall event on record and the 25.8 inches of snow that fell at the New Castle County Airport in Delaware was the highest single event on record. Cape May County was particularly hard hit by this storm with more than 70,000 homes and businesses losing power. Power was not fully restored until February 17th.||Snow spread south to north across New Jersey from the late afternoon on the 5th. The snow reached as far north as the Interstate 80 corridor around Midnight EST on the 6th, but failed to reach the New York State border. The snow fell heavy at times across central and southern New Jersey during the first half of the day on the 6th and blizzard conditions occurred in southeastern New Jersey during the early morning of the 6th. The snow ended from north to south on the 6th. It ended by Noon EST in the northern half of the state and during the afternoon in the southern half of the state.||Many county and municipalities declared snow emergencies. States of Emergencies were also declared in the southeastern part of the state. A travel ban was in effect in Atlantic and Cape May Counties. About 100,000 homes and businesses lost power in the state with the bulk of the outages in Atlantic and Cape May Counties. Some roads and highways in southern New Jersey were impassable. Speed limits were reduced on the Delaware River bridges and the New Jersey Turnpike. Amtrak canceled train service. New Jersey Transit and Buses either canceled or reduced service in the southern half of the state on the 6th. Atlantic City International Airport was closed. Many businesses, stores and malls were closed in the southern half of the state on the 6th. Events were canceled or postponed. Some southern New Jersey schools had delayed openings on Monday the 8th. Where the snow was relatively lighter, more accidents and fender benders were reported. In Middlesex County, twenty accidents occurred on the New Jersey Turnpike. Two accidents with injuries occurred in Hamilton (Mercer County). Most snow removal budgets were exceeded after this event. ||Cape May County was hardest hit as the wetter nature of the snow combined with blizzard winds to topple or snap numerous trees and poles. About 70,000 homes and businesses lost power. Numerous shelters were opened. There were still about 43,000 homes and businesses without power as of the late afternoon on the 7th and still 11,000 when the next winter storm started. Power was not fully restored until the 17th of the month. In Atlantic County, three shelters were opened. On March 23, 2010, President Barack Obama declared Atlantic, Burlington, Cape May, Camden, Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem Counties a Major Disaster Area. Federal funding was now available through the Public Assistance Grant Program to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the snowstorm. ||Representative snowfall included 28.5 inches in National Park (Gloucester County), 28.2 inches in Sewell (Gloucester County), 27.0 inches in Waterford (Camden County), 25.5 inches in Pennsauken (Camden County), 24.2 inches in Vineland (Cumberland County), 24.0 inches in Estell Manor (Atlantic County) and Pittsgrove (Salem County), 23.5 inches in Glassboro (Gloucester County), 22.0 inches in Millville (Cumberland County), 21.5 inches in Quinton (Salem County), 21.0 inches in Hammonton (Atlantic County), Swainton (Cape May County), Cherry Hill (Camden County) and Willingboro (Burlington County), 19.6 inches in Tabernacle (Burlington County), 19.0 inches in Maple Shade (Burlington County), Beachwood and Brick (both Ocean County), 18.2 inches at the Atlantic City International Airport, 17.0 inches in North Cape May (Cape May County), 15.6 inches in Absecon (Atlantic County), 15.2 inches in Margate (Atlantic County), 15.0 inches in Colts Neck (Monmouth County) and Point Pleasant (Ocean County), 12.0 inches in Hamilton (Mercer County) and Manalapan (Monmouth County), 10.4 inches in Ewing (Mercer County), 9.0 inches in Aberdeen (Monmouth County), 8.4 inches in Old Bridge (Middlesex County), 8.3 inches in Flemington (Hunterdon County), 7.0 inches in Kingwood (Hunterdon County) and North Brunswick (Middlesex County), 6.8 inches in Hillsborough (Somerset County), 6.0 inches in Stewartsville (Warren County), 5.5 inches in Bridgewater (Somerset County), 3.4 inches in Long Hill (Morris County), 1.4 inches in Mount Olive (Morris County) and 1.0 inch in Hope (Warren County).||Peak wind gusts (mostly where the blizzard was occurring) included 47 mph in Mullica Township (Atlantic County), 46 mph in Seaside Heights (Ocean County) and 44 mph in Sea Girt (Monmouth County).||The winter storm was caused by a low pressure system that moved west to east across northern Mexico and emerged in the Gulf of Mexico near Brownsville, Texas on the morning of the 4th. The low pressure system moved east and was located near New Orleans, Louisiana at 7 p.m. EST on the 4th and Mobile, Alabama at 7 a.m. EST on the 5th. The low pressure system then started to move northeast and was near Wilmington, North Carolina at 7 p.m. EST on the 5th; Elizabeth City, North Carolina at 1 a.m. EST on the 6th; the Virginia coastal waters at 7 a.m. EST on the 6th and then drifted slowly east off the lower Delmarva Peninsula the rest of the day on the 6th. The storm track was perfect for heavy snow in southern New Jersey, but became less and less favorable (too far southeast) for the northern half of the state.

Strong to high southerly winds affected central and southern New Jersey during the morning of the 25th. Peak wind gusts averaged around 55 mph, with the strongest winds in the southern half of the state. The strong winds caused numerous power outages as the combination of the rain and wind helped knock down weak trees, tree limbs and power lines. About 80,500 homes and businesses lost power. Most power was restored by the afternoon of the 26th. The high winds also caused structural and property damage in Cumberland and Gloucester Counties. | |In Gloucester County, in Washington Township, the township high school was evacuated after a portion of the 9/10 wing roof was damaged. A portion of the roof was lifted and rain damaged some classrooms. Classes were also cancelled on the 26th. The roof of a Pizza Hut was damaged in Woodbury and a tree fell onto a house in Franklin Township. Across the county, there were 82 reports of wind damage (mainly downed wires) and the 911 center had four times the normal number of calls that day. Gloucester County College and Institute of Technology closed early because of power outages. In Cumberland County, a downed tree severely damaged a mobile home in Vineland. About 10 streets were blocked by downed trees in Vineland and Millville. In Camden County, a downed tree damaged a vehicle in Camden City. Camden County College cancelled afternoon classes because of power outages. Across the Delaware River, trucks were restricted from crossing the Walt Whitman, Betsy Ross and Commodore Barry Bridges.||Peak wind gusts included 67 mph in Vineland (Cumberland County), 57 mph in Woodstown (Salem County), 56 mph in Lakehurst (Ocean County), 54 mph in Keansburg (Monmouth County) 53 mph in Cape May (Cape May County) and Barnegat (Ocean County), 51 mph at the Atlantic City International Airport (Atlantic County), 50 mph in Mullica (Atlantic County) and Wrightstown (Burlington County), 48 mph in Millville (Cumberland County) , Rio Grande (Cape May County) and Trenton (Mercer County), 46 mph in Somerville (Somerset County) and Sea Girt (Monmouth County) and 45 mph in Belmar and Sandy Hook (Monmouth County).||The strong to high winds were caused by a tight surface pressure gradient (difference) between a low pressure system that was moving north just to the east of the central Appalachians and a high pressure system over the western Atlantic Ocean. The strong southerly flow started to mix down to the surface after the low pressure system���s warm front moved north of the state. A narrow line of strong to locally severe showers and isolated thunderstorms also formed and exacerbated the wind damage in the southeastern part of the state. The winds subsided during the afternoon as the low pressure system���s cold front approached the area and the area of strong winds between 3000 feet and 5000 feet moved away from New Jersey.

Strong and gusty west to northwest winds occurred for nearly twenty-four hours across New Jersey from the evening of the 2nd through the afternoon of the 3rd. Peak wind gusts averaged around 50 mph, except for some gusts to around 70 mph in the higher terrain of Sussex County. The strong winds downed weak trees, tree limbs and power lines and resulted in widely scattered power outages. About 1,000 homes and businesses lost power in Monmouth and Ocean Counties. The strong winds also caused the cancellation of a couple of ferries between Monmouth County and New York City on the evening of the 3rd. ||Peak wind gusts included 73 mph in Wantage (Sussex County), 68 mph at the High Point State Monument (Sussex County), 56 mph in Cape May (Cape May County), 55 mph in Barnegat (Ocean County), 54 mph in Seaside Heights (Ocean County), 52 mph at the Atlantic City International Airport (Atlantic County), 51 mph in Keansburg (Monmouth County), 50 mph in Lake Parsippany (Morris County), 48 mph in Mullica Hill (Gloucester County), 45 mph in Atlantic City (Atlantic County), 44 mph in Millville (Cumberland County), 43 mph in Kingwood (Hunterdon County) and 41 mph in Trenton (Mercer County). ||The strong winds were caused by the pressure difference between an intense low pressure system that retrograded from the Nova Scotia coastal waters to the Gulf of Maine on the 2nd and 3rd and a strong high pressure system located over the northern plains. The strongest winds occurred as the low pressure system continued its retrogression west through Nova Scotia on the evening of the 2nd and persisted until the low started to weaken and move to the east again, on the 3rd.

Gusty west to northwest winds occurred across New Jersey from the middle of the morning into the early evening on the 7th. Peak wind gusts averaged 45 to 50 mph and knocked down some weak trees, tree limbs and wires. One girl was injured by flying debris in Mercer County and several roads in Morris and Middlesex Counties were closed. About 16,700 homes and businesses in the Jersey Central Power & Light, Public Service Electric & Gas and Atlantic City Electric service areas lost power.||A young girl was injured in Trenton (Mercer County) after debris blew off a roof. In Middlesex County, in Metuchen, four vehicles were damaged by fallen trees. A street light was knocked down in Sayreville. In Morris County, parts of New Jersey State Route 53 were closed because of downed trees. In Gloucester County, in Woodbury, a house's roof was damaged by a downed trees. There were dozens of weather related calls in the county mainly in Logan, Deptford and Monroe Townships. In Mercer County, the strong winds damaged beyond repair a 200-year-old American Beech Tree in Lawrenceville. The speed limit on the Delaware Memorial Bridge was lowered from 50 mph to 25 mph.| |Peak wind gusts included 56 mph in Atlantic City (Atlantic County), 55 mph at the Newark Liberty International Airport in Essex County, 51 mph in Seaside Heights (Ocean County), 50 mph in Woodstown (Salem County), 47 mph in Harvey Cedars (Ocean County) and Cape May (Cape May County), 46 mph in Hillsborough (Somerset County) and Millville (Cumberland County), 45 mph at the Atlantic City International Airport, Pittstown (Hunterdon County) and Burlington (Burlington County) and 43 mph at the Mercer County Airport.||The strong winds were caused by the pressure difference between a low pressure system (around 990 millibars) that was moving northeast through the Saint Lawrence River Valley and a high pressure system moving from the Central Plains toward the area. As the high pressure system moved closer, winds diminished during the evening of the 7th.

An unseasonably warm and humid air mass combined with an approaching surface trof to produce strong to severe thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening across New Jersey. The combination of lightning and damaging winds caused about 20,000 homes and businesses to lose power in Hunterdon, Somerset, Middlesex, Monmouth and Union Counties.

Strong and gusty south to southwest winds occurred across central New Jersey during the day on the 27th. Reported peak wind gusts reached as high as 47 mph. The strong winds caused a static line to break in South Amboy (Middlesex County). This caused about 6,300 homes, businesses and municipal offices in South Amboy and Sayreville to lose power for about one hour. Peak wind gusts included 47 mph in Trenton (Mercer County) and 40 mph at both the Atlantic City Marina and Newark Liberty International Airport. The strong winds occurred in the southerly flow that preceded a cold front.||While there were a couple of wind events during the month of February, there was not much precipitation in New Jersey. It was the driest February on record at both the Atlantic City International Airport (0.68 inches) and Trenton (0.64 inches). On a statewide average, it was also the driest February on record dating back to 1895. The statewide average precipitation of 0.64 inches was only about 20 percent of the normal February precipitation.

Strong to high winds affected New Jersey during the day on the 12th. The strong winds started shortly after a cold frontal passage between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. EST and persisted through most of the day. Peak wind gusts averaged between 50 and 60 mph and knocked down numerous tree limbs, weak trees and power lines. Signs were knocked down, garbage cans blown around and bird feeders and toys tossed. The New Jersey Turnpike Authority banned motorcycles and car pulled trailers. About 86,000 homes and businesses lost power in the state with the strongest winds and most damage in the central and northern parts of the state. ||In Morris County, one person was injured after a fallen tree fell down and blocked a southbound lane of Interstate 287 near Harding. The southbound lane was blocked again near exit 42 after a 100 foot tree came down. In Denville, Morris Catholic High School was evacuated after foam and asphalt was blown off the gym's roof. The school was also closed the next day. Downed trees caused sections of several major roadways to be closed in the county including New Jersey State Route 53 in Parsippany, New Jersey State Route 10 in Roxbury and U.S. Route 46 in Mine Hill. A couple of parked vehicles were damaged by downed limbs at the Morris Street Jersey Transit Train Station. ||In Somerset County, morning traffic was disrupted after a downed pole closed a westbound lane of U.,S. Route 22. Farther to the west, a downed tree caused the closure of all lanes near the Hunterdon County border. All southbound lanes of Interstate 287 were closed during the late afternoon after a large tree fell on the roadway. Vehicles were damaged by downed trees in Bridgewater. In Hunterdon County, three quarters of Franklin Township lost power. In Middlesex County, a large downed tree limb damaged three vehicles in New Brunswick. In Highland Park, a downed tree caused the closure of an intersection. Another downed tree damaged a home.||In Monmouth County, a downed pole closed New Jersey State Route 34 in both directions in Wall Township. The pole also damaged the Sterns Trucking Building. In Asbury Park, late in the morning the high wind blew off a piece of the roof of a metal dipping business on First Avenue. Utility poles were split by the debris. Scaffolding broke away from a twelve story building on Deal Lake Drive. In Ocean County, a driver suffered a head injury at Mile Marker 86 on the Garden State when a tree fell on the parkway. Two other vehicles were also struck by the debris. In Toms River alone, there were about thirty weather related emergency responses between 6 a.m. EST and Noon EST. Ocean County Park in Lakewood was closed because of downed trees. ||In Mercer County, the high winds were a factor in fueling a fire that consumed two dwellings in Trenton on South Olden Avenue. Five people were left homeless. The fire was started by downed wires. Elsewhere in Trenton, roof pieces of an abandoned building (old Roebling Steel Site) were torn away as were some shingles. Hamilton Avenue was closed because of wind debris from New Jersey State Route 129 to Clark Street. In Hopewell Township, Carter Avenue was closed for three days after about half a dozen poles were snapped. A man was trapped within his dump truck until the power was cut off. In Atlantic County, Richard Stockton College was closed through the 12th because of the lack of power. A downed tree damaged a vehicle in Egg Harbor Township. ||Peak wind gusts included 69 mph at the High Point Monument in Sussex County, 61 mph in Parsippany (Morris County), 59 mph in Keansburg (Monmouth County), 58 mph in Harvey Cedars (Ocean County), the Atlantic City Marina (Atlantic County) and Sea Girt (Monmouth County), 57 mph in Barnegat (Ocean County), 54 mph at the Atlantic City International Airport in Atlantic County, 53 mph in Kingwood (Hunterdon County), 52 mph in Chatsworth and Lumberton (both Burlington County), 51 mph in Somerville (Somerset County), Millville (Cumberland County), Trenton (Mercer County), Mullica (Gloucester County) and Woodstown (Salem County) and 50 mph in Deans (Middlesex County) and Blue Anchor (Camden County). ||The strong and high winds were caused by the pressure difference between an intensifying low pressure system that moved through the lower Saint Lawrence River Valley, northern New England and the Canadian Maritimes and an approaching high pressure system from the lower Mississippi Valley. The winds increased after a cold front moved through the state between 4 a.m. EST and 6 a.m. EST on the morning of the 12th and slowly subsided that night.

A frontal boundary was draped from the southern Mid Atlantic region southwestward to the northern Gulf of Mexico. An area of low pressure developed along this front across the lower Mississippi Valley late in the day on the 27th. The storm system then moved northeastward and tracked near the Ohio River Valley during the morning of the 28th. As the storm continued to track northeastward, it strengthened as it moved into New England during the early evening hours of the 28th. An associated cold front then swept across the Mid Atlantic region during the early evening hours of the 28th.||A cold air mass ahead of the system allowed for snow to overspread the state generally from south to north during the 27th. As milder air then worked in especially above the surface, the snow changed to sleet and freezing rain during the night of the 27th mainly across the southern and central parts of the state. Enough warming occurred during the 28th, which allowed the wintry mix to change over to plain rain before ending mainly across the central and southern parts of the state. The mixed precipitation held on the longest across the northwestern part of the state as the cold air remained entrenched longer. The combination of the frozen and freezing precipitation along with the cold temperatures, created a high impact event for most of the state. This also produced very slippery roadways across the state.||The Hunterdon Medical Center in Raritan Township (Hunterdon County) was briefly on backup generators on the 28th due to the winter storm, which caused some problems with power lines in the area. Nineteen weather-related wrecks were reported in Warren County through 12:00 PM EST on the 28th, which included a jack-knifed tractor-trailer on a back road in Mansfield Township. The mixture of snow, sleet and rain late on the 27th and on the 28th produced messy road conditions and prompted schools to close across Morris County. Roads were particularly bad during the morning of the 28th as the snow fell at nearly an inch per hour for a time. Around 12:00 PM EST on the 28th, two lanes of Route 287 northbound were closed after a truck flipped near Exit 32 in Harding (Morris County). At about the same time, an entrance ramp on Route 80 in Mount Olive was closed because of an overturned vehicle. Less than a dozen accidents were reported in Washington Township. During the afternoon of the 28th, flooding became a problem in some areas as slush clogged storm drains and created pockets of water at intersections. An acceleration lane on Route 80 eastbound in Denville was closed briefly at 2:00 PM EST on the 28th after a large area of standing water formed. Flooding also caused some problems in Parsippany at both Baldwin and Parsippany roads. Some power outages were reported however these were mostly minimal in scope according to officials.||The winter storm produced a couple inches of snow late on the 27th and the 28th, however as milder air moved in, dense fog overspread the Ocean County area. The visibility was reduced to near zero in many areas. During the evening hours of the 28th, a fog warning was issued for the entire length of the Garden State Parkway. Due to the inclement weather, as many as 500 Jersey Central Power and Light customers lost power in the Barnegat Light area. Also, most public schools altered their schedules due to the wintry weather.||An 8-year-old girl in Woodbury (Gloucester County) was injured during the early afternoon hours of the 28th when the sled she was on collided with an SUV. The girl was sledding down a driveway and entered the street then went under the SUV, which was pulling away from the curb. The girl had to be extricated from the vehicle. In Woolwich Township (Gloucester County), the southbound lanes of the New Jersey Turnpike were blocked for about three hours during the early morning hours of the 28th after a car and a tractor-trailer collided. A female in the car was taken to a nearby hospital for serious head injuries. The State Police reported that the accident was weather related. The winter storm produced hazardous road conditions late on the 27th and on the 28th in Sussex County. A fatal crash occurred on a snow-covered Route 206 early on the 28th as a 50-year-old man was killed when his vehicle went off the roadway.||Some snowfall totals included; 4.0 inches in Lafayette (Sussex County), 3.7 inches in Blairstown (Warren County), 3.5 inches in Oak Ridge (Morris County), 3.5 inches in Whitehouse (Hunterdon County), 3.5 inches in Manalapan (Monmouth County), 3.5 inches in Wantage (Sussex County), 3.4 inches in Marcella (Morris County), 3.3 inches in Oakland Mills (Monmouth County), 3.1 inches in Edison (Middlesex County), 3.1 inches in Estell Manor (Atlantic County), 3.0 inches in Somerville (Somerset County), 3.0 inches in Trenton (Mercer County), 3.0 inches in Colts Neck (Monmouth County), 2.9 inches in Pottersville (Morris County), 2.8 inches in Ewing (Mercer County), 2.8 inches in Plainsboro (Middlesex County), 2.7 inches in National Park (Gloucester County), 2.7 inches in Belvidere (Warren County), 2.7 inches in Wertsville (Hunterdon County), 2.7 inches in Branchburg (Somerset County), 2.5 inches in Riegelsville (Hunterdon County), 2.3 inches in Newport (Cumberland County), 2.1 inches in Pittsgrove (Salem County), 2.0 inches in Edgewater Park (Burlington County), 2.0 inches in Stratford (Camden County), 2.0 inches in Vineland (Cumberland County), 1.9 inches in Mount Laurel (Burlington County), 1.8 inches in Somerdale (Camden County), 1.8 inches in Glassboro (Gloucester County), 1.7 inches in Mount Holly (Burlington County), 1.5 inches in Toms River (Ocean County), 1.5 inches in West Deptford (Gloucester County), 1.5 inches at the Atlantic City International Airport in Pomona (Atlantic County), 1.5 inches in Hammonton (Atlantic County), 1.2 inches 0.8 of a mile north-northwest of Woodbine (Cape May County) and 1.0 inch in Tuckerton (Ocean County).||A few ice accumulation reports included; 0.15 of an inch in Edgewater Park and Southampton, and 0.10 of an inch in Mount Laurel (all in Burlington County).

An area of high pressure early on the 10th gave way to an advancing low pressure system which traveled up the Ohio Valley. This system moved across the region during the nighttime hours of the 10th and then tracked to the northeast during the morning of the 11th. Moisture in the form of snow and rain overspread the area from southwest to northeast during the day on the 10th. Some of the snow was moderate to heavy for a time across the northern regions. There was actually a break in the precipitation for a time during the day on the 10th across central and into southern New Jersey. As milder air worked its way into the area, the snow and rain mixed with sleet and then changed over to some freezing rain and plain rain. The precipitation ended from west to east during the morning hours of the 11th.||Minor accidents were reported on Interstate 78 in Warren County on the 10th due to snow that produced slippery conditions. Many local roads were also slippery which resulted in car accidents, some of which involved minor injuries. Snow caused slippery roadways in Morris County on the 10th. The State Police reported that conditions on the highways were slippery during the afternoon, particularly on the ramps. During the evening, it was reported that the conditions worsened quite a bit, especially on Route 80. Jersey Central Power and Light reported a few outages in Morris County. The snowy conditions prompted cancellations of several community events or some changed their scheduled times. Jersey Central Power and Light reported a few outages in Sussex County on the 10th. There was just enough icing that produced slippery conditions in other areas, particularly on bridges, overpasses and other elevated structures.||Some snowfall totals included; 3.3 inches in Blairstown (Warren County), 3.1 inches in Oak Ridge (Morris County), 3.0 inches in Wantage (Sussex County), 2.8 inches in Califon (Hunterdon County), 2.8 inches in Hopatcong (Sussex County), 2.3 inches in Butler (Morris County), 2.1 inches in Hackettstown (Warren County), 2.0 inches in Metuchen (Middlesex County), 2.0 inches in Whitehouse (Hunterdon County), 1.9 inches in Neshanic (Somerset County), 1.5 inches in Hillsborough (Somerset County), 1.3 inches in Edison (Middlesex County), 1.0 inch in Belle Mead (Somerset County), 1.0 inch in Old Bridge (Middlesex County), 0.8 of an inch in Holmdel (Monmouth County), 0.7 of an inch in Ewing (Mercer County), 0.5 of an inch in Colts Neck (Monmouth County), 0.2 of an inch in Edgewater Park (Burlington County), 0.1 of an inch in Mount Holly (Burlington County) and 0.1 of an inch in National Park (Gloucester County). Ice accumulations were generally less than one tenth of an inch.

An area of high pressure moved across the region during the 6th. This allowed colder and much drier air to settle southward into the Middle Atlantic region. Meanwhile, an area of low pressure organized across the Tennessee Valley during the morning of the 6th and tracked northward to the northern Ohio Valley during the evening of the 6th. An abundance of moisture surged well ahead of this storm. Some areas experienced some sleet and snow to start as the precipitation intensity was rather light. As the precipitation intensified and increased in areal coverage, freezing rain, sleet, rain and even some snow occurred. However, freezing rain and rain were the dominant precipitation type. Significant icing occurred across northwestern New Jersey, with a coating of ice all the way down to portions of west-central and southwestern New Jersey. The main low pressure system then tracked to the north on the 7th, as a secondary low pressure center formed just south of Long Island. The two systems produced plenty of rain across the area, although freezing rain held on across a portion of northwestern New Jersey for nearly the entire duration. An associated cold front finally moved through the region during the evening of the 7th, which brought drier air into the area.||The most significant icing occurred across Warren, Hunterdon, Morris and especially Sussex counties. Icy conditions in Warren County contributed to an accident on Interstate 80 at Mile Marker 2. The accident, which occurred on a section of the ���S��� turns, slowed traffic for more than an hour during the morning of the 7th.||About 400 customers scattered throughout Morris County lost power by about 12:00 PM EST on the 7th, primarily due to ice-laden tree branches that fell onto electrical lines. In Randolph, the westbound lanes of Route 10 were closed at Dover-Chester Road in the morning of the 7th because a tree fell across the highway, which blocked all three westbound lanes. In Morris Township, Sussex Avenue was closed from Sudberry Drive to Bradwahl Drive because a tree fell due to the accumulated ice and brought down utility wires around 2:20 PM EST on the 7th. In Mount Olive, 10 weather-related vehicle accidents were reported between 5:00 PM EST on the 7th and 7:00 AM EST on the 8th. No serious injuries were reported. School districts throughout Morris County had delayed openings while a few closed on the 7th. In Washington Township, a few back roads were closed during the early morning hours of the 8th due to icy conditions. In Jefferson, weather accounted for a rollover accident on Ridge Road during the afternoon on the 8th but resulted in no injuries. There were also six traffic accidents and a downed wire on Berkshire Valley Road. In Sussex County, about 600 customers were without power on the 7th. In the High Point and Wantage areas, ice accumulations were up to one half of an inch and coated all surfaces. This resulted in very slippery conditions and it was reported that the air temperature never got above freezing.||Some specific ice accumulation reports included; 0.50 inches in Wantage (Sussex County), 0.40 inches in Alalmuchy and Blairstown (Warren County), 0.30 inches in Butler (Morris County) and Whitehouse (Hunterdon County), 0.25 inches in Newton (Sussex County), Rockaway and Lake Hopatcong (Morris County), 0.15 inches in Oak Ridge (Morris County), 0.10 inches in Mount Holly and Edgewater Park (Burlington County). ||Heavy rainfall amounts occurred and some reports included; 2.99 inches in Upper Deerfield (Cumberland County), 2.49 inches in Southampton (Burlington County), 2.28 inches in Berkeley Shore (Ocean County), 2.15 inches in Sea Girt (Monmouth County), 2.14 inches in Sicklerville (Camden County), 2.03 inches in Clayton (Gloucester County), and 1.93 inches in Lumberton (Burlington County).

Strong to high winds buffeted New Jersey from the late morning through the evening on the 31st. Hardest hit by the wind were the extreme southern part of the state as well as Sussex County. The highest wind gusts occurred during the afternoon of the 31st, except in Sussex where the highest wind gusts occurred during the evening. Numerous tree limbs, trees and power lines were knocked down. The majority of the 13,000 customers losing power were in the southern part of the state.||The most serious reported injury occurred in Elsinboro Township in Salem County. A 59-year-old woman broke her neck after a downed tree fell onto her vehicle. Elsewhere in the county, in Pennsville a downed tree damaged a home. About 1,100 homes and businesses lost power mainly in Elsinboro, Mannington and Carneys Point. In Atlantic County, a downed tree badly damaged a trailer in the Atlantic Garden Complex in Egg Harbor Township. About 2,000 homes and businesses lost power in the county. In Cumberland County, a large pine tree fell onto a moving vehicle in Vineland. The occupants were not hurt. About 1,000 homes and businesses in the county lost power. In Gloucester County, a downed tree damaged the sunroom of a home in Glassboro. About 3,300 homes and businesses lost power. ||Peak wind gusts included 75 mph in Pennsville (Salem County), 68 mph in Brigantine (Atlantic County), 65 mph at High Point (Sussex County), 63 mph in Wantage (Sussex County) and Cape May (Cape May County), 54 mph at Harvey Cedars (Ocean County), Atlantic City International Airport and Millville (Cumberland County), 51 mph in Point Pleasant (Ocean County) and 46 mph in Trenton (Mercer County).||The high winds were caused by the large pressure difference between a rapidly intensifying Alberta Clipper type low pressure system moving through New England and a strong high pressure system approaching from the upper Mississippi Valley.

An intense and rapidly developing low pressure system helped produce heavy snow over the higher terrain of northwest New Jersey on the 28th. A heavy precipitation band was able to chill the atmosphere to snow also over sections of central New Jersey during the mid day hours on the 28th. This was an elevation driven event in northwest New Jersey, as much less snow accumulated below about 800 feet. It was a dynamically cooling driven event in central New Jersey where the accumulating snow coincided with the heaviest precipitation rates. Accumulations in northwest New Jersey reached 14 inches; in central New Jersey around two inches. The combination of the heavy wet snow, leaves still on the trees and wind led to about 80,000 homes and businesses to losing power in Northwest New Jersey. Jersey Central Power and Light had to call in repair crews as far away as Ohio to assist with restoration. Power was not fully restored until the evening of the 31st.||Over the higher terrain of New Jersey, the rain began during the evening of the 27th. Precipitation changed to snow around 6 a.m. EDT on the 28th and fell heavy at times into the afternoon. Precipitation ended during the early evening of the 28th. The heaviest snow fell between 6 a.m. and 3 p.m. EDT on the 28th. In the valleys, precipitation type was intensity driven. When precipitation became heavier, it changed to snow, lighter it went back to rain. This meteorological process is called dynamic cooling in which so much snow is falling from aloft that the amount of heat needed to melt the snow, cools the surrounding air where it can support snow at a lower level to the point where it can reach the ground. Once the snow intensity weakens, warmer surrounding air moves in and raises temperatures so the snow melts before reaching the ground. A similar precipitation event like this one occurred in New York State in September of 1987. This same process occurred in central New Jersey during the late morning and early afternoon on the 28th as the rain changed to an accumulating snow for two to four hours. Otherwise precipitation started as rain the previous evening and ended as rain very late in the afternoon on the 28th. ||The combination of the heavy wet snow and very strong winds led to many traveling problems as well as downed trees and wires across Northwest New Jersey. In most instances, the worst problems occurred in higher terrain townships with elevations of greater than 800 feet. About 80,000 homes and businesses lost power. Power was not fully restored until the evening of the 31st. The biggest traveling problem was the closure of Interstate 80 between Allamuchy Township in Warren County and Wharton Borough in Morris County between 230 p.m. and 500 p.m. EDT on the 28th.||In Morris County, Washington, Mount Olive and Jefferson Townships were hit the hardest. More than 10,000 homes and businesses lost power in those townships. There were still 5,500 without power in Washington Township on the 29th. In Washington Township, about 25 roads were closed because of downed trees. Police responded to ten times the average number of calls and there were 1,500 weather related responses in all. Schools held students through dinner waiting for roads to be cleared. Schools were closed on the 29th. In Mount Olive Township, there were about 1,000 police calls and thirty reports of property damage. Schools were also closed on the 29th. In Randolph Township, a downed Bradford Pear tree damaged a home. The AAA had to suspend emergency service in the county because of the snow and many after school activities were postponed throughout the county. ||In Hunterdon County, Lebanon Township was hardest hit with a dozen major roads closed, some through the 31st. One school district was also closed through the 31st. Shower facilities were made available by the township for residents who lost power. In Delaware Township, a 38-year-old man was injured after driving into a telephone pole. In West Amwell Township, a 26 year-old woman and a 44 year-old-woman were injured in a head-on collision. In Glen Gardner, one home caught on fire after its occupants used its fireplace to try to keep warm. More than 10,000 homes and businesses lost power in Califon, Clifton, Flemington, Glen Gardner, Hampton, High Bridge and Readington. ||In Warren County, Hackettstown was hardest hit with power outages (about 7,000) as over 20,000 county residents lost power in Allamuchy, Hackettstown, Independence, Liberty and Mansfield. A shelter was opened at the Mansfield Township Elementary School. Hotels were booked solid. The county responded to about 600 emergency calls and there were about 100 vehicular crashes. Numerous roads were blocked by downed trees including U.S. Route 46. In Sussex County, there were 443 weather related calls in Sparta Township. New Jersey State Route 15 was closed during the afternoon. A new snowfall record was set at High Point and the state for the month of October: 14.0 inches. ||In central New Jersey, the snow caused some slushy accumulation on roadways and cancelled after school activities. The New Jersey Turnpike was salted between exits 8 and 11. The 1.5 inches of snow that accumulated in New Brunswick (Middlesex County) was a record snowfall for so early in the season and October. | |Snowfall totals included 14.0 inches at High Point State Park (a new state October record) in Sussex County, 12.0 inches in Lebanon Township (Hunterdon County) and Schooley's Mountain (Morris County), 11.5 inches in Mount Olive (Morris County), 8.0 inches in Long Valley (Morris County) and Califon (Hunterdon County), 5.5 inches in Flanders (Morris County), 5.0 inches in Sparta (Sussex County), 4.8 inches in Hackettstown (Warren County), 4.5 inches in Wantage (Sussex County), 4.0 inches in Independence (Warren County), 2.5 inches in Hopewell (Mercer County) and Newton (Sussex County), 1.5 inches in New Brunswick (Middlesex County), 1.3 inches in Hillsborough (Somerset County) and 1.0 inch in Flemington (Hunterdon County), Rockaway (Morris County) and Peapack (Somerset County). ||A cold front moved through the region on the 27th and stalled offshore. A low pressure system developed on the stalled front over North Carolina on the afternoon of the 27th. It slowly moved northeast and intensified rapidly. By 2 a.m. EDT on the 28th it was just off the New Jersey Coast and had a central pressure of 1003 millibars. At 8 a.m. EDT on the 28th, the low pressure system was approaching central Long Island, New York and the pressure lowered to 995 millibars. It proceeded to move northeast and was a 989 millibar low pressure system near Hartford, Connecticut at 2 p.m. EDT on the 28th and a 986 millibar low pressure system along the northern Vermont and New Hampshire border at 8 p.m. EDT on the 28th. A closed upper level low moved through the region during the day on the 28th. The relatively colder air at its center coupled with the heavy precipitation intensity made it possible for the rain to change to snow in parts of the region.

Gusty northwest winds that reached as high as 66 mph occurred from the late morning into the early evening across New Jersey. The combination of the strong to high winds, heavy wet snow and trees still with leaves caused widespread outages in Northwest New Jersey. About 105,000 homes and business lost power throughout the state. Northwest New Jersey took the brunt of the hit as Jersey Central Power and Light reported about 80,000 homes and businesses lost power. It took until the 31st for power to get fully restored. Even in places where there was no snow, scattered power outages (25,000 additional homes and businesses) occurred.||In Morris County, Washington, Mount Olive and Jefferson Townships were hit the hardest. More than 10,000 homes and businesses lost power in those townships. There were still 5,500 without power in Washington Township on the 29th. In Washington Township, about 25 roads were closed because of downed trees. Police responded to ten times the average number of calls and there were 1,500 weather related responses in all. In Mount Olive Township, there were about 1,000 police calls and thirty reports of property damage. In Randolph Township, a downed Bradford Pear tree damaged a home. Some schools were closed on the 29th because of either closed roads or power outages. ||In Hunterdon County, Lebanon Township was hardest hit with a dozen major roads closed, some through the 31st. One school district was also closed through the 31st. Shower facilities were made available by the township for residents who lost power. In Glen Gardner, one home caught on fire after its occupants used its fireplace to try to keep warm. More than 10,000 homes and businesses lost power in Califon, Clifton, Flemington, Glen Gardner, Hampton, High Bridge and Readington. ||In Warren County, Hackettstown was hardest hit with power outages (about 7,000) as over 20,000 county residents lost power in Allamuchy, Hackettstown, Independence, Liberty and Mansfield. A shelter was opened at the Mansfield Township Elementary School. Hotels were booked solid. The county responded to about 600 emergency calls. Numerous roads were blocked by downed trees including U.S. Route 46. In Sussex County, there were 443 weather related calls in Sparta Township alone. New Jersey State Route 15 was closed during the afternoon.||In Central New Jersey, about 9,000 homes and businesses lost power. In Princeton (Mercer County), U.S. Route 206 was closed because of downed wires. In Camden County, a few schools dismissed children early after power was lost. About 1,100 homes and businesses lost power in the county.||Wind damage increased in the southern part of the state as this was the area with the highest reported wind gusts. County Route 553 was closed between Gloucester County and Salem County because of downed trees and wires. About 2,700 homes and businesses lost power in Gloucester County. In Salem County, about 1,400 homes and businesses lost power. The strong winds also sent waves from the Delaware River crashing over the sea wall at the Pennsville Riverview Beach Park. In Atlantic County, about 530 homes and businesses lost power. U.S. Route 9 in Absecon was closed because of a downed tree and the eastbound lanes of U.S. Route 30 (The Whitehorse Pike) was closed in Mullica Township because of downed wires. In Cape May County, part of the roof was blown off the Beach Terrace Motor Inn in Wildwood. The Cape May Zoo was closed because of the high winds. About 4,000 homes and businesses lost power. Cumberland County took the hardest hit in the southern part of the state as about 6,200 homes and businesses lost power. Power was not fully restored until the 29th. A downed tree on a substation in the western part of the county accounted for outages to 2,000 customers. Shingles were torn from homes in Maurice River Township. A downed tree damaged the roof of the Vineland Free Library. About 2,400 homes and businesses lost power. Downed trees and wires closed New Jersey State Route 47 in Maurice River Township, New Jersey State Route 55 in Millville and the westbound lanes of New Jersey State Route 49 in Millville. ||Peak wind gusts include 66 mph in Cape May (Cape May County), 59 mph at the Cape May Ferry Terminal (Cape May County), 52 mph at High Point (Sussex County), 50 mph in Hammonton (Atlantic County), Barnegat Light (Ocean County), Wildwood (Cape May County) and the Atlantic City International Airport, 48 mph in Newport (Cumberland County), 47 mph in Keansburg (Monmouth County) and Millville (Cumberland County) and 44 mph at the Atlantic City Marina. The peak wind gusts occurred during the middle of the afternoon on the 28th as the pressure gradient (difference) tightened quickly between the departing and intensifying low pressure system moving into New England and a high pressure system moving east from the central United States.||A low pressure system developed on the stalled front over North Carolina on the afternoon of the 27th. It slowly moved northeast and intensified rapidly. By 2 a.m. EDT on the 28th it was just off the New Jersey Coast and had a central pressure of 1003 millibars. At 8 a.m. EDT on the 28th, the low pressure system was approaching central Long Island, New York and the pressure lowered to 995 millibars. It proceeded to move northeast and was a 989 millibar low pressure system near Hartford, Connecticut at 2 p.m. EDT on the 28th and a 986 millibar low pressure system along the northern Vermont and New Hampshire border at 8 p.m. EDT on the 28th. By evening this low pressure system was far enough away that winds decreased.

Tropical Storm Hanna brought heavy rain and strong winds in New Jersey as well as some minor tidal flooding in Cape May County, up Delaware Bay and into the Delaware River on the 6th. Rain moved into the region around noon EDT, fell heavy at times during the late afternoon and early evening and ended during the late evening. Storm totals ranged from around 2 to around 5 inches with the highest amounts in northern New Jersey. The strongest winds occurred during the afternoon in the southern part of the state and the evening in the northern part of the state. The highest reported wind gust was 58 mph. Over 10,000 homes and businesses lost power. All power was restored by the 7th. Minor tidal flooding occurred during the afternoon and evening as the surge averaged around two feet. Many scheduled events were either cancelled or postponed. | |The combination of the winds and heavy rain caused some weak trees and tree limbs to be knocked down throughout the state. This caused some isolated road closures in Burlington, Cumberland and Morris Counties. U.S. Route 46 was closed in Denville (Morris County) because of downed wires. Most of the other closures in the state were smaller roadways. About 2,300 homes and businesses lost power in Morris County; 2,600 homes and businesses in Monmouth and Ocean Counties and 4,700 homes and businesses in Cumberland County.||Minor tidal flooding occurred in the back bays of Ocean City and Lower Township in Cape May County. Three hundred truckloads of sand were dumped in Strathmere (Upper Township) to help combat some dune erosion. In Salem County, tidal flooding backed into two creeks. This was exacerbated in part by the freshwater run-off from the heavy rain. Tidal flooding was reported on New Jersey State Route 45 in Salem along the Fenwick Creek and on New Jersey State Route 49 in Quinton along the Alloway Creek.||Peak wind gusts included 58 mph in Barnegat (Ocean County), 51 mph in North Wildwood (Cape May County), 47 mph in Point Pleasant (Monmouth County), 45 mph in Keansburg and Ocean Grove (Monmouth County), 44 mph in Burlington Township (Burlington County), 43 mph in Atlantic City (Atlantic County) and Pittsgrove (Salem County) and 41 mph in Millville. The high tide at Reedys Point (New Castle County, Delaware) peaked at 7.22 feet above mean lower low water at 524 p.m. EDT on the 6th. Minor tidal flooding starts at 7.2 feet above mean lower low water. The high tide in Philadelphia peaked at 8.40 feet above mean lower low water at 726 p.m. EDT on the 6th. Minor tidal flooding starts at 8.2 feet above mean lower low water.||Tropical Storm Hanna made landfall at about 320 a.m. EDT on September 6th near the border of North and South Carolina. The tropical storm proceeded to move northeast. At 8 a.m. EDT, Hanna was near Goldsboro, North Carolina; at 11 a.m. EDT just southeast of Emporia, Virginia; at 2 p.m. EDT near Williamsburg, Virginia, at 5 p.m. EDT in Dorchester County, Maryland. Hanna then cut across northwest Sussex County in Delaware and entered Delaware Bay and made landfall in New Jersey close to 7 p.m. EDT in eastern Cumberland County. At 8 p.m. EDT Hanna was located in northern Atlantic County, New Jersey and exited the state near Island Beach State Park in Ocean County. At 11 p.m. EDT, Hanna was about to make landfall in western Suffolk County in New York State. Hanna continued to move northeast through eastern Long Island and New England overnight on the 6th.

An approaching cold front that ended a week long heat wave also triggered severe thunderstorms across New Jersey during the afternoon and early evening on the 23rd. A power outage caused significant delays and over a one hour shut down (from 430 p.m. EDT until 545 p.m. EDT) of Amtrak train service between Philadelphia and Boston. These outages extended to New Jersey Transit Trains on the Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Shore Line and Midtown Direct Line.

An unseasonably hot and humid air mass led to severe thunderstorms across northwestern New Jersey during the evening of the 10th. About 250,000 homes and businesses lost power across the northern part of the state. Power was not fully restored until the 13th.

The most oppressive heat wave of the meteorological summer affected New Jersey from June 7th through the 10th. The combination of high temperatures well into the 90s to around 100 and dew point temperatures in the 70s produced apparent temperatures or heat indices values as high as around 100 in northern New Jersey and around 105 in southern New Jersey. Most of the highest temperatures occurred on the 10th, except at the shore where the highest temperatures occurred on the 9th. The highest apparent temperatures occurred on both the 7th and the 10th. ||Trying to escape the heat led to the drowning death of a 34-year-old male in the Delaware River off of Warren County on the 8th. Four men attempted to cross the Delaware River from the Hialeah Picnic Area in the Delaware Water Gap in Monroe County. They made it safely to Labar Island just south of Tocks Island. The four continued crossing the river toward New Jersey, when he started having trouble midway toward the New Jersey coast near Worthington State Forest in Hardwick Township.||The excessive heat caused many heat related injuries across the state. Many cooling centers were opened to assist senior citizens. The heat also caused a few roadways to buckle. Schools were still in session and many that did not have air conditioning dismissed children early on the 9th and 10th. A couple of schools cancelled classes altogether. Some after school activities were cancelled outright; others were shifted to air conditioned locations. The excessive heat caused some scattered and mainly localized power outages. There was about a twenty-five percent increase in vehicle distress calls. There was also a surge in purchases of air conditioners and pools.||In northwest New Jersey, 3,000 homes and businesses lost power mainly on the 9th. In Middlesex County, cooling centers were opened at libraries and community centers in four municipalities. In Pert Amboy, a medical tent saw a steady stream of visitors complaining of dehydration at Puerto Rican Day on the 7th. Northbound New Jersey State Route 35 was closed on the afternoon of the 8th after a drawbridge between Sayreville and Old Bridge got stuck in the upright position. In Monmouth and Ocean Counties about 10,000 homes and businesses lost power. The air conditioning failed on the campus of Ocean County College, cancelling classes. In Mercer County, schools in Trenton were closed on the 10th. Cooling centers were opened in all of the municipalities' neighborhood community centers as well as nine county libraries. In Camden (Camden County), spray pools were opened. In Atlantic County, the Dorset Avenue Bridge in Ventnor was closed. In Cape May County, on the afternoon of the 8th New Jersey State Route 52 Causeway Bridge into Ocean City was closed for 90 minutes because the bridge would not close. Boats were detoured the rest of the afternoon until temperatures dropped. Heat sensitive crops such as lettuce and zucchini wilted on some southern New Jersey farms. ||Highest temperatures included 100 degrees in Hammonton (Atlantic County), Wrightstown (Burlington County), Berkeley Township and Toms River (both Ocean County), 99 degrees in Hillsborough (Somerset County) and Mount Laurel (Burlington County), 98 degrees in Sicklerville (Gloucester County), the Atlantic City International Airport and Margate (both Atlantic County), Millville (Cumberland County) and Lindenwold (Camden County), 97 degrees in Fort Monmouth (Monmouth County), Boonton (Morris County), Hightstown (Mercer County), New Brunswick (Middlesex County) and Upper Deerfield (Cumberland County), 96 degrees in Woodstown (Salem County), Chatham (Morris County), Cape May (Cape May County), Belvidere (Warren County), Flemington (Hunterdon County), Andover (Sussex County), Trenton (Mercer County) and Woodbine (Cape May County), 94 degrees in Hackettstown (Warren County) and 92 degrees in Barnegat (Ocean County). ||The heat wave helped June 2008 to be one of the warmest Junes on record. At the Atlantic City International Airport, the June monthly mean temperature of 74.9 degrees (5.2 degrees warmer than normal) was the warmest June on record. In Trenton, the June monthly mean temperature of 74.3 degrees (3.3 degrees warmer than normal) was the 7th warmest June on record. For the state of New Jersey, it was the 2nd warmest June on record since 1895.

A line of severe thunderstorms that accompanied a cold frontal passage produced wind damage across southwest and northern New Jersey during the late afternoon and early evening of the 8th. The combination of the severe storms and the strong to high winds which followed caused about 275,000 homes and businesses throughout the state to lose power. Power was not fully restored until the night of the 10th.

Strong to damaging wind gusts affected New Jersey mainly during the evening of the 8th after a line of severe thunderstorms passed through southwest and northern New Jersey. The strong to high winds caused the PATCO high speed line to suspend commuter service for two hours between Philadelphia and Camden County. New Jersey Transit Trains also suspended service through the night of the 8th in Morris County because of downed trees. The combination of the severe storms and the strong to high winds which followed caused about 275,000 homes and businesses throughout the state to lose power. Power was not fully restored until the night of the 10th.||In Camden County, Interchange 3 on the New Jersey Turnpike was closed because a large tarp was blown off a water tower and onto the traffic lanes. In Gloucester County, the front porch of one home was damaged in Franklin Township. A pickup truck was blown over on Interstate 295. In Mercer County, residents in Lawrence Township and Trenton were among the last to get power restored. In Ocean County, a home under construction collapsed in the Chadwick Beach Section of Toms River (Dover Township). In Monmouth County, a trampoline was tossed. Colts Neck and Englishtown were among the last municipalities to have power restored. In Morris County, downed trees at 8 p.m. EST closed the northbound lanes of Interstate 287 in Morristown. Also in Morristown, residents along Garden Street did not get their power restored until the evening of the 10th. ||While the highest wind gusts of the day occurred with the convective line of wind damage (please refer to the other stormdata entries for that information), some of the higher synoptic scale wind gusts included 66 mph in Hammonton (Atlantic County), 61 mph in Cream Ridge (Monmouth County), 56 mph in Upper Deerfield (Cumberland County), 55 mph in Cape May (Cape May County) and 50 mph at the Atlantic City International Airport (Atlantic County) and Point Pleasant (Ocean County).||The strong to high winds were caused by the pressure gradient or difference between the departing low pressure system that was moving into New England and a high pressure system approaching from the southwestern Gulf Coast states.

A wintry mix of precipitation including some heavy snow fell across New Jersey on the 22nd. The heaviest snow occurred near the Pennsylvania border. Precipitation started as snow throughout the area around or just after Midnight EST on the 22nd. As warmer air moved in aloft, precipitation changed over to sleet during the morning in the southern half of the state and during the late morning and early afternoon in the northern half of the state. Precipitation then changed to plain rain during the second half of the morning in the southeast part of the state, but freezing rain in the southwest part of the state. The change to freezing rain occurred during the afternoon in the northern half of the state. Precipitation then changed to plain rain during the afternoon in the southwest, central and Raritan River Basin areas of the state. In the northwest part of the state, intermittent light freezing rain continued until the event ended during the late evening of the 22nd. Snow and sleet accumulations averaged 1 to 3 inches in the southeast part of the state and 3 to 8 inches elsewhere. Ice accretions were generally around one-tenth of an inch.||The wintry precipitation caused many traveling problems around the region. Many schools in the state (except for the southeast portion) never opened. The nearby Philadelphia International Airport experienced delays of up to four hours. The New Jersey Turnpike imposed a 35 mph speed limit. This was raised to 45 mph at Noon EST on the 22nd as the snow slowed or stopped and conditions began to improve. New Jersey Transit trains and buses experienced delays of about 20 minutes on average.||In Morris County, a car and a small box truck were involved in a minor accident in which the two vehicles ended against a guardrail on Interstate 287 North in Parsippany. Dozens of cars collided, several overturned and some drivers were injured, which forced the closure of Interstate 287 South near exit 57 during the night of the 22nd. This was due to melting snow which re-froze into a sheet of ice on the road. A vehicle overturned at about 8:20 PM EST on the 22nd on Interstate 80 East between the Howard Boulevard exit in Mount Arlington and the Mount Hope-Dover exit. The accident closed one lane and icing was suspected to be the cause. Jersey Central Power and Light reported some outages in the Budd Lake section of Mount Olive (Morris County) and in Blairstown (Warren County). ||In Burlington County, snow and slush covered roads led to plenty of fender benders and spinouts across the county, however no serious injuries were reported. In Camden County, some high school sporting events were postponed or cancelled. In Middlesex County, one accident in Sayreville around 8:00 AM EST resulted in an overturned vehicle. The driver was freed from the vehicle shortly after the accident.||Actual accumulations included 8.7 inches in Vernon (Sussex County), 7.5 inches in Milton (Morris County) and Blairstown (Warren County), 7.0 inches in Tewksbury (Hunterdon County) and Marcella (Morris County), 6.5 inches in Carteret (Middlesex County), Sparta (Sussex County) and Bridgewater (Somerset County), 6.1 inches in Somerville (Somerset County), 6.0 inches in New Brunswick (Middlesex County) and Hackettstown (Warren County), 5.5 inches in Frenchtown (Hunterdon County), Whippany (Morris County) and Trenton (Mercer County), 5.0 inches in Florence (Burlington County) and Sea Bright (Monmouth County), 4.4 inches in Colts Neck (Monmouth County), 4.0 inches in Princeton (Mercer County), 3.8 inches in Atco and Somerdale (Camden County), 3.6 inches in Southampton (Burlington County), 3.5 inches in Williamstown (Gloucester County) and Bayville and Manchester (Ocean County), 2.7 inches in Estell Manor (Atlantic County), 2.4 inches in Pittsgrove (Salem County), 2.3 inches in Bridgeton (Cumberland County), 2.0 inches in Bridgeton (Cumberland County), 1.8 inches in Seaville (Cape May County), 1.6 inches at the Atlantic City International Airport, 1.4 inches in Leesburg (Cumberland County) and 1.0 inch in North Cape May (Cape May County). ||The wintry mix was caused by a low pressure system that formed along the Gulf Coast States during the afternoon of the 21st. This low pressure system moved northeast and reached Mississippi on the morning of the 22nd and the Tennessee Valley during the early afternoon of the 22nd. A secondary low pressure formed along the South Carolina coast that morning and reached Cape Hatteras early that afternoon. The secondary low pressure system continued to move northeast and by 7 p.m. EST on the 22nd was located about 125 miles east of Long Beach Island, New Jersey. It passed just south of Nova Scotia overnight. The surface high pressure system that preceded the low left a cold and dry air mass in place for precipitation to start as snow. Since the high pressure system moved offshore, enough warm air in came in from the Atlantic to change the precipitation over to plain rain in the central and southern part of the state. But, farther north, northeast winds fed colder air into the state and prevented temperatures from rising above freezing.

A protracted winter storm of snow, sleet and freezing rain affected northwest New Jersey and most of the Raritan River Basin from the late morning of the 12th into the morning of the 13th. A shorter duration wintry precipitation event affected the rest of the state on the afternoon and evening of the 12th. ||The greatest combination of snow, sleet and ice affected Sussex, Warren and Morris Counties. The wintry mix led to a very slippery and protracted commute home from school and work. Many schools dismissed children early and cancelled after school activities. Slippery travel persisted through the morning of the 13th in far northwest New Jersey. Some schools either had delayed openings or were closed on the 13th in the northwest part of the state. Numerous accidents were reported. The winter weather led to power outages as ice laden trees, tree limbs and wires were knocked down. About 45,000 homes and businesses lost power, mainly in the northwest part of the state.||Precipitation started as snow during the late morning in the northwest part of the state and spread southeast during the afternoon. The snow quickly changed to sleet and freezing rain in the southeast part of the state and changed to that icy mixture by 6 p.m. EST in the southwest part of the state. The transition spread north through the rest of the state during the evening of the 12th. Precipitation changed to plain rain during the early evening of the 12th in the southeast part of the state and by late evening in the southwest part of the state. but, it took most of the overnight for this transition to occur across the northern half of the state. Snow and sleet accumulations ranged from one to four inches in the northern half of the state and around an inch or less elsewhere. Ice accretions ranged from one to two tenths of an inch in the southern half of the state to around half an inch in the northern half of the state. ||In Sussex County, the wintry mix led to widespread problems. Twenty-one county roads had blockages due to downed trees and wires. Power outages were widespread, as JCP&L reported 30,000 customers in Sussex County lost power during the height of the storm. Most of the outages occurred in the Newton area and parts of Sparta. The Sussex Rural Electric Cooperative, which serves 12,000 members in the northern regions of the county, reported that the Highland Lakes and Barry Lakes sections of Vernon were the hardest hit (PSE&G reported nearly 4,000 customers lost power across northern New Jersey, with most outages occurring on February 12th). In Newton, a Department of Public Works truck sustained severe fire damage when live wires, weighted down by ice, fell on it on Overlook Road. The driver was uninjured. The Newton Memorial Hospital sustained leaks due to a build-up of snow and ice on the roof. Also in Newton, large trees were completely toppled over due to the ice build-up, with their root ball still attached. In Franklin Borough, trees were downed on Sterling Street. In Sparta, ice covered trees toppled over into some roads, even blocking some. In Morris County, several accidents were reported, including some vehicles which struck a utility pole. JCP&L reported less than 500 customers without power in the East Hanover area at 6:00 PM EST. On the 13th, in Boonton, Boonton Township and Montville, Boonton Avenue was closed for approximately an hour and a half on February 13th (reopened at 9:00 AM EST), because of black ice as well as flooding.||In the southwest part of the state in Camden County, the Admiral Wilson Boulevard, leading to the Ben Franklin Bridge, was closed in both directions due to numerous accidents around 5:00 PM EST on the 12th. The icy conditions contributed to a pileup on the Walt Whitman Bridge. County officials warned people to stay off of U.S. Route 130 due to treacherous conditions. In Cherry Hill, traffic around New Jersey State Route 70 was clogged due to icy conditions on the Interstate 295 on-ramps. The New Jersey Turnpike lowered the speed limit to 35 mph because of the weather, and lane closures occurred in Salem and Gloucester Counties. A stretch of New Jersey State Route 55 was closed in Mantua Township (Gloucester County) after a tanker truck carrying a hazardous material load slid due to slippery conditions and overturned. The ice became bad enough on the Commodore Barry Bridge that by 5:00 PM EST the Delaware River Port Authority closed the span between Chester, Pennsylvania and Bridgeport, New Jersey for more salting, which snarled traffic in the area. The Delaware Memorial Bridge between Salem County and Delaware was closed during the evening commute so highway crews could salt it. The speed limit was reduced to 25 mph on other Delaware River Bridges. ||In the eastern part of the state, State Police at the Bass River and Sayreville barracks reported the heaviest volume of Garden State Parkway crashes occurred between Lacey (Ocean County) and Tinton Falls (Monmouth County). Toms River (Ocean County) police reported an estimated 30 motor vehicle accidents between 2:00 PM EST and 6:00 PM EST, and no significant injuries were reported. Numerous vehicle accidents were reported throughout Monmouth County. Numerous accidents were also reported in Middlesex and Somerset Counties, some of which included overturned vehicles and vehicles striking utility poles. No serious injuries were reported. The Milltown (Middlesex County) Board of Education postponed its public budget presentation and meeting due to the weather conditions.||In Cumberland County icy road conditions were blamed for multiple vehicle accidents through the city of Vineland. These accidents included three overturned vehicles in three separate accidents, which all occurred with the same hour during the afternoon of the 12th. Only some neck and back pain was reported related to a few of the total accidents.||Snow and sleet accumulations included 4.0 inches in Wantage (Sussex County) and Blairstown (Warren County), 3.5 inches in Butler (Morris County) and Hopatcong (Sussex County), 3.1 inches in Denville (Morris County), 3.0 inches in Hackettstown (Warren County), 2.5 inches in Whitehouse (Hunterdon County) and North Brunswick (Middlesex County), 2.3 inches in Branchburg (Somerset County), 2.1 inches in Hillsborough (Somerset County), 1.5 inches in Princeton (Mercer County), 1.0 inch in Colts Neck (Mercer County) and 0.3 inches in Mount Holly (Burlington County) and National Park (Gloucester County).||The wintry mix was caused by a low pressure system that emerged from northern Texas late in the day on the 11th. The low pressure system moved northeast into the lower Ohio Valley on the morning of the 12th and reached into Ohio by the early evening on the 12th. A secondary low pressure system formed on its warm frontal boundary over Delmarva on the evening of the 12th. This low pressure system tracked northeast toward New York City before dissipating overnight. Other low pressure systems continued to track north along this stalled frontal boundary which started to move east again later in the day on the 13th. These low pressure systems brought in sufficient warm air from the nearby Atlantic Ocean to raise surface temperatures above freezing by the morning of the 13th. The cold surface air was supplied by a fresh high pressure system that moved across nearby Canada and the New England States on the 12th before it exited to the east later that night.

An arctic front swept across New Jersey during the morning hours of the 10th. Northwesterly winds increased in its wake and became rather gusty during the afternoon and evening hours. The strongest wind gusts reached between 60 and 70 mph along the shore and averaged around 50 mph inland. The winds caused some property damage at the shore and knocked down weak trees, weak tree limbs and power lines throughout the state that resulted in power outages.||Strong winds in Brick Township (Ocean County) caused a traffic light at the intersection of Drum Point Road and Hooper Avenue to go out. Gusts also were blamed for downed telephone lines in the area of Ronald Road in Lakewood (Ocean County). Police reported that wind monitoring equipment in Seaside Park (Ocean County) measured winds as strong as 70 mph.||Peak wind gusts included 70 mph in Seaside Park (Ocean County), 65 mph at the Cape May Ferry Terminal (Cape May County), 61 mph in Cape May (Cape May County), 60 mph in Keansburg (Monmouth County), 57 mph in Barnegat (Ocean County), 54 mph in Hillsborough (Somerset County) and High Point (Sussex County), 51 mph in Toms River (Ocean County), 49 mph at the McGuire Air Force Base (Burlington County), Belmar (Monmouth County) and Ringoes (Hunterdon County), 48 mph in Trenton (Mercer County), 47 mph at the Atlantic City International Airport (Atlantic County) and Newport (Cumberland County), 46 mph in Southampton (Burlington County) and 44 mph in Randolph (Morris County).

Strong and gusty west winds accompanied and persisted behind a cold front from around 9 a.m. EST into the middle of the afternoon on the 30th across New Jersey. Peak wind gusts averaged around 50 mph and most of them occurred during the second half of the morning. In Bellmawr (Camden County), a downed tree landed on the shoulder of exit 3 of the New Jersey Turnpike. Traffic was not affected. Public Service Electric and Gas reported scattered power outages because of the strong winds. In Middlesex County in East Brunswick, a downed pole on Ryder's Lane closed a northbound lane of traffic for nearly eight hours.||Peak wind gusts included 54 mph at the Atlantic City Marina (Atlantic County), 52 mph in Keansburg (Monmouth County) and Barnegat Light (Ocean County), 51 mph at High Point (Sussex County), 48 mph in Bivalve (Cumberland County), 47 mph at the Atlantic City International Airport (Atlantic County), 46 mph in Wrightstown (Burlington County), Woodstown (Salem County), Clayton (Gloucester County), Randolph (Morris County), and Cape May (Cape May County), 45 mph in Hillsborough (Somerset County), 43 mph in Trenton (Mercer County) and 42 mph in Pittstown (Hunterdon County) and Deans (Middlesex County).

A strong area of high pressure was anchored over southeastern Canada on December 15th. This high gradually moved eastward during the day, however it wedged itself down into the Mid Atlantic region, which is known as cold air damming. Meanwhile, a storm system became more organized across the Gulf Coast states. This storm tracked northeastward from the 15th to the 16th. As the main storm tracked into Ohio on the 16th, a secondary area of low pressure developed near southern Delaware during that morning. As a result, moisture was lifted up and over colder air trapped at the surface. This produced about 1 to 3 inches of snow and sleet across northern New Jersey, with up to a quarter of an inch of ice (from freezing rain). The storm system moved away from the area during the overnight hours of the 16th.||The combination of snow and mostly sleet made roadways rather slippery. In Union Township (Hunterdon County), 12 people were injured when a chartered bus carrying 31 passengers to New York City crashed, early in the morning on the 16th, into a jack-knifed tractor-trailer in the eastbound lanes of Interstate 78 near exit 15. The bus struck the truck, then crashed through the right guardrail and slid about 50 feet down a ravine. In Morris County, an icy ramp in Parsippany from eastbound Interstate 80 to eastbound Interstate 280, caused a series of vehicle accidents that closed the ramp at about 1 PM EST on the 16th. Numerous spin-outs and several accidents were reported across northern New Jersey. The ice build-up on trees and power lines resulted in power outages, which were reported in Phillipsburg (Warren County) and in 7 municipalities in Hunterdon County. Because of the ice, trees and wires were downed across parts of Hunterdon and Somerset Counties. There was an incident of a vehicle windshield being smashed out on Interstate 80 from ice flying off an SUV.||While there was some snow, sleet was the dominate precipitation type. Some total accumulations included 3.0 inches in Tewksbury (Hunterdon County); 2.5 inches in Hackettstown (Warren County); 2.1 inches in Wantage (Sussex County); 1.8 inches in Whitehouse (Hunterdon County), Blairstown (Warren County) and Sussex (Sussex County); 1.6 inches in Lake Parsippany (Morris County), Marcella (Morris County) and Bridgewater (Somerset County); 1.4 inches in Riegelsville (Warren County); 1.2 inches in Stewartsville (Warren County); and 1.0 inch in Flemington (Hunterdon County) and Whippany (Morris County). Ice accumulations from freezing rain included 0.25 of an inch in Tewksbury (Hunterdon County); 0.20 of an inch in Whitehouse (Hunterdon County) and Wantage (Sussex County); and 0.10 of an inch in Edison (Middlesex County).

Strong winds buffeted New Jersey during the second half of the morning and into the evening on the 3rd. Highest wind gusts averaged 50 to 55 mph and downed trees, tree limbs and caused scattered power outages. Garbage cans and tree limbs littered county roadways. The strong west winds caused water from Barnegat Bay to be spewed onto Bayview Avenue in Seaside Park (Ocean County). There was a motorcycle and trailer ban on the length of the New Jersey Turnpike.||Specific wind gusts included 55 mph in Cape May Harbor (Cape May County), 54 mph in Barnegat (Ocean County), 53 mph at the Atlantic City International Airport (Atlantic County), 49 mph in Keansburg (Monmouth County), 48 mph in Millville (Cumberland County), 47 mph in Wrightstown (Burlington County), 44 mph in Trenton (Mercer County) and 43 mph in Deans (Middlesex County). The strong winds were caused by the pressure difference between a low pressure system that was intensifying as it was moving through the Saint Lawrence Valley and a high pressure system building toward the northeast from the Southern Plains.

In the wake of the departing nor���easter, the combination of strong winds, snow on tree limbs and heavy rain loosening the ground caused many tree limbs, trees and wires to be knocked down on the 16th. The strong winds caused about 120,000 homes and businesses in the state to lose power. Power was not completely restored until the 18th. Many school districts cancelled classes because of the power outages and/or blocked roadways.|In Cumberland County, high winds blew the siding off of and caused wind damage to homes in Fortescue (Downe Township). The high winds also ripped a four foot by fifteen foot section of facing from the side of the Millville City Hall building. A home was damaged by a downed tree in Vineland. Atlantic Electric reported about 4,300 homes and businesses lost power in Cumberland County. In Cape May County, minor wind damage occurred to homes and utility wires in Wildwood and Wildwood Crest. The high winds forced the cancellation of the Cape May-Lewes Ferry Service across Delaware Bay on the 16th and 17th. The Cape May County Zoo was also closed. In Burlington County, because of downed trees, buses replaced the light commuter rail line between Bordentown and Roebling. In Monmouth County, the strong winds damaged a gazebo in Bradley Beach and threw sand onto Ocean Avenue in Sea Girt. In Ocean County, the high winds blew sand onto the boardwalk in Point Pleasant.|In Hunterdon County, in Lebanon Township, County Route 513 was closed because of downed poles on the 16th. About 4,000 Jersey Central Power and Light Customers lost power throughout northwestern New Jersey. In morris County, the downed trees blocked two lanes of the southbound side of Interstate 287 in Morristown. In Warren County, the strong winds knocked down tree limbs which knocked down power lines in Hardwick Township. A fallen tree damaged a vehicle in Phillipsburg. |Peak wind gusts included 69 mph in Seaside Heights (Ocean County), 67 mph in Fortescue (Cumberland County), 60 mph at the Cape May Harbor (Cape May County), 59 mph at the Cape May Ferry Terminal (Cape May County), 55 mph in Newport (Cumberland County), 54 mph in Harvey Cedars (Ocean County), 53 mph at the Atlantic City Marina (Atlantic County), 51 mph in Rio Grande (Cape May County) and Sea Girt, 49 mph at the Atlantic City International Airport and 48 mph in Millville (Cumberland County).|The nor'easter low pressure system initially formed in the southern Rockies on the 12th and moved to Arkansas on the morning of the 14th. At 8 p.m. EDT on the 14th, there were two low pressure systems, one in Kentucky and the other in western Alabama. The southern low pressure system became the predominate one overnight and at 8 a.m. EDT on the 15th, it (996 millibar low) was located in western North Carolina. As the 15th continued, it moved northeast and intensified rapidly. At 2 p.m. EDT the nor'easter (989 millibars) was near Raleigh, North Carolina. At 8 p.m. EDT, the nor'easter was a 979 millibar low pressure system near Virginia Beach, Virginia. Another low pressure system formed on its warm front during the afternoon over Chesapeake Bay and at 8 p.m. EDT it (982 millibars) was over extreme southwest New Jersey. The lows consolidated into one again overnight and a very intense 973 millibar low pressure system was located over Monmouth County, New Jersey at 2 a.m. EDT on the 16th. At 8 a.m. EDT on the 16th the nor'easter was down to 968 millibars and located over New York City. That was a drop in central pressure of 28 millibars in 24 hours which qualified it as a meteorological bomb (a drop in central pressure of at least 24 millibars in 24 hours) low pressure system. The nor'easter bottomed at a pressure of about 966 millibars (28.53 inches) at 11 a.m. EDT just south of Long Island, New York. To put into prospective how low the pressure was with this nor'easter, that central pressure is near the border of the pressure defined category 2 and category 3 hurricane once used on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. As the 16th continued, the nor'easter weakened and meandered across southwest New England and the New York and New Jersey coastal waters. By 2 a.m. EDT on the 17th, the nor'easter's central pressure rose to 988 millibars and a second storm formed on the triple point of its fronts south of Nova Scotia. This became the main low pressure system. The low pressure system then slowly moved southeast over the next couple of days. The heaviest precipitation fell as the low pressure system was rapidly intensifying on the 15th into the early part of the 16th. The strongest winds ceased after the low pressure system started to fill on the afternoon of the 16th.

A nor'easter caused sleet to fall across the greater Philadelphia Metropolitan Area and the Raritan Basin and heavy snow and sleet to fall across northwestern New Jersey. The nor'easter caused thousands of accidents and six known fatalities. New Jersey State Police responded to over 2,000 calls for assistance. There were over 200 accidents alone on the Garden State Parkway and the New Jersey Turnpike. Vehicles rolled over, slid off roads, slid into each other, slammed into guardrails and fishtailed. The afternoon and evening commute slowed to a crawl. A few schools closed. Most of the others had early dismissals. Many county courts closed early and after school activities were postponed. The winter storm wreaked havoc at Philadelphia International Airport as most flights were cancelled and it took a couple of days for flights to return to normal. New Jersey Transit trains had about 15 minute delays. New Jersey Transit buses had up to 30 minute delays, especially in the northern part of the state. Accumulations averaged 2 to 6 inches in the local Philadelphia Metropolitan area and across much of central New Jersey and 6 to 12 inches across northwestern New Jersey.|Precipitation started as rain across the region during the evening of the 15th. But as colder air moved in aloft, precipitation changed quickly to snow and sleet in far northwest New Jersey around Midnight EDT on the 16th and slowly changed over across the rest of northwest New Jersey prior to sunrise. Farther to the south, the surge of cold air was confined to a more shallower layer and precipitation changed to sleet in central and southwest New Jersey between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m. EDT. Precipitation continued as mainly sleet across central and southwest New Jersey through the night. In northwest New Jersey, a mixture of snow and sleet fell. Enough cold air did move into interior sections of southeast New Jersey during the evening of the 16th to change the rain over to a mixture of sleet and freezing rain. Precipitation ended early in the day on the 17th (before 3 a.m. EDT) in most areas, except it lingered until around 6 a.m. EDT in the central part of the state. |In southwest New Jersey around the greater Philadelphia Metropolitan area, the most deadly accident of this event occurred in Gloucester County. On New Jersey State Route 55 in Elk Township near mile marker 47.4, a van carrying at least eight passengers that was traveling north crossed the grassy median and smacked head-on into a box truck. Three men (including the 23-year-old driver) were killed. A passenger in the box truck was one of a dozen people who were injured after he was ejected from the truck. In another accident, a 79-year-old female passenger was killed when her vehicle struck another vehicle that crossed the median of Fries Mill Road in Franklin Township. The drivers of both vehicles were also seriously injured. They were two of about 40 accidents in the county. Even Rowan University closed early. In Burlington County, there were over 60 reported accidents with about 20 reported injuries. Vehicles were flipping over on Interstate 295. In Camden County, in Haddon Heights, a special needs van collided with a Sports Utility Vehicle on the White Horse Pike and caused nine injuries. |In Central New Jersey, in Monmouth County, a 28-year-old woman and a 27-year-old man were injured after their vehicle struck a pole on New Jersey State Route 36 in Middletown Township. In Highlands, on the same route, five people were injured in a three vehicle accident. In Middlesex County, over 100 accidents were reported. There were scores of accidents on Interstate 287 near and around Piscataway and along U.S. Route 9 and New Jersey State Route 440 in Woodbridge. In Old Bridge Township, a passenger ejected from a vehicle was seriously injured on the New Jersey Turnpike. An accident in South Brunswick on U.S. Route 130 left a man unconscious. In Mercer County also over 100 accidents were reported. A car skidded off of Interstate 95 in Lawrenceville and landed in a tree. A Sports Utility Vehicle and tractor-trailer accident snarled traffic on Interstate 295 in Lawrence Township. The New Jersey Turnpike had several accidents in rapid succession in Washington Township near Exit 7A. In Trenton, a car slammed into an ambulance. In Hopewell Township, a car skidded off a roadway, flipped onto its roof and came to rest in a branch of the Woolsey Creek. In Ocean County, a three vehicle accident on County Route 539 in Lacey Township caused the death of one person and six injuries. In Stafford Township, a 65-year-old male driver was hospitalized after starting a chain reaction four vehicle accident on U.S. Route 9. |In northwest New Jersey, in Warren County, a 66-year-old woman passenger was killed in Allamuchy Township after a Jeep she was riding in veered off the road and smashed into a tree. Her 70-year-old husband driver was severely injured. About 5 or 6 serious accidents happened around the same three mile stretch of the interstate during one hour. A pedestrian was struck and injured by a vehicle in Jefferson Township (Morris County). |Actual snow and/or sleet accumulations included 13.5 inches in Montague (Sussex County), 10.3 inches in Newton (Sussex County), 9.5 inches in Sussex (Sussex County), 8.6 inches in Marcella (Morris County), 7.5 inches in Blairstown (Warren County), 7.0 inches in Parsippany (Morris County) and Hackettstown (Warren County), 6.2 inches in Bridgewater (Somerset County), 5.6 inches in Chatham (Morris County), 5.2 inches in Flemington (Hunterdon County), 4.8 inches in New Brunswick (Middlesex County), 4.7 inches in Lawrenceville (Mercer County), 4.5 inches in Blackwood (Camden County), 4.3 inches in Whitehouse Station (Hunterdon County), 4.1 inches in Hillsborough (Somerset County), 3.7 inches in Ewing (Mercer County), 3.5 inches in Edgewater Park (Burlington County) and Pennsauken (Camden County), 3.3 inches in Delran (Burlington County), 3.1 inches in Brick Township (Ocean County), 3.0 inches in National Park (Gloucester County), and South River (Middlesex County), 2.9 inches in Cream Ridge (Monmouth County), 2.0 inches in Shamong Township (Burlington County), 1.0 inch in Hammonton (Atlantic County), 0.9 inches in Pittsgrove (Salem County) and 0.5 inches in Forked River (Ocean County). |The wintry weather was caused by a nor'easter low pressure system that developed on a cold front that moved through the area on the 15th. Prior to that, unseasonably mild air helped push high temperatures as high as the 70s. A strong high pressure system moved across nearby Canada and supplied a fresh supply of cold air into the region. Meanwhile, the low pressure system formed over South Carolina and Georgia on the morning of the 16th and moved northeast. At 2 p.m. EDT on the 16th, it was near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; at 8 p.m. EDT that evening, it was just east of Virginia Beach; at 2 a.m. EDT on the 17th, it was about 100 miles east of Atlantic City, New Jersey and was about 100 miles south of Cape Cod, Massachusetts at 8 a.m. EDT on the 17th. As central pressures go, this was not particularly a powerful system; it was only 996 millibars the morning of the 17th. What contributed to the event, was the strong high pressure system (about 1040 millibars the morning of the 16th). It supplied the fresh cold air needed to change the precipitation over to sleet and freezing rain and increased the pressure gradient (and consequently the wind) between itself and the developing nor'easter low pressure system.

As the nor'easter intensified as it headed into the New England coastal waters and the Gulf of Maine, strong northwest winds enveloped New Jersey during the late afternoon and the evening of the 14th. Peak wind gusts averaged between 40 and 55 mph and hampered power restoration efforts where significant accretions of ice occurred across central New Jersey. The highest winds occurred along the coast and the higher terrain in the northwest part of the state. |Peak wind gusts included 57 mph in Wantage (Sussex County), 56 mph in Cape May Harbor (Cape May), 49 mph in Barnegat (Ocean County), 48 mph in Sandy Hook (Monmouth County), 47 mph in Keansburg (Monmouth County) and Seaside Heights (Ocean County), 46 mph in Atlantic City (Atlantic County) and 40 mph in Trenton.

A combination of snow, ice and wind brought down trees and power lines, which cut the power to roughly 80,000 customers in Monmouth, northern Ocean, Middlesex and Burlington counties by the early afternoon of the 14th. At 1:30 PM on the 14th, state troopers had responded to more than 1,250 accidents on New Jersey roads since 5 PM on the 13th. The state police responded to more than 900 accidents between 5 AM and 1 PM on the 14th. There were three fatalities, including two in which motorists left their vehicles after minor accidents and then were struck by another vehicle. On the 14th, the speed limit on the New Jersey Turnpike was lowered to 35 mph due to the slippery conditions along with reduced visibilities. New Jersey Transit reported no serious problems or major delays on its commuter-rail lines and only minor delays on its bus routes. Public Service Electric and Gas reported nearly 4,300 outages at 11:30 AM on the 14th. At least 7,000 Atlantic City Electric customers were without power in South Jersey by the early afternoon of the 14th, most in Salem and Gloucester counties. In total, an estimated 55,000 Atlantic City Electric customers lost power as a result of the storm. Jersey Central Power and Light had more than 100,000 customers without power during the height of the storm.|An area of low pressure tracked across southeastern Canada during the 12th, which brought an arctic front across the Mid Atlantic region late on the 12th. As this occurred, a strong area of high pressure located across central Canada built down into the Northeast, allowing very cold air to spill southward ultimately leading to what is known as cold air damming. This occurs east of the mountains down through the Mid Atlantic states. Meanwhile, a Pacific storm slammed onto the California coast during the 11th and as it moved eastward, a new area of low pressure developed across southeastern Colorado and the Texas Panhandle. This storm became impressive as it moved into the Ohio Valley during the 13th. However as additional energy moved into the eastern part of the country, a new area of low pressure developed near the North Carolina coast late on the 13th. This allowed mainly light snow to overspread the region from south to north during the early morning hours of the 13th. As the secondary area of low pressure became more organized to our south, moisture began to fill in across North Carolina and Virginia and this moved northward. The arctic front that slipped through the state on the 12th was positioned across the southern Delmarva and this began a northward jog during the night of the 13th and the morning of the 14th. The intensifying area of low pressure tracked very near southern Delaware and then slid close to the New Jersey Shore during the morning of the 14th. This system continued to intensify as it moved into New England during the afternoon and evening of the 14th. The track of the storm kept winds at the surface from the northeast, which pretty much locked in the cold air at the surface for the inland areas while some warmer air worked in above the surface. The upper-level system then passed overhead during the evening of the 14th, with the entire system pretty much a memory by late in the evening of the 14th. |Snow began across New Jersey around 7 AM EST on the 13th from Camden to Atlantic Counties on southward; between 8 AM and 10 AM EST across Burlington and Ocean Counties; between 12 PM and 3 PM EST in Warren, Hunterdon, Mercer and Monmouth Counties, and around 5 PM EST in Sussex, Morris, Somerset and Middlesex Counties. There was a general lull in the precipitation during the evening hours of the 13th especially across the central and southern areas, however the precipitation became widespread overnight and during the early morning hours of the 14th. As some warmer air began to move in above the surface, the snow mixed with and changed to sleet and freezing rain inland between 6 PM and 7:15 PM EST on the 13th from Burlington and Ocean Counties on southward. Elsewhere, the changeover occurred generally between 7:45 PM and 11 PM EST on the 13th for Mercer, Middlesex and Monmouth Counties, and for the counties farther to the north the changeover was delayed until the early morning hours of the 14th. Milder air made its way to the Shore and about 20 miles inland to change the mixed precipitation over to plain rain around 2 AM EST on the 14th. There was a fairly tight gradient in temperatures and precipitation types as icing continued for an extended period of time for the inland communities. Areas closest to the Delaware River saw mostly sleet once the changeover from snow occurred, while areas farther eastward saw more freezing rain. This produced significant icing in many areas of interior New Jersey, causing the downing of some trees and power lines. Ice accumulated to a half of an inch thick in Tinton Falls (Monmouth County), which downed numerous trees. The precipitation ended across the state around 10 PM EST on the 14th.|In Middlesex County, In South Brunswick, the winter storm caused a whopping 22 accidents in the township on the 14th. No serious injuries were reported. Most of the accidents happened between 10:30 AM and Noon. A traffic light at the intersection of Route 27 and Stillwell Road was knocked down in an accident during the morning of the 14th. In Old Bridge, a portion of Route 9 was closed in both directions after a dump truck used for dispensing salt knocked down wires and a telephone pole. There were no injuries reported. In North Brunswick, schools were closed on the 14th. In Franklin Township, there were about half a dozen motor vehicle accidents during the morning rush hour on the 14th, none of which were serious. District schools were closed on the 14th. In Linden, there were nine accidents in various parts of the city, and Linden schools closed on the 14th. In Rahway, a vehicle slid into a utility pole at the intersection of Main Street and New Brunswick Avenue around 5 PM the 14th as a result of the weather conditions. The driver of the vehicle was not seriously hurt. In Spotswood, the sleet and snow caused a two-car accident on the 14th. One car slid off the road and was struck a utility pole on Manalapan Road; another car hit a tree on Devoe Avenue. No one was injured in either accidents. In Sayreville, police reported 17 accidents between 6 AM and 2 PM on the 14th. |In Monmouth County, a large tree was toppled over from the weight of the ice on Park Avenue early on the 14th, which just missed a house. Several downed trees blocked Route 33 on the 14th, which were brought down by ice. The New Jersey Department of Transportation worked to clear the downed trees from the highway. A large ice-covered tree toppled over early on the 14th onto Route 34 in Howell, blocking traffic in both directions. Areas affected the most by power outages included, Eatontown, Fair Haven, Farmingdale, Freehold, Howell, Little Silver, Neptune, Red Bank, Rumson, Shrewsbury, Tinton Falls, and Jackson (Ocean County). The Monmouth County Office of Emergency Management set up community shelters by late afternoon on the 14th as close as they could to areas hardest hit by power outages. Personnel from the American Red Cross were on hand to help. A shelter was also opened in Shrewsbury at the firehouse for those who lost power. In Howell, the first aid building on Kent Road became a shelter on the 14th in the continuing effort to offer residents a warm place to go. About a half a dozen people were bused to the shelter during the morning of the 15th by the Howell Office of Emergency Management. In the hills of Highlands, a car was destroyed when a tree fell on it early on the 14th. Eatontown police issued a ���code red��� message through an automated telephone system on the 14th to residents in the Woodmere section, bordered by Wyckoff Road, Route 35 and the Industrial Park, asking them to stay home because so many trees, branches and wires were littering the roads. Between 7 AM and 3 PM, Eatontown police had 115 weather-related calls, including motor vehicle accidents; fallen power, phone and cable lines; trees blocking roads; and alarms that were set off by the storm. On the 14th, New Jersey Transit workers had to lower and raise the gates manually at the Broad Street-Route 35 railroad crossing in Red Bank, knocking snow and ice from them.|In Ocean County, Snow, ice and rain damaged the roof at Brick Memorial High School on the 14th. The school let out early on the 14th after it began to leak in several places, damaging ceiling tiles and forcing administrators to relocate students from the wet areas. None of the school���s estimated 1,900 students or 100 staff members were hurt. In Jackson, a shelter, staffed by a Red Cross certified volunteer, was opened on the 14th at the Jackson Memorial High School. The Colonial Arms Apartment Complex, a senior citizen facility, was without power and heat on the 14th. A bus took residents to the shelter, but they later returned to the complex at their request. The Jackson police reported that power outages in the township affected so many intersections that several roadways were closed to avoid additional problems. The Jackson police headquarters had to switch to emergency generator power on the 14th as a result of the ice. The Route 70 Bridge between Brick and Brielle was closed for more than an hour while police cleared three vehicles after an accident. In Point Pleasant Beach as well as some other coastal communities, schools opened late on the 14th, allowing buses and parents to navigate through flooded local roads. In many areas, snow and ice clogged sewer drains, flooding roadways that had chunks of ice bobbing in the wake of slowly passing vehicles. |Across the rest of southern New Jersey, in Atlantic County, during the evening of the 13th, a woman was killed on the Garden State Parkway south of the Atlantic City Expressway when she was involved in a minor fender-bender, got out to inspect the damage, and was stuck and killed by another vehicle. In Burlington County, on the 15th, following the winter storm, two boys in Mount Laurel, both around 12 years old, fell through the ice while playing on a local pond. One boy managed to quickly free himself, but the other lost consciousness and had to be rescued by a local firefighter. The boy was taken to an area hospital, where he was treated during the night of the 15th. A 17-year old Medford girl was critically injured on the 14th in a crash on Branin Road. The girl was driving north on Branin Road at 3:07 PM when her vehicle went off the road and crashed into a tree near Stokes Road. The girl was knocked unconscious and rescue workers had to cut her free from the wreckage. She was flown to Cooper University Hospital in Camden with head, neck and internal injuries. Snow and ice covered roads were a factor in the crash. Up to a quarter of an inch of freezing rain accumulated across parts of the county. It was mostly snow and sleet though in communities right along the Delaware River.|In Cumberland County, sleet and freezing rain resulted in several roadways becoming a sheet of ice on the 13th into the 14th. State Police at the Port Norris barracks reported 17 vehicle accidents between 5:53 PM and 7:26 PM on the 13th, seven of them on Route 55 and several on Route 347. Vineland Police reported they were swamped with calls due to the inclement weather, however an estimate on the number of calls was unknown. Some trees and power lines were reported down throughout the county. In Gloucester County, freezing rain weighted down power lines and tree branches in Mantua on the 14th. PSE&G reported more than 18,000 residents were without power at one point. Additionally, 1,600 customers of Atlantic City Electric lost power during the afternoon of the 14th. Across the county, ice knocked down trees and power lines and 23 of the 28 county schools closed on the 14th. In Woodbury, an ice covered branch ripped through a porch roof of a home at 7 AM on the 14th. In Salem County, due to the weather conditions, Salem County schools canceled classes and many residents endured power outages because ice bringing down power lines. In the southern and eastern sections of the county, the snow and sleet changed to rain, while the northern and western sections saw icing because just enough difference in temperatures occurred. The ice caused about 10,000 Atlantic City Electric customers in the county to experience power outages beginning during the early morning hours of the 14th. About 5,500 customers were still without power at 2 PM on the 14th, with Pennsville, Penns Grove, and Carneys Point Townships being the hardest hit areas in the county. |Across northwest New Jersey in Morris County, in Parsippany, six vehicles got stuck heading up the hill on westbound Route 10 near Manor Lane on the 14th. Strong winds immediately following the storm caused some snow to drift onto some roads and also produced a refreeze; keeping road crews busy through the 14th and even through the evening of the 15th. In Sussex County, icy conditions across the county forced schools and businesses to close on the 14th into the 15th. In Warren County, the County Courthouse was closed on the 14th. One vehicle overturned on Interstate 78 in Readington Township about 1:15 PM on the 14th and another crashed into a pole in Mansfield Township a few minutes earlier. The county Emergency Management Agency reported 29 vehicle crashes occurred across the county through 1 PM on the 14th. Two of those resulted in injuries. In Hackettstown, a pedestrian was injured after falling on the slippery snow on the 14th.|Some snow/sleet accumulations included 7.8 inches at the High Point State Park (Sussex County), 7.5 inches in Wantage (Sussex County), 5.9 inches in Sussex (Sussex County), 4.3 inches in National Park (Gloucester County), 4.2 inches in Riegelsville (Hunterdon County), 4.0 inches in Hackettstown (Warren County), 4.0 inches in Butler (Morris County), 3.8 inches at the Belvidere Bridge (Warren County), 3.8 inches in Liberty Corner (Somerset County), 3.2 inches in Cream Ridge (Monmouth County), 3.0 inches in Florence (Burlington County), 2.7 inches in Somerdale (Camden County), 2.6 inches in Mount Laurel (Burlington County), 2.5 inches in Edison (Middlesex County), 2.5 inches in Morris Plain (Morris County), 2.1 inches in Ewing (Mercer County), 2.1 inches in Pittsgrove (Salem County), 2.0 inches in Flemington (Hunterdon County), 1.4 inches in South Egg Harbor (Atlantic County), 1.3 inches in West Cape May (Cape May County), 1.2 inches in Hillsborough (Somerset County), 1.2 inches in Hammonton (Atlantic County), 1.2 inches at the National Weather Service Office in Mount Holly (Burlington County), 1.0 inch in Margate (Atlantic City), and 0.8 of an inch at the Atlantic City International Airport (Atlantic County).

Strong northwest to west winds occurred during the daytime hours on January 20th across New Jersey. It was caused by an intense pressure gradient (large difference in surface pressure over a relatively small area) between a powerful low pressure system (960 millibars at 7 a.m. EST on the 20th) moving through the Saint Lawrence Valley and a high pressure system building east from the Midwest. Peak wind gusts averaged 45 to 50 mph at the coast and around 45 mph inland. Peak wind gusts included 50 mph in Sandy Hook (Monmouth County), 49 mph at Barnegat Light (Ocean County), 48 mph in Keansburg (Monmouth County), 47 mph at the nearby Philadelphia International Airport in Pennsylvania, 45 mph at the Atlantic City Marina (Atlantic County) and Cape May (Cape May County), 44 mph in Millville (Cumberland County) and 43 mph at the Newark International Airport in Essex County.

A southerly flow preceding a powerful cold front produced high winds during the afternoon in far northwest New Jersey and strong winds elsewhere in the state. The westerly flow behind the front during the evening produced strong winds throughout the state. Peak wind gusts averaged 45 to 50 mph with higher gusts estimated in far northwest New Jersey. The wind damage was exacerbated by a line of strong to severe thunderstorms that moved through during the early evening. Winds were from the south preceding the front during the afternoon and from the west behind the front during the evening. Weak trees, tree limbs and power lines were knocked down and caused scattered outages. The combination of the high winds and thunderstorms caused about 3,000 homes and businesses in the Jersey Central Power and Light service area to lose power in northwest New Jersey. All power was restored on the 2nd. |Actual wind gusts included 53 mph in Sandy Hook and Keansburg (both Monmouth County) and in Barnegat (Ocean County). 49 mph in Atlantic City (Atlantic County), 46 mph in Somerville (Somerset County), 47 mph in Belmar (Monmouth County), 44 mph in Wildwood (Cape May County)and 43 mph at both the Atlantic City International Airport (Atlantic County) and Wrightstown (Burlington County).

Strong to locally high south winds preceded a cold frontal passage across New Jersey during the afternoon and evening of the 16th. Peak wind gusts averaged around 50 mph, with some higher gusts in southern New Jersey. The strong winds tore down some weak trees, tree limbs and wires throughout the state and caused some isolated outages. High winds though caused isolated damage in Cumberland and Gloucester Counties.|In Cumberland County in Bridgeton, the high winds tore large sections of steel from the south and southeast walls of the former Minot Food Warehouse on Bank Street. The road was closed while the debris was cleaned. In Gloucester County, high winds knocked over a light standard at the intersection of Pitman Avenue and Broadway in Pitman. Gloucester County College cancelled night classes. In Northwestern New Jersey, over 2,500 homes and businesses lost power. Outages were concentrated in Newton in Sussex County, Flemington in Hunterdon County and Chatham and Lincoln Park in Morris County. In Morris County, a downed tree blocked a county road in Kinnelon. In Warren County, downed trees were reported in Allamuchy, Hope, Independence and Knowlton. In Central New Jersey, Public Service Electric and Gas reported about 2,600 of its customers lost power, with one of the greatest concentration of outages in Carteret (Middlesex County). About 2,000 Jersey Central Power and Light Customers lost power in Monmouth County. Peak wind gusts included 48 mph in Wrightstown (Burlington County), 47 mph in Keansburg (Monmouth County) and 45 mph at the Philadelphia International Airport.

A very intense and rapidly deepening low pressure system that went from the Ohio Valley on the 28th into the Saint Lawrence River Valley on the 29th caused strong west winds to occur across New Jersey from the early morning into the afternoon on the 29th. The strongest wind gusts averaged around 50 mph and occurred around Noon EST. The strong winds downed some weak trees, tree limbs and wires. The weekend of strong winds caused more than 60,000 homes and businesses to lose power throughout the state.|The only reported injuries occurred in Washington Township (Warren County) when a 48-year-old male and his 43-year-old wife suffered head lacerations when a 150 foot oak tree crashed through the spare bedroom and family room of their home. Both their vehicles were also crushed. The worst reported wind damage was when the wind stripped a 20 foot by 50 foot section of the facade of the Santa Barbara Condominiums in Ocean City (Cape May County). The strong winds caused a tractor-trailer, motorcycle and cars with anything in tow ban on the New Jersey Turnpike.|In Morris County, outages were concentrated in Boonton, Chatham and Mendham. A downed tree nearly blocked Berkshire Valley Road in Jefferson Township. Train delays occurred along the New Jersey Transit Morristown Line after trees fell on overhead wires. In Middlesex County, a downed tree damaged a vehicle in Piscataway.| |Peak wind gusts included 55 mph at the Cape May Ferry Terminal (Cape May County), 52 mph at the Atlantic City Marina (Atlantic County) and High Point (Sussex County), 50 mph at Barnegat Light (Ocean County), 49 mph at Sandy Hook (Monmouth County), 44 mph in Wrightstown (Burlington County), 43 mph in Millville (Cumberland County) and 40 mph at Mercer County Airport. |The low pressure system deepened from a 988 millibar low at 8 a.m. EDT on the 28th to a 964 millibar low at 7 a.m. EST on the 29th, fulfilling the definition of a meteorological bomb with respect to rapidly intensifying low pressure systems (24 millibar or greater drop in 24 hours). Normally this rapid intensification occurs over the Atlantic Ocean and not on land. The low pressure system reached its lowest pressure of 963 millibars in eastern Quebec Province at 1 p.m. EST on the 29th before it started to weaken.

Cold air streaming in behind a powerful cold front produced very strong gusty west to northwest winds during the afternoon of the 20th in New Jersey. Peak wind gusts averaged 40 to 50 mph, with a few higher gusts near the coast. The strong winds did knock down some trees, tree limbs and wires across New Jersey. About 25,000 homes and businesses lost power in the state, with the greatest concentration (about 18,000 Jersey Central Power and Light customers) in northwestern New Jersey. hardest hit counties included Morris, Hunterdon and Warren. Within those counties, the hardest hit municipalities were Dover (Morris County), Washington (Warren County) and Frenchtown (Hunterdon County). The hardest hit municipality within Public Service Electric and Gas's service area was Montgomery Township in Somerset County.|In Morris County, U.S. Route 46 through Wharton Borough was closed for half an hour because of a downed tree. In the Whippany section of Hanover Township, a downed tree caused cosmetic damage to one home. In Middlesex County, in New Brunswick another downed tree caused damage to a house. | |Peak wind gusts included 55 mph in Keansburg (Monmouth County), 53 mph in Barnegat(Ocean County), 52 mph in Wrightstown (Burlington County), 51 mph in Belmar (Monmouth County), 47 mph in Cape May Harbor (Cape May County), 45 mph in Hammonton and Atlantic City (Atlantic County) and 44 mph in Trenton (Mercer County) and at the Atlantic City International Airport.

A strong area of high pressure anchored over the East Coast and the western Atlantic, resulted in a stretch of excessive heat for the entire region to start off August 2006. The very hot air mass was accompanied by humid conditions as the dew points surged into the upper 60s and lower 70s for a time. It could have been worse, but the dew points lowered a little bit for most areas during the afternoon hours as the sunshine dried the air mass out for a time. Temperatures during August 1st through the 3rd soared well into the 90s with some areas topping the century mark. Trenton topped out at 97 degrees on August 3rd, and Atlantic City topped out at 98 degrees on both August 2nd and 3rd, which either tied or broke the record high temperature for both days. The very hot weather even made it to the Shore as the Cape May Coast Guard Station topped out at 94 degrees on August 3rd. The combination of temperatures well into the 90s and moderate to high humidity pushed heat indices into the 105 to 110 degree range across the state.The excessive heat and humidity had an impact on the power companies as fans and air conditioners were humming. New Jersey's largest utility company, Public Service Electric and Gas (PSE&G), asked customers to conserve energy as a precautionary step on August 1st. The utility reported an all-time peak electricity demand record with 11,001 megawatts of power. The previous record high was 10,780 megawatts set on July 27, 2005. Out of PSE&G's 2.1 million customers, about 2,200 around the state lost power on the morning of August 2nd due to stress on the system. On August 2nd, PSE&G recorded a new record demand of 11,146 megawatts, surpassing the record set just one day previously, and more than 4,000 customers statewide lost power. About 1,900 JCP&L customers in the Glendola section of Wall (Monmouth County), New Jersey lost power for nearly seven hours on August 1st after a cable failed. At 4 PM EDT on August 1st, about 1.1 million JCP&L customers broke the company's record for electrical usage by hitting 6,548 megawatts. The previous record of 6,444 megawatts was set at 5 PM EDT on July 18, 2006. This record was bested on August 2nd when 6,680 megawatts of power was used, setting an all-time peak for JCP&L. A total of 500 customers in Lakewood (Ocean County), New Jersey lost power from 4 PM EDT to 8:30 PM EDT on August 1st after an underground cable failed, which caused stores to shut down early. The problem seemed to be contained to the shopping district. Police in Oceanport (Monmouth County), New Jersey reported sporadic blackouts throughout the borough on August 1st, starting around 7:30 PM EDT. On August 1st in Lake Como, New Jersey, 40 to 50 homes on Fernwood Road had power knocked out due to fuses on roadside electrical poles tripping after 3 PM EDT. An electric pole actually caught fire at 18th Avenue and Newman Street, though nothing serious resulted from the fire. On August 1st in Medford (Burlington County), New Jersey, the near 100-degree temperatures caused an old propane tank to rupture behind a North Main Street home. The tank was removed and replaced, with no injuries reported.Atlantic City Electric reached a new peak usage at 4 PM EDT on August 1st with 2,925 megawatts, breaking the July 27, 2005 record of 2,838 megawatts. The record usage was tied by customers at 4 PM EDT on August 2nd. Sporadic power outages occurred on August 2nd in Belmar (Monmouth County), New Jersey, resulting in about 20 homes losing power for about two hours. Residents of Spring Lake Heights (Monmouth County) on the west side of town and on the 600 block of Mercer Avenue lost power on August 1st and August 2nd. The outages affected small pockets of residents for several hours during the evening and overnight hours of August 1st, and several people were treated on the boardwalk for heat exhaustion. August 2nd, power outages at 2:30 PM EDT on North Main Street, and on August 1st the traffic lights on North Main Street and Atlantic Avenue went out at 3:20 PM EDT, and that evening several other traffic lights went out. Electricity demand in Vineland (Cumberland County), New Jersey set a record on August 2nd, reaching 162 megawatts, topping the peak on August 1st of 161.5 megawatts. On August 2nd, 5,400 Gloucester County, New Jersey residents lost power when a sub-station failure shut off power to people in the Woodbury area around 3 PM EDT. The failure knocked out traffic lights and closed stores. About 5,000 Middletown and Keansburg (both Monmouth County) residents were without power for several hours on August 2nd because of a blown fuse at a Keansburg substation. Customers in the West Keansburg section of Hazlet also lost power. Traffic lights along Route 36 from Keansburg to Middletown's Leonardo section went out for about an hour around 3:30 PM EDT. Rockland Electric, which serves parts of Sussex County, had 12 customers without power on August 3rd. The utility broke two records, August 1st with 1,586 megawatts and August 2nd with 1,617 megawatts. Water Utility New Jersey American Water asked customers to immediately begin conserving water on August 2nd in seven Atlantic County towns as the excessive heat and dry weather led to a record high water usage. The conservation request affected 115,096 residents in Pleasantville, Northfield, Linwood, Somers Point, Absecon, Galloway Township and Egg Harbor Township.Two people were treated on August 2nd for heat-related aliments at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital at Hamilton, New Jersey, and one person was treated at Capital Health Systems at Mercer Hospital in Trenton, New Jersey. A total of 35 people suffered from heat-related injuries in Belmar on August 2nd, however none were reported to be serious. At Lourdes Health Systems' hospitals in Camden and Willingboro, there were two cases of heat-related illness in Camden on August 1st and two in Willingboro on August 2nd; all involving older people. Animals also suffered during the excessive heat. Three dogs in a Cape May County Animal shelter suffered heat-related seizures on August 2nd. In early August, a massive fish kill occurred in New Market Lake in Piscataway, New Jersey. The cause, resulting from tests, ruled that the fish were deprived of lake oxygen, a situation brought about by the excessive heat.

A severe thunderstorm rumbled across Mercer County, NJ during the late afternoon hours of July 22nd. Strong winds produced by the thunderstorm knocked down trees and power lines in Hamilton Square at 5:00 PM EDT.

A home, off Meetinghouse Court near Griggs Farm development, was struck by lightning around 8 PM EDT on June 1st producing smoky conditions. Also around 8 PM EDT, there was smoke reported at the Quaker Bridge Mall, which was at an escalator due to a power outage. No injuries were reported in either events.

A couple of severe thunderstorms rolled across Mercer County, New Jersey between 7:40 PM EDT and 8:30 PM EDT on June 1st. Strong winds associated with the thunderstorms downed power lines all across the county. In addition to the downed power lines, trees were knocked down on Barry Road in Hopewell Township.

A quick moving low pressure system that moved through the Ohio Valley overnight on the first and reformed along the Middle Atlantic coast on the second caused a wintry mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain across New Jersey mainly to the west of the New Jersey Turnpike. Across the immediate Philadelphia area precipitation started as sleet and freezing rain around 7 a.m. EST on the 2nd and changed over to plain rain by 10 a.m. EST that morning. From Mercer County north through the Raritan Basin, precipitation began as a mixture of snow, sleet and freezing rain between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. EST on the 2nd. Precipitation changed to plain rain during the early afternoon. Across northwestern New Jersey precipitation started as snow around 8 a.m. EST on the 2nd. Precipitation changed to sleet and freezing rain around Noon EST and then changed back to snow during the second half of the afternoon. The snow ended by 9 a.m. EST that evening. Snow accumulations averaged 2 to 4 inches in northwestern New Jersey and less than one inch in Mercer County and the Raritan Basin. Ice accretions across Warren and Morris Counties averaged one quarter of an inch and around one tenth of an inch in Sussex County and Mercer Counties and the Raritan Basin. Ice accretions in the local Philadelphia suburbs were just a trace. The indirect insolation from the sun kept roadways wet and most of the ice accretions were on exposed surfaces as well as bridges and overpasses. Minimal power outages occurred. Several northern New Jersey schools never opened. Others dismissed early. The County College of Morris closed its Randolph campus early. Some serious and fatal traffic accidents occurred in northwestern New Jersey. Around Noon EST an eight-year-old girl was killed when her stepfather lost control of his vehicle on westbound Interstate 280 in Parsippany Township (Morris County) and slid across the median into an eastbound heading tractor-trailer. The stepfather was critically injured and her step-brother suffered a minor injury. Elsewhere in Morris County, a chain reaction crash on New Jersey State Route 24 in Madison sent one woman to the hospital and closed the westbound lanes of the roadway for hours. The woman driver skidded into oncoming traffic in the westbound lanes of the roadway. In Hopatcong (Sussex County), a driver skidded into a snow plow. A Sports Utility Vehicle rolled over after trying to avoid a fender bender. In Warren County, a 32-year-old woman was seriously injured in Hope Township after she lost control of her vehicle on County Route 519 and skidded sideways into a tree. In Hunterdon County, in Clinton Township, a head-on collision on County Route 623 injured four people. Actual snowfall accumulations included 4.1 inches in Wantage and Highland Lakes (Sussex County), 3.2 inches in Sussex (Sussex County), 2.8 inches in Newton (Sussex County), 2.6 inches in Blairstown (Warren County), 2.2 inches in Marcella (Morris County), 2.0 inches in Butler (Morris County) and 1.0 inch in Belvidere (Warren County). Quarter inch ice accretions were reported in Chatham (Morris County) and Liberty Township (Warren County).The wintry weather was caused by a low pressure system that moved east from central Missouri on the evening of the 1st, to Illinois around Midnight EST on the 2nd, into Ohio at sunrise on the 2nd. As the primary low pressure system moved into Pennsylvania early in the afternoon on the 2nd, a secondary low pressure system formed over Chesapeake Bay. By 4 p.m. EST that afternoon, the secondary low was as strong as the primary and was already about 150 miles east of Atlantic City, New Jersey. The low pressure system continued to move rapidly offshore overnight. The rapid movement of the low pressure system prevented heavier precipitation from occurring.

Damaging west winds followed along and a couple of hours after a strong cold frontal passage across Morris County. Farther south the same cold front produced a line of showers and thunderstorms that produced damaging winds in the central part of the state. Elsewhere across New Jersey strong wind gusts also accompanied the cold front and persisted through the afternoon throughout the state. Peak wind gusts averaged between 45 mph and 55 mph. Morris County was hit the hardest as 11,000 homes and businesses lost power in the county. In Morristown, there were 15 weather related calls and at least six large trees were knocked down. Two vehicles in a garage were damaged by one of the downed trees. Within the town, three sections of a 20 foot by 20 foot asphalt roof came loose from the top of an office building and fell onto and damaged several cars. Another garage was also damaged by downed trees. Firefighters had to rescue a couple of people that were trapped in elevators when power was lost. In Boonton Township, portions of a building roof on Main Street was blown away and blanked the street with debris. In Parsippany, fallen trees fell through the roof of one home and blocked the entrance to the Central Middle School. In Randolph Township, power outages cancelled after school activities. Most of the power was restored that evening with the greatest concentration of longest outages in the town of Dover. In the Philadelphia adjacent New Jersey suburbs, about 3,000 homes and businesses lost power. All power was restored by 6 p.m. EST. That was part of the 18,800 Public Service Electirc and Gas customers that lost power throughout the state. All power was restored in the state by the morning of the 18th. Peak wind gusts outside of the thunderstorms included 53 mph in Lakehurst (Ocean County), 49 mph in Belmar (Monmouth County) and at the Atlantic City International Airport, 48 mph in Millville (Cumberland County), 41 mph in Lumberton (Burlington County) and 40 mph in Trenton (Mercer County) and Somerville (Somerset County). The strong to high winds were caused by the pressure difference between an intensifying low pressure system that went northeast through the Saint Lawrence River Valley and a strong high pressure system that was building east from the Northern Plains.

A major winter storm affected the northeastern United States, including the northern mid Atlantic region, during Saturday February 11th and Sunday February 12th. An area of low pressure developed along the Gulf Coast states on Friday February 10th, and began moving to the northeast toward the North Carolina coast during February 11th. Rain developed across extreme southeastern New Jersey around 11 AM EST on Saturday February 11th. Snow overspread the rest of the region around 11 AM EST on Saturday from south to north. The precipitation initially was relatively light with temperatures either at or above freezing. The snow really increased in intensity from northeast Maryland, across eastern Pennsylvania and most of New Jersey around Midnight EST. In New Jersey, the heaviest snow started around 8 AM EST (on the 12th) from west to east. Even areas that saw rain to start, changed to snow during the mid to late morning hours on Sunday the 12th. The snow gradually ended from southwest to northeast around Noon EST on the 12th, however the snow lasted until around 6 PM EST on the 12th for northeastern New Jersey. The snow fell steadily and became heavy at times in many areas late Saturday night and Sunday morning. The last strong band of snow passed through during the mid morning hours on Sunday the 12th. During this strengthening storm, a good portion of the region experienced intense snowfall rates of 2 to 4 inches per hour. These intense snowfall rates mainly occurred during Sunday morning the 12th as the storm really intensified off the Delaware and southeast New Jersey Coasts. During the height of the storm on Sunday morning the 12th, thunder and lightning occurred as the snow fell. The presence of this thundersnow just goes to show how energetic this storm became. Also, winds gusted to around 40 mph across the inland areas, with even higher gusts along the coast. The gusty winds, coupled with the falling and accumulated snow, produced near whiteout conditions along with drifting snow across a good portion of the area. The storm moved away from the region on Sunday afternoon the 12th, allowing the accumulating snow to come to an end. The winter storm of February 11-12, 2006 greatly affect New Jersey with intense snowfall rates, gusty winds and near whiteout conditions. The New Jersey Transit suspended all bus service statewide on the 12th. The New Jersey Turnpike had a reduced speed limit of 45 mph posted during the night of the 11th, which was then reduced further to 35 mph during the morning of the 12th with a ban on trailers and motorcycles. Also, the Atlantic City Expressway had a reduced speed limit of 35 mph during the height of the storm. From about Noon on the 11th to midnight on the 12th, the Garden State Parkway had 66 vehicle accidents and the New Jersey Turnpike had 100, however none were serious.In Trenton (Mercer County), slippery roads contributed to a car crash which toppled a traffic light the evening of the 11th, with no serious injuries reported. A 15-year old boy was reportedly struck by a car, which skidded on an icy patch in front of the Sovereign Bank Arena, and he was hospitalized for arm and leg injuries. A school bus slid into a ditch in Southampton (Burlington County) on the 13th and turned onto its side. No injuries were reported, however three children were taken to a nearby hospital as a precaution.About a dozen accidents were reported across Gloucester County from late on the 11th through about midday on the 12th. A car rolled over during the morning of the 12th, due to icy roads, after sliding off May's Landing Road, with no injuries were reported. On Route 130 in Haddon Township (Camden County), a 3-car accident occurred the morning of the 13th due to a snow covered traffic light. One of the drivers was injured with a possible hip injury. A Willingboro (Burlington County) police officer suffered a broken ankle and leg when his patrol vehicle slid off the road in slippery conditions during the morning of the 12th on Route 130. The officer's vehicle was totaled as a result of the accident. A 2-car accident on Deal Road (Ocean Township, Monmouth County) occurred at 320 PM EST Sunday (the 12th) due to icy spots. One vehicle slid into oncoming traffic, causing the accident, with 2 minor injuries. A 2-vehicle accident occurred during the morning of the 13th in Wall Township (Monmouth County) on Route 70 due to lingering icy spots, resulted in both drivers going to the hospital, however the extent of any injuries is unknown. Slippery roads caused several minor accidents in Millville (Cumberland County) late on the 11th and into the 12th. Across Middlesex County, a couple of ambulances, escorted by fire trucks in Woodbridge, became stuck in snow drifts during the morning of the 12th. Also, a handful of vehicle accidents were reported in Perth Amboy (Middlesex County) during the morning of the 12th. A tractor trailer became stuck in a snow drift in East Brunswick (Middlesex County) early on the 12th. A tree was downed, due to a combination of heavy snow and wind, which blocked the travel lanes of Route 9 in the Smithville section of Galloway Township (Atlantic County) on the 12th. Additional trees as well as power lines were downed across Atlantic County. About 120,000 Atlantic City Electric customers lost service during the height of the storm. A total of 5,000 customers lost power in Gloucester County during the height of the storm. The total of affected customers impacted by outages, across a larger area of the region, reached 15,000 during the height of the storm throughout Monmouth, Ocean, Middlesex, Mercer and Burlington Counties.The winter storm also impacted events that were scheduled around the region, including school on the 13th even though the falling snow had ceased on the 12th. The town meeting in Stafford Township (Ocean County) was cancelled on the 12th. Entertainment shows in Ocean County were cancelled due to the weekend storm. Sports activities were cancelled or postponed in Burlington County during the 11th and 12th, with even a code blue weather emergency was issued in Burlington County during the storm. The Burlington Center Mall in Burlington County closed on the 12th due to the winter storm. The Trenton-Mercer County Airport (Mercer County) closed at 2 AM EST Sunday (the 12th) due to the heavy snow and gusty winds. Due to the amount of snow that fell, the city of Trenton (Mercer County) cancelled trash pickup on the 13th as many of the trucks were still being used for additional snow removal and clean-up. The city of Camden (Camden County) issued a snow emergency on the 12th due to the amount of snow that fell. The Vineland Public Schools (Cumberland County) cancelled classes on the 13th to allow for additional storm clean-up. Some Hunterdon County schools were closed, many Warren County schools had a 2-hour delay, most of Monmouth County schools, and schools and Ocean County had delays on the 13th to allow for additional storm clean-up. Almost every school in Middlesex County was also closed on the 13th.Some specific snowfall amounts include, 19.0 inches in Metuchen (Middlesex County), 18.5 inches in Lawrenceville (Mercer County), 18.0 inches in Lambertville (Hunterdon County), 17.5 inches in South Plainfield (Middlesex County), 17.5 inches in Morris Plain (Morris County), 17.0 inches in Franklin (Somerset County), 16.0 inches in Morganville (Monmouth County), 16.0 inches in Marcella (Morris County), 14.5 inches in Belle Mead (Somerset County), 14.5 inches in Stewartsville (Warren County), 14.0 inches in Lumberton (Burlington County), 14.0 inches in Hamilton Square (Mercer County), 13.5 inches in Glassboro (Gloucester County), 13.1 inches in Wertsville (Hunterdon County), 13.0 inches in Cherry Hill (Camden County), 12.8 inches in Mount Laurel (Burlington County), 12.5 inches in Hackettstown (Warren County), 12.1 inches in Somerdale (Camden County), 12.0 inches in Port Monmouth (Monmouth County), 12.0 inches in New Egypt (Ocean County), 11.0 inches in Mullica Hill (Gloucester County), 10.0 inches in Highland Lakes (Sussex County), 9.2 inches in Pittsgrove (Salem County), 8.6 inches in Estell Manor (Atlantic County), 8.0 inches in Wantage (Sussex County), 8.0 inches in Northwest Vineland (Cumberland County), 6.5 inches in Sea Bright (Monmouth County), 6.1 inches in Bayville (Ocean County), 5.0 inches in Eldora (Cape May County), 4.2 inches at the Atlantic City International Airport (Atlantic County), 3.5 inches in Green Creek (Cape May County), and 2.0 inches at the Cape May Harbor (Cape May County).

Strong to high southeast winds during the early morning and strong west winds during the late morning and afternoon buffeted New Jersey. Peak wind gusts nearly reached 70 mph during the early morning and averaged around 45 mph during the westerly flow in the late morning and afternoon. The morning high winds downed numerous trees and power lines and caused traveling delays during the morning rush due to closed roads. Garbage and recycling pails were strewn. Several roofs were torn away. More roofs and homes were damaged by downed trees. Vehicles were also damaged by downed trees. Throughout the state about 150,000 homes and businesses lost power. It took until the afternoon of the 19th to have power fully restored. Hardest hit were Camden, Gloucester and Middlesex Counties. No serious injuries were reported. Similar to the strong to high winds on the 14th and 15th the wet ground and in this case a different wind direction (southeast) during the early morning made it easier for trees to be uprooted. In Cumberland County, several roads were closed in Bridgeton, Greenwich, Millville and Vineland. Trees up to 4.5 feet in diameter were snapped in Millville. In Atlantic County, downed trees and wires forced traffic to be routed onto the White Horse Pike (U.S. Route 30) and the Atlantic City Expressway. A piece of a large sign at the Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino fell down and caused a road closure. No injuries at street level occurred. Gloucester County Emergency Services was rocked with 415 weather related calls. One downed tree fell into a home in Franklin Township. Trees fell onto roofs in Monroe Township and Pitman Borough. a downed tree destroyed a porch in the city of Woodbury. The high winds also destroyed an advertising sign in the city. Power outages forced school cancellations in East Greenwich Township, Franklin Township, Logan Township, Newfield Borough and South Harrison Township. In Camden County, downed trees crashed through the roofs of homes in Audubon and Berlin Boroughs. About 5 other homes in Berlin had large pine trees on their roofs. Two roofs in Gloucester City were damaged by downed trees. A large billboard just off of Admiral Wilson Boulevard in Camden was knocked down. Shingles were ripped from homes in Pennsauken Township. A downed tree severely backed up traffic on Camden County Route 561 in Cherry Hill Township. Large power outages affected Cherry Hill and Pennsauken Townships. The power outages caused a delay opening for Camden County College. In Burlington County, a county salt silo in Delran Township lost its roof and one wall collapsed. In Moorestown Township, a roof of one home was damaged by a downed tree. Downed trees blocked Camden Avenue. In Willingboro Township, sheds were tossed over fences. A downed pole on new Jersey State Route 73 and Ramblewood Parkway in Mount Laurel Township caused large traffic disruptions. In Mercer County, the tin roof of a home was peeled away by the high winds. In Morris County, downed wires caused the complete closure of Eastbound New Jersey State Route 10 in Parsippany Township and diverted traffic onto New Jersey State Route 53. One third of Boonton Township lost power. All Mendham Township schools were closed.In Middlesex County, a large portion (50 feet by 60 feet) of the Highland Park Borough Department of Public Works building was peeled away. Shingles and insulation was also blown away. The roof landed onto and damaged two unoccupied vehicles. In Sayreville Borough, one tree damaged the roof of a home. Vehicles were damaged by downed trees in New Brunswick. Road closures occurred in Highland Park Borough, Spottswood Borough, Monroe Township, Sayreville Borough and Woodbridge Township. In Woodbridge Township, the ramp from U.S. Route 1 to New Jersey State Route 35 was closed. Large outages occurred in Edison and Old Bridge Townships. In Monmouth County, in Raritan Bay a passenger ferry en route to Manhattan from Belford (Middletown Township) was struck by waves that crashed over its bough. All passengers put on life jackets. The ferry arrived safely, but subsequent service was postponed for several hours. In Middletown Township, a school bus struck a downed tree, but no injuries occurred. Vehicles were damaged by downed trees in Colts Neck Township and Englishtown Borough. Freehold Township emergency services responded to 75 weather related calls. Peak wind gusts included 68 mph in Keansburg (Monmouth County), 63 mph in Morristown (Morris County), 60 mph in Turnersville (Gloucester County), Lindenwold (Camden County) and Lakehurst (Ocean County), 59 mph in Hammonton (Atlantic County), 58 mph in Elmer (Salem County), 57 mph in Cape May (Cape May County), 49 mph in Harvey Cedars (Ocean County), 48 mph at the Atlantic City International Airport, 44 mph in Trenton (Mercer County), 41 mph in Mount Holly (Burlington County) and 36 mph in Sussex (Sussex County) and Somerville (Somerset County). The strong and high winds were caused by an increasing southeasterly low level jet preceding a cold front during the early morning of the 18th. This feature peaked at about 100 mph about 2,000 feet above the ground. The cold front moved through New Jersey between 9 a.m. EST and 11 a.m. EST on the 18th and strong west winds occurred behind the front from late in the morning through most of the afternoon before they diminished at night.

A slow moving and intense low pressure system combined with a high pressure ridge across the Mississippi Valley to produce a prolonged period of strong to high winds across New Jersey from the evening on the 14th through the late afternoon on the 15th. The strongest wind gusts occurred between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m. EST on the 15th. The persistent strong winds combined with ground that was wet and not frozen caused more tree damage than normally would be the case. Downed trees and tree limbs consequently helped snap poles and caused scattered power outages. Jersey Central Power and Light reported about 21,000 of its customers lost power in northern New Jersey, Conectiv Energy reported about 18,000 of its customers lost power in southern New Jersey and Public Service Electric and Gas reported about 1,300 of its customers lost power. All power was restored by the 16th. In Morris County, Boonton Township reported about a dozen weather related calls. Several schools in Rockaway Borough cancelled classes on the 16th because power was not restored in time. Specific wind gusts included 68 mph in Cape May (Cape May County), 65 mph in Atlantic City (Atlantic County), 63 mph at Cape May Harbor (Cape May County), 61 mph in Keansburg (Monmouth County), 58 mph in Wantage (Sussex County), 56 mph in Lawrenceville (Mercer County), 54 mph in Tabernacle (Burlington County) and Barnegat Light (Ocean County), 48 mph at the Atlantic City International Airport and Hillsborough (Somerset County), 41 mph in Millville (Cumberland County) and Trenton (Mercer County). The intense low pressure system that was responsible for the winds moved from the Delaware Valley during the early afternoon on the 14th, to the New Jersey coast at 7 p.m. EST on the 14th, onto Long Island at 10 p.m. EST on the 14th, in the New England coastal waters east of Massachusetts at 7 a.m. EST on the 15th and into Nova Scotia by early in the afternoon on the 15th. As the low pressure system exited Nova Scotia and the high pressure system built east into the Ohio Valley, winds started diminishing during the late afternoon on the 15th.

A very quick moving winter storm affected most of New Jersey during the first half of the day on December 9th. From Somerset and Hunterdon Counties northward, snow began falling between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. EST and fell at its heaviest between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m. EST. The snow ended by 11 a.m. EST. Across Mercer, Middlesex and western Monmouth County, snow began falling around 4 a.m. EST. The snow mixed with and changed to sleet and freezing rain from 8 a.m. EST until it ended around 11 a.m. EST. In southwestern New Jersey (the Philadelphia suburbs), precipitation started as snow around 3 a.m. EST and changed to sleet and freezing rain around 6 a.m. EST. For the rest of the winter storm until precipitation ended around 10 a.m. EST, precipitation went back and forth between snow during heavier precipitation bursts and freezing rain and sleet during lighter precipitation periods. In southeastern New Jersey away from the shore precipitation began as freezing rain around 5 a.m. EST. The precipitation mixed with sleet and just plain rain at times until it ended around 9 a.m. EST. Precipitation along the coast fell mainly as rain. Snow accumulations averaged 1 to 3 inches in the southern half of the state where there was more sleet and freezing rain and 3 to 11 inches in the northern half of the state with the highest accumulations in the extreme northern part of the state. Ice accretions in the southern part of the state averaged around one-quarter of an inch and reached nearly four-tenths of an inch in Cumberland and Burlington Counties. Many schools never opened or had delayed openings. Non-essential state workers did not have to report to work until 10 a.m. EST. New Jersey Transit delays into New York City averaged 40 minutes. For the municipalities, the heaviest snow could not have fallen at a more inopportune time just before and during the morning commute. The combination of the ice on trees and power lines and stronger winds during the day caused about 21,000 homes and businesses to lose power in southern New Jersey. In Egg Harbor Township (Atlantic County), two people were killed in their sleep when a Sports Utility Vehicle careened from a slick road and crashed through their bedroom. In Monmouth County, the icy roads led to a twelve vehicle pile-up in Eatontown on the exit ramp from New Jersey State Route 18 onto New Jersey State Route 36. In Morris County, about 50 accidents were reported on Interstates 80 and 287 and on New Jersey State Route 24. In Warren County, a jack-knifed tractor trailer blocked traffic on Interstate 80. A minivan crashed into the tractor trailer.Specific snow accumulations included 11.0 inches in High Point and Highland Lakes (Sussex County),10.3 inches in Andover (Sussex County), 10.0 inches in Newton (Sussex County), Blairstown (Warren County), and Frenchtown (Hunterdon County), 9.5 inches in Budd Lake (Morris County), 9.4 inches in Marcella (Morris County), 9.3 inches in Sparta (Sussex County), 8.5 inches in Branchburg (Somerset County), 8.3 inches in Annadale (Hunterdon County), 8.1 inches in Stewartsville (Warren County) 8.0 inches in Flemington (Hunterdon County), 7.6 inches in Hillsborough (Somerset County), 7.0 inches in Morristown (Morris County), 6.0 inches in Metuchen (Middlesex County) and Chatham (Morris County), 5.5 inches in Pennington (Mercer County), 5.3 inches in New Brunswick (Middlesex County), 4.8 inches in Ewing (Mercer County), 3.5 inches in Holmdel (Monmouth County), 2.5 inches in Chesterfield (Burlington County), 2.0 inches in Pennsauken (Camden County) and Glassboro (Gloucester County), 1.7 inches in Mount Holly (Burlington County), 1.5 inches in Lindenwold (Camden County), 1.4 inches in Pittsgrove (Salem County) and 1.3 inches in Cream Ridge (Monmouth County). The winter storm was caused by the combination of a vigorous upper low from the Midwest and a Gulf of Mexico connection of moisture and low pressure systems. Two low pressure systems formed, one in response to the upper system in the Ohio Valley and one in the northeast Gulf of Mexico on Thursday the 8th. On Friday morning the 9th, the Ohio Valley low pressure system moved into the Great Lakes and the Gulf of Mexico low pressure system moved northeast to the North Carolina coast. A third low pressure system formed in response to the strong upper level support on the Delmarva Peninsula. The low pressure system along the Delmarva Peninsula became the primary low as both the Great Lakes and North Carolina Coast lows weakened. The Delmarva low pressure system rapidly intensified during the day on Friday the 9th. It went from 1009 millibars just west of the Long Island Buoy at 10 a.m. EST on the 9th, to a 996 mb low just south of Rhode Island at 1 p.m. EST on the 9th to about a 988 mb low between Masachusetts and Nova Scotia at 7 p.m. EST. At 7 a.m. EST on Saturday the 10th, the low was at least 979 mb just south of Newfoundland. In 24 hours the low deepened by about 36 millibars. In spite of its quick movement and the late intensification, heavy snow and ice still fell across most of New Jersey.

A strong northwest flow round a deepening low pressure system produced wind gusts to around 40 mph during the day on the 16th. Under normal circumstances, tree damage would be less, but the week of unseasonably wet weather loosened the soil. This was exacerbated by the unseasonably warm weather which kept more leaves on the trees than is normally the case for the middle of October. A 38-year-old woman was killed in Mountain Lakes (Morris County) around Noon EDT when a tree limb weighing more than 100 pounds struck her in the head. A rotted 100 foot tall oak tree fell onto a home in Chatham (Morris County) and went through the roof in one corner of the home. two vehicles on the property were totaled. Public Service Electric and Gas reported about 6,500 homes and businesses lost power throughout the state. All power was restored by Midnight EDT. The peak wind gust at Newark International Airport (Essex County) was 41 mph.

Gusty northwest winds associated with a cold frontal passage downed a tree near the intersection of Pershing and Pickford Avenues in Ewing Township. The tree tore down power lines which briefly closed those two roads.

September 2005 was an unseasonably warm and dry month across the state of New Jersey. The unseasonably dry weather began for most in mid August and continued throughout the month. The lack of rain affected both the agriculture and water supplies. Acting Governor Richard Codey declared a drought watch on September 13th and called for voluntary conservation methods. Residents were urged to limit lawn watering, to only run their washers and dishwashers with full loads and to purchase and install water saving shower heads and faucets. The state's Forestry Service also prohibited the creating of recreational fires that burn directly on the ground and in all wooded areas. The boroughs of Butler and Kinnelon (Morris County) placed restrictions on all outdoor use of water.Because of the higher cost for fuel, irrigation costs increased. The heat damaged the leaves of temperature sensitive plants such as lettuce, parsley and cilantro. The lack of rain reduced the size of lettuce, cabbage, leeks and arugula. The sun helped cause blistering of tomatoes, peppers, squash and beans. Some tree leaves were showing signs of scorching, especially along their edges. Dogwoods and maples showed signs of water stress. Milk production was down because of the affect the heat had on the cows. As one farmer was quoted, operational costs were up about 20 percent and yields were down 25 percent.Another problem with the drought affected power lines near the coast. The lack of rain permitted salt to build on power lines. When it rained at the end of the month, blown fuses, arcing wires and pole fires occurred. About 9,000 homes and businesses mainly in Atlantic and Cape May Counties lost power.Dating back to 1895, it was the second warmest and fifth driest September on record for the state of New Jersey. Across the state monthly county precipitation averages ranged from 0.2 inches in Cape May County to 2.4 inches in Mercer and Essex Counties. Normal is about 3.8 inches. The southern half of the state was drier than the northern half. The September average monthly temperature of 71.3 degrees at the Atlantic City International Airport was the sixth warmest September on record and the 0.53 inches of precipitation was the seventh driest September on record. At the Mercer County Airport near Trenton, the monthly average temperature of 71.2 degrees was 4.2 degrees warmer than normal and the monthly precipitation total of 2.94 inches was 0.48 inches drier than normal.

The most hottest and humid air mass of the summer so far occupied New Jersey from the 25th through the 27th. This air mass had as its origin the desert southwest in the United States and a ridge of high pressure aloft brought this air mass east with it through the rest of the country. The hottest and most humid day was the 27th. This was the hottest day of the year so far for most places and the highest temperatures seen in many areas since August of 2002. The combination of high temperatures and humidity levels pushed afternoon heat indices to between 105 and 110 degrees in central and southern New Jersey on the 27th. Hospitals saw an increase in the number of patients complaining about dizziness, allergies and breathing difficulties. Elevated ozone levels exacerbated the symptoms. This time it affected more than just the elderly. The PJM Interconnection recorded a world record for electricity usage on the 26th: 135,000 megawatts. The PJM coordinates the movement of electricity in New Jersey and twelve other states from North Carolina to Illinois. On the 27th, PJM lowered voltage to certain customers by five percent due to the stress on the high voltage lines. Locally Public Service Electric and Gas (PSE&G) (10,780 megawatts), Atlantic City Electric (2,740 megawatts), Jersey Central Power and Light (JCP&L) and the Vineland Municipal Electric Utility (Cumberland County) all set new usage records. The extra demand for electricity did cause a strain on the system and about 3,000 JCP&L customers to lose power over the 26th and 27th in Monmouth County.Hospitals saw even bakers and construction workers suffering from heat related symptoms. The New Jersey Farm Bureau encouraged farm owners and field workers to change their schedules and avoid being outdoors or doing strenuous work during the hottest part of the day, wear hats and stay hydrated. The Hunterdon County Office of the Aging made sure all their clients had air conditioning. In Mercer County, the elderly were encouraged to go to air-conditioned libraries. In Burlington County, the elderly were encouraged to go to the air-conditioned malls. A cold front abruptly ended the hot weather as it moved through the state late in the afternoon and early in the evening on the 27th. The highest temperatures included 101 degrees at the Newark International Airport (Essex County), 99 degrees at the Atlantic City International Airport, Hamilton (Mercer County) and Chatham (Morris County), 98 degrees at the Philadelphia International Airport, Sandy Hook (Monmouth County), Millville (Cumberland County), Somerville (Somerset County) and Somerdale (Camden County), 97 degrees in Atsion (Burlington County), Trenton (Mercer County) and New Brunswick (Middlesex County), 96 degrees in Flemington (Hunterdon County) and Boonton (Morris County) and 95 degrees in Cape May (Cape May County) and Wertsville (Hunterdon County).

Strong southeast winds affected New Jersey during the afternoon and early evening of the 2nd as the strong low pressure system continued to intensify as it moved closer to the area. As the low pressure system moved into the area, the intensification process was weakening and the proximity to the low itself caused winds to become lighter. Peak wind gusts averaged 45 to 50 mph. The combination of the winds and heavy rain made it easy to knock down shallow rooted trees, especially toward the coast. In central New Jersey, 17,000 homes and businesses lost power in Middlesex and Monmouth Counties. Several poles were split in South Brunswick Township. Several roads were closed because of downed wires. Outages in Monmouth County were concentrated in Freehold Township. In Southern New Jersey, about 2,000 homes and businesses lost power.Peak wind gusts included 55 mph in Lumberton Township (Burlington County), 52 mph at the McGuire Air Force Base (Burlington County), 49 mph at the Atlantic City International Airport (Atlantic County), 47 mph in Belmar (Monmouth County), 43 mph in Millville (Cumberland County) and 40 mph in Sussex (Sussex County). The strong winds were caused by a low pressure system that moved from the southern Gulf Coast States toward the region on the morning of the 2nd. At 7 a.m. EST on the 2nd, it was a 996 millibar low pressure system in central Virginia. From Virginia it continued to move northeast and intensified and was a 992 millibar low pressure system near Washington, D.C. at 1 p.m. EST on the 2nd, a 987 millibar low pressure system near Lancaster, Pennsylvania at 7 p.m. EST on the 2nd and a 984 millibar low pressure system near Scranton, Pennsylvania at 1 a.m. EST on the 3rd.

In addition to the snow, strong gusty northwest winds developed during the afternoon and evening of the 8th as a low pressure system intensified off the Middle Atlantic and New England States. Wind gusts reached around 70 mph in Cape May County. The strong winds caused isolated power outages throughout New Jersey and hampered snow removal crews as it blew snow back onto already cleared or salted roads. Peak wind gusts included 72 mph in Strathmere (Cape May County), 70 mph in Cape May (Cape May County), 64 mph in Keansburg (Monmouth County), 63 mph at High Point (the highest point in New Jersey in Sussex County), 57 mph in Sandy Hook (Monmouth County) and Barnegat Light (Ocean County), 50 mph in Atlantic City (Atlantic County), 49 mph in Wrightstown (Burlington County), 45 mph in Millville (Cumberland County) and 44 mph in Trenton (Mercer County). The strong winds were caused by a rapidly intensifying low pressure system that developed on the cold front during the morning of the 8th. The low moved northeast and was an already intense 986 mb near Danville, Virginia at 7 a.m. EST on the 8th. From there it continued to move northeast and deepened to a 978 mb low just east of Long Beach Island, New Jersey at 1 p.m. EST on the 8th, to a 970 mb low over Nantucket Island, Massachusetts at 7 p.m. EST on the 8th to a 964 mb low just southwest of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia at 1 a.m. EST on the 9th.

Heavy snow fell across most of New Jersey on the 24th into the 25th. The snow spread from south to north and began during the morning in the southern half of New Jersey and during the afternoon in the northern half of New Jersey. The snow changed to light rain along the immediate coast of Cape May and Atlantic Counties during the evening of the 24th. Otherwise, it fell at a fairly steady clip until it ended during the early morning on the 25th. Accumulations averaged between 3 and 7 inches in most areas. The lightest accumulations were in Warren and Sussex Counties and along the immediate southern New Jersey coast.While there have been heavier snows, the timing could not have been worse. The snow arrived too late to cancel schools and accumulated enough by the evening rush hour to cause traveling headaches. Some schools in far southern New Jersey never opened on the 24th, but most others dismissed early on the 24th. Even some businesses sent their employees home early. After school activities were cancelled. On the morning of the 25th many schools had delayed openings, but all Cumberland County schools were closed as were several schools in Atlantic and Cape May Counties. There were hundreds of weather related accidents, many were minor. Vehicles also slid off roadways. Many municipalities reported double digit accidents and included Dover Township (Ocean County), Bernards Township (Somerset County) and East Brunswick Township (Middlesex County). A multi-vehicle accident on Interstate 295 near Burlington Township (Burlington County) blocked the southbound lanes for hours and caused a five mile traffic snarl. In Mays Landing (Atlantic County), a car slid into a pole and knocked it down. It caused power outages to 1,250 homes and businesses including the Hamilton Mall. In Monmouth County, a 10 vehicle accident on the Garden State Parkway snarled travel during the evening commute. In Loch Arbour (Monmouth County), the driver of a van lost control of his vehicle and it flew into Deal Lake. A nearby resident jumped into the lake and helped rescue the driver. Specific accumulations included 7.5 inches in Brick Township (Ocean County), 7.3 inches at the Atlantic City International Airport and South Seaville (Cape May County), 7.0 inches at the Cape May Court House (Cape May County), Clarksburg (Monmouth County) and Lawrenceville (Mercer County), 6.6 inches in West Windsor (Mercer County), 6.4 inches in Marcella (Morris County), 6.2 inches in Metuchen (Middlesex County), 6.1 inches in South River (Middlesex County), 6.0 inches in Edgewater Park (Burlington County), Skillman (Somerset County), Toms River (Ocean County) and Newport (Cumberland County), 5.9 inches in Hillsborough (Somerset County), 5.8 inches in Mount Laurel (Burlington County), Whitehouse Station (Hunterdon County) and Shamong (Burlington County), 5.7 inches in East Amwell Township (Hunterdon County), 5.6 inches in Somerdale (Camden County), 5.5 inches in Hammonton (Atlantic County) and Glassboro (Gloucester County), 5.0 inches in Absecon (Atlantic County), 4.5 inches in Millville (Cumberland County), 4.0 inches in Cape May (Cape May County), Barry Lakes (Sussex County), Blairstown (Warren County) and Hackettstown (Warren County), 3.0 inches in Wantage (Sussex County) and Hope (Warren County) and 2.0 inches in Ocean City (Cape May County)A southern stream low pressure system formed along the Gulf Coast States on the 23rd and moved northeast. It reached the Alabama/Georgia border shortly after Midnight EST on the 24th, eastern Georgia at 7 am EST on the 24th, just east of Morehead City, North Carolina at 1 p.m. EST on the 24th, about 100 miles east of Elizabeth City, North Carolina at 7 p.m. EST on the 24th and well east of the Delmarva Peninsula by the morning of the 25th. The upper air system that supported the surface low passed across the Middle Atlantic States overnight on the 24th and prolonged the snow slightly longer than would be the case given the storm track. The storm track was too far to the southeast to bring heavy snow into northwestern New Jersey.

A very potent Alberta low pressure system dropped heavy snow across northern and southwestern New Jersey and a wintry mix across southeastern New Jersey. Only Cape May County and coastal Atlantic County were spared heavy accumulations. In northern and southwestern New Jersey accumulations ranged from 8 to 17 inches with the highest amounts in Ocean, Burlington, Monmouth and Middlesex Counties. Across southeastern New Jersey accumulations ranged from around 10 inches in interior Atlantic and Cumberland Counties to less than an inch along coastal Cape May County. Seventeen of the twenty-one New Jersey counties reported at least one measurement of a foot or greater of snow. Governor Richard Codey declared a state of emergency from 8 p.m. EST on the 22nd through 8 a.m. EST on the 23rd. Vehicles were required to stay off of public roads and thoroughfares. Snow began falling during the late morning of the 22nd, fell at its heaviest during the second half of the afternoon and early part of the evening of the 22nd. Snow mixed with sleet over interior sections of Atlantic County, in Cumberland County and in southern Ocean County. By the time the heavier precipitation arrived in extreme southeast New Jersey, enough of an onshore flow changed the snow to rain. The snow ended during the morning of the 23rd. Gusty northwest winds which followed in the wake of the storm caused considerable drifting snow and hampered road crews efforts as drifts continued to form on roads through the night of the 23rd. The unseasonably cold weather also rendered the salt less effective. Many of the reported accidents were minor. Some municipalities were reporting more sledding than vehicular accidents. Strong winds in Monmouth and Ocean Counties caused downed tree limbs and wires and caused about 15,000 homes and businesses to lose power. Many sporting, community events and church services were cancelled. Museums and malls closed early on the 22nd and many opened late on the 23rd. Even Rutgers University cancelled classes on the 22nd and 23rd. Prior to the snow's arrival many supermarkets and video stores were reporting record sales. Snow emergencies were declared by many municipalities. A Hopatcong (Morris County) man died shoveling snow. A pedestrian was struck and killed by a snow plow in Mercer County. Many schools were closed on the 24th. The remainder that opened had delayed openings. Regional rail lines reported delays from the 22nd through the 24th. For the first time in 9 years, nearby Philadelphia International Airport was closed for about 5 hours on the 22nd. Eight hundred passengers were stranded. Only half of the normal flights left the airport on the 23rd. Specific snowfall accumulations included 17.0 inches in Howell (Monmouth County) and New Egypt (Ocean County), 16.5 inches in Wrightstown (Burlington County), Kingston (Somerset County) and Cream Ridge (Monmouth County), 15.7 inches in Parlin (Middlesex County), 15.4 inches in Whitehouse (Hunterdon County), 15.0 inches in Sussex (Sussex County), Hackettstown (Warren County), Tabernacle (Burlington County) and Hopewell (Mercer County), 14.7 inches in Brick Township (Ocean County), 14.4 inches in Belle Mead (Somerset County), 14.3 inches in Ewing (Mercer County) and New Brunswick (Middlesex County), 13.1 inches in Stewartsville (Warren County), 13.0 inches in Randolph (Morris County) 12.8 inches in Voorhees (Camden County), 12.3 inches in Morristown (Morris County), 12.2 inches in Mount Holly (Burlington County), 12.0 inches in Verga (Gloucester County) and Broadway (Warren County), 11.5 inches in Newport (Cumberland County) and Flemington (Hunterdon County),11.0 inches in Lindenwold (Camden County), 10.9 inches in Barry Lakes (Sussex County), 10.0 inches in Vineland (Cumberland County), 8.7 inches in Hammonton (Atlantic County) and Quinton (Salem County), 7.0 inches in Forked River (Ocean County), 3.5 inches in Woodbine (Cape May County), 3.4 inches at the Atlantic City International Airport, 1.7 inches in Margate (Atlantic County) and 0.5 inches in Cape May (Cape May County).The winter storm was caused by a very powerful Alberta low pressure system. This type of low rarely produce snowfalls of this intensity. This low moved southeast from eastern Montana on the morning of the 21st to southern Minnesota on the evening of the 21st to near Dayton, Ohio around sunrise on the 22nd. It then moved to just south of Erie, Pennsylvania on the afternoon of the 22nd. A secondary low pressure system formed over the lower Chesapeake Bay on the afternoon of the 22nd. It would become the main low over the next twelve hours as it intensified over the nearby Atlantic Ocean. It deepened quickly as it passed near the Nantucket, Massachusetts buoy at 7 a.m. EST on the 23rd.

Strong southeast and then west winds affected New Jersey throughout the afternoon into the first part of the evening on the 23rd. The strongest winds between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. EST that afternoon. Peak wind gusts averaged around 45 mph. The winds pushed over some weak trees and tree limbs. The recent run of wet weather made trees more susceptible to being uprooted by the strong winds. In Morris County, a Glen Road home in Denville Township suffered heavy damage to its roof, deck and external walls when a pine tree snapped in half and fell onto it. In Hunterdon County, several trees were knocked down in Glen Gardner Borough. About 7,000 homes and businesses lost power in northwest New Jersey. In Monmouth County, New Jersey State Route 33 was closed in Freehold because of downed wires. Most of Tinton Falls Borough lost power. In Burlington County, in Burlington Township, the wind damaged the roof of one home. Peak wind gusts included 56 mph at the Newark Liberty International Airport (Essex County), 48 mph in Whitehouse Station (Hunterdon County), 45 mph in Voorhees Township (Camden County) and 40 mph at the Atlantic City International Airport.

The combination of a rapidly intensifying low pressure system and a strong cold frontal passage produced peak wind gusts of between 50 and 60 mph across New Jersey during the second half of the morning and throughout most of the afternoon of the 1st. The peak wind gusts occurred from the time of the cold frontal passage (between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. EST) into the first half of the afternoon. Some strong southwest winds preceded the cold frontal passage in southeastern New Jersey. Numerous weaker trees and limbs and subsequently power lines were knocked down. The wind strewed garbage and recycling pails. The wind damage was exacerbated by the recent wet weather which made the ground soft and the prolonged duration of the stronger winds. Over 25,000 homes and businesses lost power. In the northern half of New Jersey, in Sussex County, a downed tree fell onto a transmission line near a Vernon Township substation. This caused a prolonged outage within the township and closed the elementary and middle schools within the township. A billboard at the Mountain Creek Ski Resort was badly damaged. In Hunterdon County, about 3,500 homes and businesses lost power. In Middlesex County, in Edison Township, the winds ripped a portion of a middle school's roof away. The wind also toppled a 25 foot by 30 foot separation wall in the bay area of a warehouse. In Dunellen Borough, a 50 foot tree crashed into a home and destroyed its bedroom. In Monmouth County, in Freehold, two utility poles fell onto a vehicle on U.S. Route 9. The driver was not injured, but the southbound lanes were closed for three hours. Construction material outside the Long Branch Middle School was blown onto neighboring properties. About 11,000 homes and businesses lost power in Monmouth and Ocean Counties. In the southern half of New Jersey, in Burlington County, busy U.S. Route 206 was closed in Southampton Township because of a downed tree. In Ocean County, a tree fell onto the roof of a home in Little Egg Harbor Township. In Camden County, one home was condemned in Cherry Hill after a tree fell through it. In Salem County, in Pilesgrove Township, the winds ripped a 25-foot tall cowboy statue in two. The statue was there for forty years. In Pennsville Township, a tree fell through the roof into the living room of one home. About 550 homes and businesses lost power in the county. In Cumberland County, at least eight utility poles were snapped by high winds on New Jersey State Route 77 in Upper Deerfield Township. In Vineland City, a couple of large trees were knocked down. One damaged a vehicle and the porch of a home. In Millville City, a snapped power line crashed into a home. About 5,800 homes and businesses lost power. In neighboring Atlantic County, about 5,000 homes and businesses lost power. Peak wind gusts (from the west) included 62 mph in Marlton (Burlington County), 61 mph in Tabernacle (Burlington County), 56 mph at High Point State Park (Sussex County), 55 mph in Dunellen (Middlesex County), Cape May (Cape May County) and at the Atlantic City International Airport, 54 mph at the Atlantic City State Marina, 53 mph in Hammonton (Atlantic County), 52 mph in Belmar (Monmouth County), 51 mph in Barnegat (Ocean County), 49 mph in Trenton (Mercer County) and Millville (Cumberland County) and 40 mph in Morristown (Morris County). The winds were caused by the surface pressure difference (gradient) between a high pressure system building northeast from the Gulf Coast States and an intensifying low pressure system that moved northeast through the Saint Lawrence Valley on the 1st. The strongest winds aloft occurred during the daytime hours and this coincided with the maximum daytime heating. The turbulent mixing that normally occurs when these two conditions coincide, efficiently mixed the stronger winds to the ground.

A strong southeast flow preceding a cold front produced strong winds across New Jersey during the first half of the day on the 28th. The combination of strong winds and the heavy rain knocked down numerous trees and power lines and caused outages. The greatest number of outages occurred in Monmouth, Hunterdon, Warren and Sussex Counties as nearly 9,000 homes and business lost power. In Sussex County, power outages occurred in Andover, Hardyston, Montague and Sparta Townships. In Warren County, outages were concentrated in Washington Township. In Hunterdon County, the outages were concentrated in Flemington Borough. In Monmouth County, the outages were concentrated in Middletown Township and Spring Lake Borough. Peak wind gusts included 55 mph in Keansburg (Monmouth County), 46 mph at the Cape May (Cape May County) Ferry Terminal, 44 mph at the McGuire Air Force Base (Burlington County), 42 mph at the Atlantic City Marina (Atlantic County) and Point Pleasant (Ocean County) and 39 mph in Somerville (Somerset County).The strong southeast winds preceded the cold frontal passage. The cold front moved east from central Indiana at 7 p.m. EST on the 27th to central Ohio at 1 a.m. EST on the 28th, to western Pennsylvania at 7 a.m. EST on the 28th and into eastern New Jersey at 1 p.m. EST on the 28th.

A northeaster dropped heavy snow across much of New Jersey from the early morning of the 5th into the day on the 6th. Snow spread from south to north across the region during the first half of the day on the 5th and did not reach Sussex County until the early afternoon of the 5th. Enough warm air moved into the southeast part of the state to change the snow to rain. Precipitation decreased in intensity from the late afternoon of the 5th into the predawn hours on the 6th. During this time, the snow mixed with some sleet and freezing rain in southwestern New Jersey. As the northeaster intensified off the New Jersey coast, it dragged colder air south and changed precipitation to sleet and freezing rain before dawn on the 6th in southeast New Jersey. Precipitation was falling as all snow throughout the state by daybreak on the 6th. Snow increased in intensity again during the morning and afternoon on the 6th before it ended from southwest to northeast during the late afternoon and early evening. Accumulations averaged between 7 and 14 inches, with lighter accumulations in the southeast part of the state. Ironically the heavy snow wreaked havoc with holiday parades, festivals and tree lightning ceremonies scheduled for the 5th and 6th. Even the Bruce Springsteen concert in Asbury Park (Monmouth County) was postponed from the 6th to the 7th. Many schools dismissed early. Colleges in Morris County dismissed early. Many after school and weekend school activities were cancelled. High school football championship games as well as other sports activities were postponed. Some college football games were postponed. Hundreds of accidents were reported. In Middlesex County, there were 125 accidents alone in Edison and South Brunswick (Middlesex County). Forty-seven accidents occurred on Interstate 295 in Mercer and Burlington County. On the 5th, 160 accidents were reported on the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway. Speed restrictions were placed on those roadways. On the 6th dozens of additional accidents occurred on the Garden State Parkway between Ocean County and Cape May County. Drivers skidded helplessly into curbs, medians, ditches and other vehicles especially on overpasses and hills. Power outages were caused by drivers hitting poles. Ten minute commutes were taking one hour. So many accidents were reported around the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area that a traffic reporter called it a $500 deductible day. On the 5th, bus routes ran up to 90 minutes late while rail lines reported delays of up to 30 minutes. Delays on the 6th were less. The college entrance SAT exams on the 6th were postponed. The winter storm put a big dent in the holiday shopping on Saturday the 6th. Some stores never opened. Hospitals had a difficult time getting their employees to and from work. Libraries were closed. Many municipalities declared snow emergencies to help clear the roads for plowing. The plows had a hard time keeping back roads with northwestern exposure clear on the weekend (6th and 7th) as strong winds blew the snow back on the road. A couple of fatal traffic accidents occurred in northern New Jersey. On the 5th, a 36-year-old man died in Millstone Township (Monmouth County) after he left the westbound lanes of Interstate 195 and struck a tree. Motorists on 195 were stranded during the height of the storm on the 6th. In Somerset County, a 52-year-old man died on the 6th after he collided with a tractor trailer. In Morris County, two buses collided with each other on eastbound Interstate 80 near Parsippany. Four persons were injured. In a separate incident, a state trooper was injured while investigating an accident on Interstate 80. In Burlington County, a tractor trailer overturned on U.S. Route 130 in Willingboro and slid into a home. Another multi-vehicle accident closed the roadway in the same township. In Camden County, a serious multi-vehicle accident in Barrington shut down the northbound lanes of Interstate 295. In Ocean County, a 13-year-old boy suffered a serious head injury after sledding into a tree. Specific accumulations included 15.8 inches in Chatham (Morris County), 15.0 inches in Avenel (Middlesex County) and Clarksburg (Monmouth County), 14.5 inches in Hamilton Square (Mercer County) and Metuchen (Middlesex County), 14.0 inches in Delaware Township (Hunterdon County), 13.6 inches in Marcella (Morris County), 13.5 inches in New Egypt (Ocean County), 12.8 inches in Cream Ridge (Monmouth County), 12.5 inches in New Brunswick (Middlesex County), 12.3 inches in Morristown (Morris County), 12.2 inches in Belle Mead (Somerset County), 12.0 inches in West Amwell and Clinton (Hunterdon County), Stewartsville (Warren County), Sparta (Sussex County) and Somerville (Somerset County), 11.5 inches in Oakhurst (Monmouth County), 11.0 inches in Princeton (Mercer County), 10.0 inches in Wrightstown (Burlington County), Wantage (Sussex County) and Branchburg (Somerset County), 9.0 inches in Newton (Sussex County), 8.5 inches in Mount Laurel (Burlington County) and Hackettstown (Warren County), 7.1 inches in Estell Manor (Atlantic County), 7.0 inches in Hope (Warren County), 6.6 inches in Somerdale (Camden County), 6.5 inches in Glassboro (Gloucester County), 6.0 inches in Vorhees Township (Camden County), 5.7 inches in Hammonton (Atlantic County), 5.0 inches at the Atlantic City International Airport, Whiting (Ocean County) and Tabernacle (Burlington County), 4.0 inches in Newport (Cumberland County), 3.0 inches in Vineland (Cumberland County), 2.0 inches in Absecon (Atlantic County) and Toms River (Ocean County), 1.5 inches in Woodbine (Cape May County) and 0.5 inches in Cape May Harbor (Cape May County).The Northeaster was over the Gulf Coast States the morning of the 4th. It moved northeast to near Cape Hatteras the morning of the 5th, was just east of the Virginia Capes the evening of the 5th, just east of Atlantic City the morning of the 6th and near Nantucket during the evening of the 6th. The heaviest precipitation fell during two sections of this storm. The first came during the first half of the day on the 5th as moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean were lifted over the region. The second came during the morning of the 6th as the upper air system supporting the northeaster moved across the region.

Gusty northwest winds around an intensifying low pressure system produced wind gusts to around 50 mph during the afternoon of the 29th in New Jersey. In Burlington County in Shamong Township, a 2-year-old girl was killed when a limb fell on her from a 40 foot tall tree. She apparently wandered into the area as her father was removing a wind damaged tree. Peak wind gusts included 52 mph in Cape May (Cape May County), 50 mph at the Marina within Atlantic City, 48 mph in Barnegat (Ocean County), 46 mph in Belmar (Monmouth County) and Wrightstown (Burlington County) and 39 mph in Trenton (Mercer County). The strong winds were caused by the difference in surface pressure between a powerful (about 975 millibars) low pressure system moving through the Saint Lawrence River Valley and a high pressure system building northeast from the Gulf Coast States.

The combination of a rapidly deepening low pressure system moving through the Saint Lawrence Valley and a high pressure system building in from the Plains States produced high winds across New Jersey. The strongest winds occurred during two time periods: in the morning shortly after the low pressure system's cold frontal passage and during the afternoon. The peak wind gusts of the event mainly occurred during the afternoon. Several people were injured by downed trees. A couple of buildings collapsed. Numerous trees, tree limbs, transformers and wires were knocked down and damaged homes and vehicles. Scattered transformer fires occurred. In some instances poles were snapped. Numerous roads were closed including some major roadways. The afternoon and evening commute was difficult because of many closed roads. Emergency personnel had the added problem with road closures because the high winds were blowing away the plastic and wood road barriers. Shingles, chimney covers, gutters and siding were ripped from houses and fences were damaged by downed limbs and trees. Vehicles were damaged by fallen trees and/or flying debris. Awnings were torn away, store windows damaged, roadway business signs were knocked down as were overhead traffic signs and traffic signals. Trash and recycling cans were tossed in the middle of roads. Cart shelters tumbled in shopping centers. Some schools had early dismissal because of the lost power and many scholastic games were cancelled. The high winds made it very difficult to fight fires. It also led to blow out tides at times of low tide during the evening of the 13th and 14th along coastal areas and tidal sections of the Delaware River and its tributaries. Sections of many major roads were closed including the Garden State Parkway, U.S. Routes 202, 206 and 46 and New Jersey State Route 12. About 150,000 homes and business lost power in the state: Public Service Electric and Gas reported about 62,200 outages, Conectiv Energy reported about 54,000 outages and Jersey Central Power and Light about 23,000 outages and 400 poles down. All power was restored by the 15th. In Sussex County, a student at the Sussex County Community College was trapped in an elevator for 30 minutes after a brush fire occurred near the College and power was lost. About 1,600 county residents lost power with major outages in Newton and near the Stokes State Forest. In Warren County, a 45-year-old man was injured when a tree fell on him near the Econo-Court Motel on U.S. Route 46. The route itself was closed in several locations because of downed trees. A house in the Vienna section of Independence Township suffered gutter damage after a tree fell on it. In Morris County, two homes were damaged by fallen trees in Pequannock Township. About 20 percent of Boonton Township lost power. Cranes were needed to remove the large trees. In Hunterdon County, a tree fell on a bus in Clinton Township. No injuries occurred. Sections of New Jersey State Routes 12, 31 and U.S. Route 202 were closed. About 8,000 homes and businesses in the county lost power. In Somerset County, several injuries occurred. In Somerville, seven utility poles snapped at 430 p.m. on South Bridge Street and crushed a vehicle. The 56-year-old driver cut his head. Another uninjured driver was temporarily trapped by the downed wires. In Raritan Borough, pieces of a roof tore away and caused leg injuries to an onlooker. In Bernardsville Borough, a 21-year-old man suffered leg and back injuries after the wind knocked him off his ladder. In the Basking Ridge section of Bernards Township, a postal worker was hit in the head by a tree limb. A tree fell through a house in Bernardsville. In Branchburg Township, students were evacuated from the Whiton School after winds downed a transformer and started a fire. Sections of New Jersey State Route 28 and U.S. Routes 202 and 206 were closed because of downed trees and wires. In Monmouth County in a reverse of the blowout tides, wind driven waters from Sandy Hook Bay washed over the access road to the Sandy Hook unit of the Gateway National Recreational Area. A similar effect caused by Barnegat Bay occurred in Ocean County. About 9,000 homes and businesses lost power in Ocean and Monmouth Counties. Elsewhere in Ocean County, the southbound lanes of the Garden State Parkway were backed up because of downed trees. Power outages were concentrated in the Holiday City section of Berkeley Township. In Mercer County, a roof partially tore off a home in Trenton and a tree fell on a Princeton home. In Burlington County, a driver was uninjured in spite of a tree that landed on his vehicle in Medford Township. The hardest hit locations in the county were Cinnaminson and Willingboro Townships. In Camden County, school children were not injured when a tree fell on their bus when leaving Saint Jude's School in Gloucester Township. In Camden, a large building in the process of being converted to housing collapsed in pieces between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. EST.In Cherry Hill, the wind fanned a blaze at a warehouse. The wind carried embers to the Woodcrest Development. Oversized insulation panels caught fire apparently by a acetylene torch. In Gloucester County, an addition to a home in Woolwich Township collapsed. In Atlantic County, the Atlantic City Police and Fire Communication Center lost power for an hour. Nearly all of Absecon lost power. In Cape May County, a 28 foot empty boxcar overturned on the northbound lanes of the Garden State Parkway in Upper Township. The Cape May Lewes Ferry suspended service for the rest of the day on the 13th. The high wind damaged the roofs of the Sea Isle City Bar and Hotel and the Lollipop Motel in North Wildwood. In Cumberland County, a Shiloh Borough orchard's produce packing warehouse collapsed. The winds caused a concrete wall to topple sending it into a corrugated metal roof. Two duck hunters were rescued after becoming stranded on a mud flat after grounding their skiff near the mouth of the bay in Dividing Creek. About 20,000 homes and businesses lost power in the county including the county administration building, library and state police barracks in Port Norris. Peak wind gusts included 67 mph in High Point (Sussex County) and Sandy Hook (Monmouth County), 65 mph in Cape May City (Cape May County), 62 mph in Barnegat (Ocean County), 61 mph in Lumberton (Burlington County) and Stone Harbor (Cape May County), 60 mph at the Atlantic City Marina, 55 mph in Belmar (Monmouth County), 54 mph in Hillsborough (Somerset County) and the Atlantic City International Airport, 53 mph in Hamilton (Mercer County), 52 mph in Morristown (Morris County) and Millville (Cumberland County) and 48 mph in Trenton (Mercer County). The high winds were caused by the pressure difference between the low pressure system in the Saint Lawrence Valley and a high pressure system in the Central Plains. The low intensified from a 1004 millibar system over Lake Superior the morning of the 12th, to a 982 millibar low near Montreal the morning of the 13th to a 970 millibar low in the mouth of the Saint Lawrence River the morning of the 14th. Some strong wind gusts also occurred on the 14th and hampered power restoration work. Winds diminished for good during the evening of the 14th.

A strong westerly flow occurred across New Jersey during the day on the 15th. It was caused by the pressure gradient (difference) between an intensifying low pressure system heading through the Saint Lawrence Valley and a high pressure system building east from the Lower Mississippi Valley. Peak wind gusts averaged between 45 and 55 mph with the strongest gusts along the immediate shore and the northwest part of the state. A 34-year-old woman was injured in Princeton when a tree fell on her vehicle. Downed trees and power lines caused over 10,000 homes and businesses to lose power and damaged numerous vehicles and several homes. In Sussex County, three roads were closed in Newton because of downed poles and trees. In Montague, a tree fell onto a house. About 1,300 homes and businesses lost power. In Morris County, a 50 foot tree and a snapped pole fell across two of the westbound lanes of New Jersey State Route 10 in Denville and caused a major traffic backup. Downed trees and wires were reported in six other municipalities in the county. A downed tree damaged a home in Randolph Township. About 1,100 homes and businesses lost power in the county. Throughout the central and northern part of New Jersey, about 8,000 Jersey Central Power and Light customers lost power. The worst outages were in Freehold and Union Beach in Monmouth County. All power was restored by the morning of the 16th. In Mercer County, a 34-year-old woman suffered a head injury when a Bradford Pear tree split and fell on her vehicle in Princeton. Her 14-month-old daughter was not hurt. Numerous trees and wires were knocked down in West Windsor and Princeton Townships in Mercer County. Public Service Electric and Gas reported about 3,000 of its customers in the southwest part of the state lost power because of the strong winds. Peak wind gusts included 57 mph in Sparta (Sussex County), 56 mph in Sandy Hook (Monmouth County), 54 mph in Keansburg (Monmouth County), 48 mph in Cape May (Cape May County) and Morristown (Morris County), 46 mph in Point Pleasant (Ocean County) and 45 mph at the Atlantic City International Airport.

A powerful line of severe thunderstorms uprooted numerous trees and wires throughout Mercer County. A SKYWARN Spotter reported a measured wind gust to 68 mph in Ewing. This was not in the path of the tornado. In Trenton, a downed tree crushed one home. In West Windsor Township, many trees were knocked down in the Penns Neck area. The heating and air conditioning units on top of the Walmart and Comp USA stores were toppled. More than 50,000 homes and businesses lost power in Mercer, Burlington, Camden and Gloucester Counties. All power was restored the afternoon of the 24th.

Tropical Storm Isabel produced strong power outage producing winds, moderate tidal flooding along the Delaware Bay and the Delaware River and erosion and rough surf along the shore. Two deaths were directly attributed to the storm. In Warren County, a 34-year-old woman died in Independence Township when a tree landed and crushed the vehicle she was riding. In Cape May County, a 51-year-old man drowned in the rough surf off of Wildwood Crest. Isabel made landfall as a hurricane near Drum Inlet, North Carolina around 100 p.m. EDT on the 18th and weakened as it tracked farther inland. At one time in its life cycle, it was a powerful Category 5 hurricane when it was north of the Leewood Islands. Winds gusted up to 62 mph in New Jersey and downed countless numbers of trees, tree limbs and power lines. It was one of the worst power outages on record for area utilities. Jersey Central Power and Light reported that 220,000 of its customers lost power while Conectiv Energy reported about 162,000 of its customers lost power. While tide heights along the oceanside only reached minor, wave action caused considerable beach erosion, especially in Cape May and Atlantic Counties. The tidal departures increased as southeast winds funneled the winds up Delaware Bay and River. At Reedy Point (Delaware), the tide reached 8.66 feet above mean lower low water. The storm surge was 5 feet. In Burlington, the tide reached 10.64 feet. The storm surge was 6.49 feet. The rain was not heavy as most places had less than an inch and half of rain. The heaviest rain with tropical systems often falls west of its storm track, thus the region was spared from the heavier rain. Peak wind gusts included 63 mph in Cape May City, 62 mph in Strathmere (Cape May County), 61 mph at the Cape May Coast Guard, 55 mph in Millville (Cumberland County), 53 mph at the Atlantic City Marina, 52 mph in Keansburg (Monmouth County) and 47 mph in Sparta (Sussex County). A peak wind gust of 70 mph was also recorded at Ship John Shoal Light in Delaware Bay.

A Bermuda high pressure system at both the surface and aloft gave central and southern New Jersey a six day run of high temperatures in the 90s and dew point temperatures in the 70s. The two hottest days were July 4th and 5th. While high temperatures were not near record breaking levels, dew point temperatures were very high and this prevented any cooling at night, especially in urbanized areas. A generally offshore flow also brought the hot weather all the way to the shore. A cold frontal passage on July 9th briefly ended the hot and humid weather. The combination of the hot weather and increased demand because of the Independence Day Weekend led to power outages from July 4th through the 8th in Ocean County. About 30,000 homes and businesses lost power during that five day span. Power outages were reported in all or part of Berkeley, Brick, Dover, Island Beach State Park, Lavallette, Ocean Beach, Seaside Heights and Seaside Park. Highest temperatures included 96 degrees In Beach Haven (Ocean County), 95 degrees in Margate (Atlantic County) and Freehold (Monmouth County), 94 degrees in West Deptford (Gloucester County), Mount Holly (Burlington County), 93 degrees in New Brunswick (Middlesex County), Belmar (Monmouth County), the Atlantic City International Airport and Hamilton Square (Mercer County), 92 degrees in Millville (Cumberland County) and 91 degrees in Wildwood (Cape May County).

The most powerful storm to affect New Jersey since the Blizzard of 1996 struck during the President's Day Weekend. One person in Middlesex County was directly killed after a canopy full of snow collapsed on him. Snow slowly spread from south to north from around sunrise on Sunday the 16th in Cumberland and Cape May Counties to into the evening in Sussex County on the 16th. The heaviest snow fell during the daylight hours of the 16th in the southern half of the state and during the first half of the 17th in the northern half of the state. Heavy snow continued into the afternoon of the 17th in Sussex County. Precipitation started mixing with and changing to sleet across the southern half of the state during the late evening on the 16th and continued into the morning of the 17th. Precipitation changed to freezing rain and some plain rain along the immediate coast in Cape May and Atlantic Counties. Precipitation changed back to snow before it ended during the day on the 17th. In the northern half of the state, snow ended during the afternoon and evening of the 17th. Governor James McGreevey declared a state of emergency at 130 p.m. EST on the 16th. The State of Emergency gave the state police the authority to close highways and redirect traffic. It was cancelled at Noon EST on the 18th. Many municipalities declared their own snow emergencies giving police the authority to tow away vehicles parked on snow emergency routes. Volunteers, police and members of the office of emergency management helped transport medical personnel and dialysis patients to and from hospitals. Plows were dispatched with ambulances. Through the 18th, many elective surgical procedures were cancelled. All South Jersey bus service was suspended after 8 p.m. EST on the 16th. It was suspended statewide on the 17th. Service started again on the 18th with up to 40 minute delays. All South Jersey malls closed early on the 16th. Malls, businesses, universities, schools and shopping centers were closed on the 17th which was a federal holiday - President's Day. Businesses and universities started to reopen on the 18th. Morning traffic on the 16th was heavy in southern New Jersey as many shoppers made last minute preparations for the storm. There were no snow throwers or salt to be found. The plows managed to keep one lane of traffic open throughout the event on the Atlantic City Expressway and New Jersey Turnpike. All major roads were passable on the 17th. It cost state and local officials 14 million dollars to clear roadways. Most businesses reopened on the 18th, but schools and state courthouses remained closed. Organizers had to cancel or postpone meetings and events. Life returned closer to normal on Wednesday the 19th. That was also the first day of regular weekly train service. Strong winds caused about 11,000 homes and businesses to lose power along coastal New Jersey on the 17th. Power was restored by 6 p.m. EST that evening in Atlantic and Cape May Counties, but took until the 19th in Ocean and Monmouth Counties. The worst damage from the storm inland was caused by the weight of the snow and sleet which caused numerous roof collapses and collapses of "Florida rooms". Moderate tidal flooding and moderate to locally severe beach erosion affected coastal communities. Service on the Cape May/Lewes Ferry was suspended from the afternoon of the 16th through the morning of the 18th. In Sussex County, one senior citizen died of a heart attack while shoveling snow. There were several other reported cardiac conditions caused by shoveling the snow. Road crews, which worked up to 36 straight hours had problems with drifts that reached up to five feet. A broken water main in Newton was complicated by the snow on the 18th. In Middlesex County, a 23-year-old man was killed in Edison when a corrugated roof collapsed on him at the Edison Job Corps Academy. Eight of his classmates were injured (broken bones). They were walking into the academy's cafeteria when it collapsed. He died of asphyxiation. A practice field bubble collapsed at Rutgers University. The university did not reopen until the 19th. Schools in the county did not reopen until the 21st. In Metuchen, a large section of a roof of an unoccupied warehouse building collapsed. It took until the 19th for road crews to clear the back streets. In Monmouth County, drifts reached six feet. In Wall Township, a high school roof collapsed on the 18th because of four foot drifts at one corner of the roof. The roof collapse impaired the building's fire alarm system, compromised the old roof above the school's cafeteria and fell onto electrical wires between the roofs. The school was already closed for the week, but was able to reopen the following week. A country store was badly damaged in Freehold. In Ocean County, about 115 Florida rooms collapsed in and around Berkeley and Manchester Townships in three separate developments. One health care worker was injured. Car port roofs were also collapsing. Drifts reached up to 7 feet in the county. It took until the 20th for some side streets to be plowed. Thousands were snowbound for a week. Schools were closed for the week. The heavy snow caved in the roof of a landmark bowling alley in Point Pleasant. The roof of a Wal-Mart in Stafford Township collapsed. A 150 by 100 foot section collapsed. There were no injuries. In Burlington County, hundreds of residents were forced to leave their Tricia Meadows homes in Mount Laurel on the 17th after drifting snow blocked the roof top furnace flue and vent pipes. Carbon monoxide was building within their homes. A shelter was opened at a nearby school. Volunteers helped clear the roofs and residents returned that evening. The roof of an apparel printing business in Lumberton collapsed. Planes were grounded at McGuire Air Force Base through the 18th. In Atlantic County, the roof parapet of the Egg Harbor Township Middle School collapsed. It caused cracks and strain in the supports of the school's gym and auditorium. Flights at the Atlantic City International Airport resumed on the 18th after being halted on the 16th. Bus transportation in and out of Atlantic City was suspended on the 16th and restored on the 18th. Schools did not reopen until the 20th. Many business awnings collapsed because of the weight of the snow and sleet. In Camden County, demolition crews had to raze PJ's Saloon in Gloucester Township after the building sustained structural damage from its snow load. In Collingswood, roof leaks caused a ceiling collapse in one home. In Gloucester County, several barn collapses occurred. Cows and horses were rescued and were unharmed. In Monroe Township, an elderly man was critically injured when his snow covered car port collapsed. He suffered hypothermia. The Philadelphia Flyer wives had to cancel their carnival. In Cumberland County, there were a couple of building collapses in Vineland. A multi-car garage collapsed against an apartment building. Five people were evacuated when the apartment was declared unsafe. The roof of one and the awning of another mobile home collapsed. The combination of the high pressure system to the north and the low pressure system off the Virginia Coast produced some of the strongest onshore winds and highest tides of the winter season, especially for the southern half of the state. Moderate to severe erosion occurred with cliffs as high as eight feet created. The National Guard was deployed to assist with evacuations. In Cape May County, several causeways were closed during the morning high tide on the 17th. Strathmere became an island. In North Wildwood, waves in Hereford Inlet caused a homeowner's concrete deck to collapse. The wave action washed away bulkheads and fill that supported the decks along the seawall. In Stone Harbor, about two-thirds of the beach replenishment sand (600,000 cubic yards) was lost. Two miles of sand fences were blown away. On Whale Beach between Strathmere and Sea Isle City, miles of sand dunes were washed away and it exposed sand filled geotubes which are used to stabilize the dunes and protect homes. In Atlantic County, causeways into Longport and Margate were closed on the 17th. U.S. Route 40 (The Black Horse Pike) was closed due to flooding throughout the 17th. Severe erosion was reported in Ventnor. The beach dropped seven feet in Atlantic City. In Ocean County, erosion was described as severe on Long Beach Island. Beaches in the Brant Beach and Holgate sections of Long Beach Township, Harvey Cedars and Beach Haven suffered severe erosion. Some dunes were breached in Long Beach Township. In Monmouth County, tidal flooding occurred on a couple of streets in Manasquan. In Cumberland County, the access road to Fortescue was under a foot and a half of water. In Bivalve, tidal flooding spread into parking lots and Miller Avenue. High tides during the morning of the 17th reached 8.69 feet above mean lower low water in north Wildwood (Cape May County), 8.16 feet above mean lower low water at the Cape May Ferry Terminal (Cape May County), 8.06 feet above mean lower low water at Stone Harbor (Cape May County), 7.98 feet above mean lower low water at Sandy Hook (Monmouth County), 7.50 feet above mean lower low water in Margate (Atlantic County), 7.45 feet above mean lower low water in Atlantic City (Atlantic County) and 7.13 feet above mean lower low water in Absecon (Atlantic County). The strong winds caused about 11,000 homes and businesses to lose power. Wind gusts reached to 57 mph. U.S. Route 30 was closed for three miles between Atlantic City and Absecon on the 17th because 56 light poles were knocked down. The road reopened on the 18th. In Ocean County, the windows of a Point Pleasant liquor store were blown out. In Monmouth County, Monmouth Beach was hit the hardest by power outages. It took two days to restore power. Up and down the coast, the strong winds carried sand into nearby roads, porches and boardwalks. Sand drifts blocked several roadways and were up to three feet high. Peak wind gusts included 57 mph in Cape May and Strathmere (both Cape May County), 53 mph at the Atlantic City International Airport and Barnegat (Ocean County) and 49 mph in Keansburg (Monmouth County). Specific snow accumulations included 27.0 inches in Green Pond (Morris County), 25.0 inches in Ringoes (Hunterdon County), 24.0 inches in Little Egg Harbor (Ocean County), 23.5 inches in Morristown (Morris County), 23.0 inches in Manchester (Ocean County), 22.8 inches in Cream Ridge (Monmouth County), 22.5 inches in Bridgewater (Somerset County), 22.0 inches in Williamstown (Gloucester County), Chatham (Morris County) and Hazlet (Monmouth County), 21.5 inches in Sparta (Sussex County), 21.0 inches in Butler (Morris County), Hammonton (Atlantic County), Hightstown (Mercer County), Woodbridge (Middlesex County), Manalapan (Monmouth County) and Mount Laurel (Burlington County), 20.5 inches in Wall Township (Monmouth County) and Stewartsville (Warren County), 20.0 inches in Bordentown (Burlington County), Belle Mead (Somerset County), Hackettstown (Warren County) and Barnegat (Ocean County), 19.8 inches in Margate (Atlantic County), 19.6 inches in Clinton (Hunterdon County), 19.5 inches in South Toms River (Ocean County), 19.0 inches in Tabernacle (Burlington County), Sewell (Gloucester County), Frenchtown (Hunterdon County), Ewing (Mercer County) and Gloucester Township (Camden County), 18.5 inches in New Brunswick (Middlesex County), 18.0 inches in Newport (Cumberland County), Vernon and Hamburg (Sussex County) Phillipsburg and Belvidere (Warren County) and Flemington (Hunterdon County), 17.2 inches in Princeton (Mercer County), 17.0 inches in Oaklyn (Camden County) and Cape May Court House (Cape May County), 16.0 inches in Wantage (Sussex County), 15.0 inches in Millville (Cumberland County) and 13.0 inches in Ocean City (Cape May County). The low pressure system which helped cause the heavy snow formed to the lee of the southern Rockies on the 14th. It moved to southern Missouri by the morning of the 15th, the lower Tennessee Valley the morning of the 16th, reformed off the Virginia coast the morning of the 17th and was southeast of Cape Cod on the 18th. Of equal or greater importance was a large high pressure system that moved over nearby Canada and northern New England throughout this event. This locked very cold air in place, slowed the low pressure system down and prevented it from going farther north thus leaving New Jersey on the snowier side of the system. Warm air did move in aloft between 5,000 and 10,000 feet and was the reason the snow changed to sleet during the evening and overnight on the 16th in the southern half of the state.

A strong cold front moved through New Jersey during the morning of the 12th. Gusty west winds accompanied the cold frontal passage (as did some showers with briefly heavy snow in the northern part of the state) and continued for several hours into the first half of the afternoon. Peak wind gusts averaged around 45 mph inland and up to around 55 mph along the shore. The gusty winds caused blowing and drifting snow, especially on roadways with western exposure. The worst reported problems were on New Jersey State Route 49 in Pennsville (Salem County) and U.S. Route 206 in Somerset County. In Matawan, about 500 persons lost power for about five hours after a pine tree was knocked down. Peak wind gusts included 57 mph in Sandy Hook (Monmouth County), 55 mph in Barnegat (Ocean County), 50 mph in Lawrenceville (Mercer County), 48 mph at the Atlantic City International Airport and Cape May Harbor (Cape May County) and 44 mph in Lumberton (Burlington County) and Millville (Cumberland County).

The most significant Christmas Day winter storm since 1966 affected the northern half of New Jersey with a wintry mix of snow, sleet, freezing rain and rain. This mix changed back to snow on Christmas Day and dropped up to around one foot of snow across northwest New Jersey. Precipitation began as light snow toward midnight on Christmas Eve. As the northeaster moved northeast along the eastern seaboard, warmer air from the Atlantic and the south warmed the air between 3,000 and 8,000 feet above ground level. This changed precipitation over to sleet and freezing rain.Then as warmer air moved in near the ground precipitation changed to plain rain across much of northern New Jersey by 9 a.m. EST on Christmas Day. The only exception was in Sussex County where most temperatures remained below freezing. Around two-tenths of an inch of ice accrued on exposed surfaces. The northeaster was in the process of intensifying rapidly along the Middle Atlantic seaboard and both its precipitation intensity and coverage increased rapidly across the state during the second half of the morning. In fact, a SKYWARN Spotter in Sussex County reported a thundersleet storm from 1040 a.m. through 1055 a.m. EST on Christmas morning. As precipitation intensity increased and winds started to shift from the northeast to north, precipitation started to change to all snow. This began in Sussex County between 11 a.m. and Noon EST and moved southeast during the afternoon across the rest of the northern half of the state. Precipitation changed back to snow around 1 p.m. EST in Somerville (Somerset County) and Trenton (Mercer County) and between 3 and 5 p.m. EST in Monmouth County. The heaviest snow fell during the afternoon and lessened in intensity during the evening. The snow ended around Midnight Christmas night.Most travelers made plans around the storm and while there were accidents, no major congestion was reported. The worst reported traveling problems were along Interstate 78 in Warren County, Interstate 287 in Morris County and eastbound Interstate 280 which was down to one lane along the Morris/Essex county border because the other lanes buckled and collapsed. With respect to the snow, the worst problems were in Sussex County where the combination of ice and then heavy wet snow snapped tree limbs and downed power lines. Several vehicles also skidded into utility poles. About 7,000 Jersey Central Power and Light customers lost power in northern New Jersey. The number was down to 650 the morning of the 26th. Specific accumulations included 14 inches in High Point (Sussex County), 12 inches in Wantage (Sussex County), 11.7 inches in Barry Lakes (Sussex County), 11 inches in Vernon (Sussex County) and Washington Township (Morris County), 10 inches in Hackettstown (Warren County), 9.7 inches in Newton (Sussex County), 7.0 inches in Hope (Warren County), 7.0 inches in Jefferson Township (Morris County), 6.6 inches in Chatham (Morris County), 6.0 inches in Lebanon (Hunterdon County), 5.3 inches in Somerville (Somerset County), 4.7 inches in Clinton (Hunterdon County), 4.5 inches in Millstone Township (Monmouth County), 4.0 inches in New Egypt (Ocean County), 3.5 inches in New Brunswick (Middlesex County), 3.2 inches in Belle Mead (Somerset County), 3 inches in Ewing (Mercer County), 2.5 inches in Princeton (Mercer County).The northeaster that produced the tidal flooding moved from Mississippi the morning of the 24th to near Norfolk the morning of the 25th to just west of Atlantic City during the afternoon of the 25th to south of Nova Scotia the morning of the 26th.

A winter storm of sleet and freezing rain affected northwestern New Jersey, affecting Sussex County the most. Precipitation changed to snow before it ended in the county during the night of 11th. A couple of inches of snow accumulated on top of the ice. A shorter duration event of sleet and freezing rain affected sections of Mercer, Hunterdon and Somerset Counties. While it was warm enough aloft for precipitation to fall as rain, enough cold air was left at or near the surface by a departing high pressure system for the rain to freeze on contact or for precipitation to fall as sleet. Precipitation (in the form of sleet and freezing rain) spread from south to north across the area between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. EST. In sheltered sections of Mercer, Hunterdon and Somerset Counties, surface temperatures remained below freezing throughout the morning and up to two-tenths of an inch of ice accrued to exposed surfaces. The change to plain rain took longer (into the middle of the afternoon) across Warren and Morris Counties. The changeover was also elevation dependent. Higher terrain locations took longer to change to plain rain. In Sussex County, some valley locations changed to plain rain during the afternoon, otherwise a wintry mix continued. Ice accretions in Warren and Morris Counties averaged around one quarter of an inch, highest toward Sussex County. In Sussex County, ice accretions averaged between one quarter and one half of an inch. A couple of inches of snow then accumulated across higher terrain locations during the night of the 11th. Precipitation ended overnight on the 11th. In Sussex County, schools were closed. Dozens of businesses, offices and town halls closed early. Parts of Sparta Township lost power on Springbrook Trail west of Sparta Lake after a tree fell down. New Jersey State Route 94 in Vernon Township was closed near the New York border for several hours after a vehicle rolled over and leveled a utility pole. Less traveled roadways, untreated walkways, parking lots and driveways were very hazardous. Numerous accidents were reported throughout the county. A satellite dish repairman had to be rescued from a roof in Lafayette Township after it iced over while he was working on the dish. Many night meetings and social functions were cancelled. In Morris County, numerous schools in the western part of the county were closed. Several others closed during the middle of the day as did some municipal offices in the western part of the county. Precarious driving conditions were reported in Jefferson and Mount Arlington. In Boonton Township, two accidents within 20 minutes tore down utility poles. Similar conditions were reported in Warren County as many schools dismissed their children early and businesses closed and night meetings (including a Freeholders) were cancelled. A large high pressure system from central Canada brought in cold, dry air into the region. As a low pressure system formed in the Gulf of Mexico on the 10th, it started to push moisture north into the region. As the high retreated into New England, the low moved northeast along the Atlantic Seaboard from near Myrtle Beach the morning of the 11th to near Cape Cod the morning of the 12th. Enough warm air moved westward from the Atlantic to change precipitation to plain rain along the coastal plain. But, the cold air became entrenched, especially over Sussex, Warren and Morris Counties and was difficult to displace throughout this event.

October 2002 saw the return of well above normal precipitation to New Jersey. It was also the first month since June that precipitation was above normal in every county. Soaking rains on the 10th and 11th alone accounted for the normal October precipitation. The preliminary statewide average monthly precipitation was 7.04 inches, the sixth wettest October on record. Normal is 3.51 inches. County weighted average monthly rainfall totals ranged from 5.5 inches in Mercer County to 8.9 inches in Monmouth County.The heavy rain came too late to help farmers. It was estimated that the drought will cost farmers about $125 million in revenue. The corn harvest was expected to be down 25 percent and the soybean harvest down 30 percent. Revenue drops in some areas were over 50 percent. Hardest hit were farms in Salem, Gloucester and Cumberland Counties where losses approached 60 percent. Field crops such as hay, wheat, sorghum, soybeans and corn for animal feed were hardest hit because they are not irrigated. Increased damage was also caused by bears and deer looking for food and water. It was estimated that one-third of Sussex County's corn drop was lost to animals. Pumpkins were brought in from as far away as Vermont to supplement the state's crop. On the 18th, United States Department of Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman declared a drought disaster in several states including New Jersey, Maryland and Delaware. Farmers were eligible to apply for low interest loans. Compensation was also given for farmers who were raising livestock. Landscaping businesses were also hard hit by the drought. With watering restrictions in place, consumers shied away from new purchases. The grass was dormant. It was estimated that revenue for the landscaping business was off by one-third (about 100 million dollars). Water companies' revenue was down about 15 percent. The drought also brought a bumper crop of fleas, mites and chiggers. Butterfly (including Monarch) breeding areas were depleted by the drought. It was believed that many large trees were hurt by the drought over the past two years.As October began, even with near normal precipitation in September, groundwater levels were at record lows. Stream flows remained low and the northern New Jersey Reservoirs were below normal. In Sussex County, flow along the Wallkill River and Black Creek was about 5 to 10 percent of normal. The Black Creek in fact was flowing near zero in spots. The low flow led to unacceptable levels of pollutants including phosphorous. Brick Township (Ocean County) could not use the Metedeconk River as its main water source because of salt water intrusion. Surface water conditions improved greatly after the soaking rains on the 10th and 11th. Brick Township was able to use the Metedeconk River again. Water levels in the Boonton Reservoir (Morris County) rose five feet and went from 65 to 82 percent of capacity. More heavy rain fell with the October 16th northeaster, especially in the northwest part of the state. While surface water supplies responded quickly, groundwater water levels lagged especially in the southern part of the state. On October 24th, monitoring wells in Cumberland and Burlington Counties were within one foot of previous record lows for the date. The Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer remained at record lows. Groundwater recovery normally takes longer to occur than surface water supplies. On the 24th, the State Department of Environmental Protection eased water restrictions. Lawn watering was permitted every other day and car washing was permitted on weekends. Washing of homes, windows, decks and fences was permitted. Other water restrictions remained in place as well as the moratorium on permits to expand public water systems. The moratorium on new housing development in Egg Harbor, Galloway and Hamilton Townships (Atlantic County) remained in effect. The heavy rain during October caused a tremendous rebound in surface reservoir capacities across the state. The Manasquan Reservoir (Monmouth County) went from 69.5 percent of capacity on the first to 81 percent of capacity on the 24th. Other Monmouth County reservoirs were between 95 and 100 percent of capacity by the 24th. The northern New Jersey Reservoirs increased from about 63 percent of capacity on September 30th to 74.8 percent of capacity on October 31st, about 10 percent ABOVE normal. Even the New York City Reservoirs which feed the Delaware River increased from 50.4 percent of capacity on October 1st to 57.6 percent of capacity on November 1st and were above normal for the first time since early 2001. For the month stream flow on the Delaware River was over 200 percent of normal. The Delaware River Basin Commission, which oversees water supply throughout the Delaware River Basin declared a "drought" on December 3, 2001 when the supply of water in the New York City reservoir system dropped below a designated level for early December. The commission declared a drought emergency on December 18, 2001. Both triggered additional reductions in the amount of water released from the reservoirs into the Delaware River and the amount diverted out of the Delaware River Basin to New York City and New Jersey. Diversions to New York City dropped from 800 million gallons a day to 520 million gallons a day. The emergency declaration gave the commission the power to restrict the amount of water suppliers could draw from the basin. It gave the commission the authority to take water from municipal reservoirs to maintain river levels. It could also call for water releases from federal, state and privately owned reservoirs. Water from Lake Nockamixon, the F.E. Walter Reservoir and Lake Wallenpaupack could be used to maintain river levels. They were last used for this purpose in the 1960s. The releases help protect the riverbank and aquatic life and also prevents salt water from flowing up the Delaware River. Salt water intrusion causes corrosion problems for industries and increases water treatment costs for municipalities that depend on the river for their water supply. Maintaining river levels are also important for groundwater reserves that are recharged by the river itself. Heavy rains in October pushed th salt front to mile marker 68 on October 31st, thirteen miles farther downstream than its normal October position. The New York City Reservoirs which feed the Delaware River increased from 50.4 percent of capacity on October 1st to 57.6 percent of capacity on November 1st. The northern New Jersey reservoirs were at 74.8 percent of capacity as of October 31st, about 10 percent above normal. Monthly precipitation totals were 6.38 inches at the Atlantic City International Airport (3rd wettest on record), 6.43 inches at the Marina within Atlantic City (6th wettest on record) and 5.02 inches in Trenton.

The pressure difference between a strong high pressure system in the central part of the country and Tropical Storm Gustav located well east of the Delmarva Peninsula produced strong gusty northwest winds throughout the day on the 11th. Winds frequently gusted between 35 and 45 mph throughout the day and caused considerably more tree damage than usually occurs with winds of that speed. Higher wind gusts occurred along the immediate New Jersey coast. Trees, tree limbs, power lines and portable basketball hoops were knocked down. Wind blown objects killed two people and injured two others. Downed trees also damaged several vehicles and homes. The worst reported damage in the state was from Burlington and Ocean Counties northward. About 14,000 homes and businesses in those parts of the state lost power. Two people were killed by the wind. A 62-year-old masonry man was crushed by a wind toppled wall at a Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse under construction in West Windsor Township (Mercer County) at 1120 a.m. EDT. He was crushed by tons of concrete as he was standing on scaffolding at the north end of the work site working on the lower wall. The upper section of the wall blew over. The 13 foot by 30 foot long cinder block wall was built in mid-August. A 75-year-old woman was struck and killed by a large limb (eight inches in diameter) while waiting for her husband to pick her up in an antiques flea market parking lot in West Amwell Township. Another 79-year-old woman suffered bruises and scratches from the same branch. The same tree was rammed by two large trucks in 1999. The limb fell from about 100 feet. A 53-year-old man in Pequannock (Morris County) was slightly injured when a tree landed on his vehicle. In Sussex County downed trees and power lines were reported in six townships. In Warren County, downed trees and wires were reported in Phillipsburg. The arcing wires caused some small fires. In Morris County, wind damage was reported in about a dozen municipalities. In Boonton Township, three homes suffered gutter and siding damage. One vehicle was also damaged by fallen trees. In Butler Borough, one road was closed into the 12th because of downed trees. Mendham Township dismissed their school children early to give bus drivers more time to negotiate around downed trees. In Madison Township, a fallen wire started brush fires and delayed a transit train. In Hanover Township, five vehicles were damaged by fallen trees. Parsippany Township emergency personnel responded to about 15 weather related problems. In Somerset County, sections of U.S. Routes 202 and 206 were closed because of downed trees and wires. A dump truck driver narrowly escaped serious injury when a tree fell on his vehicle in Far Hills Borough. A woman also narrowly escaped injury when another tree fell on her vehicle in Bernards Township. In Bernardsville Borough, several large trees were knocked down and a gutter and a window of one home was damaged. Downtown Basking Ridge (Bernards Township) was blacked out for seven hours. Burlington County emergency personnel responded to twenty-nine weather related calls. Peak wind gusts included 60 mph in Keansburg (Monmouth County), 56 mph at Barnegat Light (Ocean County), 53 mph in Point Pleasant (Ocean County), 52 mph in Sandy Hook (Monmouth County), 46 mph in Belmar (Monmouth County) and Cape May (Cape May County), 44 mph at the Atlantic City International Airport, 43 mph in Somerville (Somerset County), 41 mph in Trenton (Mercer County) and Sussex (Sussex County), 40 mph in Wrightstown (Burlington County) and 39 mph in Millville (Cumberland County). Most of the peak gusts occurred during the early afternoon. This was the first widespread wind gusts of these speeds since May 14th. It was suspected tree damage occurred because its been four months since similar gusts happened and because the gusty winds persisted for an extended part of the day.

September began with drought conditions intensifying across New Jersey. The month though saw a return of near normal precipitation. This was too late for farmers. On the 3rd, Governor James McGreevey requested to Congress a federal farm disaster declaration. It was estimated that the drought will cost farmers about $125 million in revenue. The corn harvest was expected to be down 25 percent and the soybean harvest down 30 percent. Revenue drops in some areas were over 50 percent. Hardest hit were farms in Salem, Gloucester and Cumberland Counties where losses approached 60 percent. Field crops such as hay, wheat, sorghum, soybeans and corn for animal feed were hardest hit because they are not irrigated. Only crops that were harvested through mid-July were in good shape. Labor, fertilizer, irrigation and packaging costs were rising. Even farmers that could irrigate were seeing ponds drying. Pumpkins were expected to be smaller in size. Farmers were seeing increased damage from wildlife as deer, small animals and insects moved into fields looking for food and water. Landscaping businesses were also hard hit by the drought. With watering restrictions in place, consumers shied away from new purchases. The grass became dormant. It was estimated that revenue for the landscaping business was off by one-third (about 100 million dollars). The Delaware River Basin Commission, which oversees water supply throughout the Delaware River Basin declared a "drought" on December 3, 2001 when the supply of water in the New York City reservoir system dropped below a designated level for early December. The commission declared a drought emergency on December 18, 2001. Both triggered additional reductions in the amount of water released from the reservoirs into the Delaware River and the amount diverted out of the Delaware River Basin to New York City and New Jersey. Diversions to New York City dropped from 800 million gallons a day to 520 million gallons a day. The emergency declaration gave the commission the power to restrict the amount of water suppliers could draw from the basin. It gave the commission the authority to take water from municipal reservoirs to maintain river levels. It could also call for water releases from federal, state and privately owned reservoirs. Water from Lake Nockamixon, the F.E. Walter Reservoir and Lake Wallenpaupack could be used to maintain river levels. They were last used for this purpose in the 1960s. The releases help protect the riverbank and aquatic life and also prevents salt water from flowing up the Delaware River. Salt water intrusion causes corrosion problems for industries and increases water treatment costs for municipalities that depend on the river for their water supply. Maintaining river levels are also important for groundwater reserves that are recharged by the river itself. As of September 30th, the salt front along the Delaware River was ten miles farther upstream than its normal September position. The emergency declaration also gives the commission the power to request that utilities and other companies that use more than one million gallons of water a day to prepare contingency plans to use less water and submit the plans to the commission. The New York City Reservoirs which feed the Delaware River decreased from 59.7 percent of capacity on September 1st to 50.4 percent of capacity on October 1st. The northern New Jersey reservoirs were at about 63 percent of capacity as of September 30th, about 8 percent below normal. For the month streamflow on the Delaware River was about 75 percent of normal. The drought had other affects across the state. A statewide ban of watering lawns and washing vehicles at residences was imposed. Limited outdoor watering of trees, shrubs and vegetable gardens was permitted on an odd-even basis. Open burning remained banned except for barbecues and permits for religious ceremonies. On September 20th, Governor McGreevey issued an administrative order creating a moratorium on new housing development in Egg Harbor, Galloway and Hamilton Townships. New water service was prohibited in any housing that was not started for the duration of the drought emergency. Atlantic County led the state in well replacements. There was concern about adequate water in streams, rivers, reservoirs and lakes for the autumn trout stocking. Black bears were having more interactions with humans in the northwest part of the state and were heading south toward the Pine Barrens in search of food and water. Oak worm caterpillars were defoliating trees in the southeast part of the state. It was feared they might be pushed over the edge since many were also defoliated by gypsy moth caterpillars in the spring. Recent droughts forced Brick Township (Ocean County) to begin construction on a new billion gallon reservoir. Water will be pumped from the Metedeconk River. On the positive side, the drought (and less inland runoff) led to better water quality in the oceans and bays. This summer had the lowest number of bay swimming bans since 1990. In Ocean County, there were no swimming bans at all.The return of normal rainfall in September held hope for late field crops. Nevertheless, groundwater monitoring wells in the southern part of the state remained near record lows. The preliminary statewide average precipitation total for the month of September was 4.08 inches. Normal is 4.15 inches. On a county weighted average, September monthly precipitation totals ranged from 3.0 inches in Cape May County to 4.8 inches in Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex and Bergen Counties. The greatest precipitation fell across central and northeast New Jersey. Monthly precipitation totals were 3.30 inches at the Atlantic City International Airport and 2.40 inches in Trenton.

The longest run of days with high temperatures of 90 or greater for the summer occurred across central and southern New Jersey from the 11th through the 20th. This was the longest heat wave for the state since the twelve day heat wave during the summer of 1999. It also solidified August and the summer of 2002 as one of the ten hottest summers on record. Along with the heat came the humidity. The hottest weather occurred for most places on the 13th and 14th. Offshore winds made the 17th the warmest day along the immediate shore. A couple of weak cold fronts dissipated as they tried to cross the state during this heat wave. The only effect was to keep temperatures and humidity levels from getting any higher inland from the 15th through the 20th. A stronger cold front moved through the state on the 20th and ended the run of hot weather. Both Public Service Electric and Gas and the PJM Interconnection issued advisories on urging customers to conserve electricity. About 3,000 persons lost power because of th heat in Monmouth County on the 13th. One heat related death occurred in Burlington County. A 77-year-old man was found dead in Mansfield Township on the 17th. His bedroom temperature was 104 degrees. In Sussex County, two teenagers became ill (heat exhaustion) after playing sports during the afternoon of the 13th. Highest reported temperatures included 101 degrees in Vernon (Sussex County), 99 degrees in Mount Holly (Burlington County), Somerville (Somerset County), 98 degrees in Trenton (Mercer County), 97 degrees at the Atlantic City International Airport, Millville (Cumberland County) and Belmar (Monmouth County)

The gust front from a line of severe thunderstorms that move through central New Jersey knocked down a couple of trees and numerous wires in townships in eastern Mercer County. Downed wires and or trees were reported in Hopewell Township, Princeton Township, West Windsor Township and Hightstown Borough. Public Service Electric and Gas reported about 90,000 of its customers lost power in west central New Jersey because of the intense lightning and wind. About 7,500 cloud-to-ground lightning strikes occurred in the Greater Philadelphia Metropolitan Area between 7 p.m. EDT and 1 a.m. EDT that evening. All power was restored to Mercer County residents by 10 a.m. EDT on the 4th.

The unseasonably warm and dry month of August intensified drought conditions across the state. In fact very little precipitation fell across the state between August 2nd and the 24th. Nearby Philadelphia International Airport came within a day of tying the all-time record for the most consecutive days without measurable precipitation (25 days) during the summer. No measurable precipitation fell at the airport from July 29th through August 21st. In spite of mandatory restrictions, water usage increased as the month wore on. Water usage statewide was down by as much as 20 percent in May and June. As a result, tighter water restrictions were implemented on the 20th. A statewide ban of watering lawns and washing vehicles at residences was imposed. Limited outdoor watering of trees, shrubs and vegetable gardens was permitted on an odd-even basis. The new restrictions requires non-agricultural commercial water systems using more than 100,000 gallons per day to submit to the department no later than September 10th their previously required water use reduction contingency plans for 10 to 50 percent reductions. In addition, by September 30th, the water suppliers must outline and submit to the department any adverse economic impacts resulting from the implementation of a 20 percent water use reduction. Earlier in the month all open burning was banned except for barbecues and permits for religious ceremonies. The preliminary statewide average precipitation total for the month of August was 3.62 inches. Normal is 4.56 inches. The Delaware River Basin Commission, which oversees water supply throughout the Delaware River Basin declared a "drought" on December 3, 2001 when the supply of water in the New York City reservoir system dropped below a designated level for early December. The commission declared a drought emergency on December 18, 2001. Both triggered additional reductions in the amount of water released from the reservoirs into the Delaware River and the amount diverted out of the Delaware River Basin to New York City and New Jersey. Diversions to New York City dropped from 800 million gallons a day to 520 million gallons a day. The emergency declaration gave the commission the power to restrict the amount of water suppliers could draw from the basin. It gave the commission the authority to take water from municipal reservoirs to maintain river levels. It could also call for water releases from federal, state and privately owned reservoirs. Water from Lake Nockamixon, the F.E. Walter Reservoir and Lake Wallenpaupack could be used to maintain river levels. They were last used for this purpose in the 1960s. The releases help protect the riverbank and aquatic life and also prevents salt water from flowing up the Delaware River. Salt water intrusion causes corrosion problems for industries and increases water treatment costs for municipalities that depend on the river for their water supply. Maintaining river levels are also important for groundwater reserves that are recharged by the river itself. As of August 31st, the salt front along the Delaware River was eight miles farther upstream than its normal August position. The emergency declaration also gives the commission the power to request that utilities and other companies that use more than one million gallons of water a day to prepare contingency plans to use less water and submit the plans to the commission. The New York City Reservoirs which feed the Delaware River decreased from 76.5 percent of capacity on August 1st to 59.7 percent of capacity on September 1st. The northern New Jersey reservoirs were at about 65 percent of capacity as of August 31st, about 12 percent below normal. For the month streamflow on the Delaware River was about 75 percent of normal. On a county weighted average, August monthly precipitation totals ranged from 2.9 inches in Cape May County to 4.7 inches in Middlesex County. Most of this fell during the last week of the month. The greatest precipitation fell across central New Jersey. Monthly precipitation totals were 2.43 inches at the Atlantic City International Airport and 4.05 inches in Trenton.

Another hot and very humid air mass moved into New Jersey on the 28th. In most areas this hot spell produced some of the highest heat indices of the summer as they reached around 105F during the afternoon of the 29th. Even shore areas baked on the 29th and 30th as westerly winds kept the sea breeze from forming. July 30th was the hottest day (99 degrees) of the summer at the Atlantic City Marina. A cold front moved through the region during the night of the 30th. While temperatures on the 31st still reached into the 90s, dew point temperatures and the moisture content of the air mass was considerably lower. The apparent temperature (or heat index) matched and did not exceed the afternoon high temperatures. More humid air again moved in during the start of August. The string of days with high temperatures of 90 degrees or higher for inland locations did not end until August 5th or 6th. There were several reports of heat related illnesses, most were along the shore. Cooling centers for senior citizens were opened in Middlesex County. The hot weather and high humidity levels taxed electric utilities and the PJM Interconnection issued a usage advisory . Both Jersey Central Power and Light and Conectiv Power Delivery asked customers to use electricity prudently. For most places the highest temperatures with the July part of this hot spell occurred on the 29th and included 101 degrees in New Lisbon (Burlington County), 99 degrees at the Marina within Atlantic City and Belvidere (Warren County), 98 degrees at the Atlantic City International Airport, New Brunswick (Middlesex County), Mount Holly (Burlington County), Pennsauken (Camden County), Beach Haven (Ocean County) and Trenton (Mercer County), 97 degrees in Belmar (Monmouth County), Morristown (Morris County), Somerville (Somerset County), West Deptford (Gloucester County) and Millville (Cumberland County), 96 degrees in Flemington (Hunterdon County) 94 degrees in Avalon (Cape May County) and Sandy Hook (Monmouth County) and 93 degrees in Wildwood (Cape May County) The hot spell at the end of July cemented the month as being well above normal. The preliminary statewide monthly mean temperature of 76.5 degrees was 2.0 degrees above normal and was tied for the 10th warmest July in New Jersey since 1895. The July monthly mean temperature at the Atlantic City International Airport was 77.1 degrees, 1.8 degrees above normal and the 6th warmest July on record. There were 16 days that the high temperatures was 90 degrees or higher. The July monthly mean temperature at the Marina within Atlantic City was 77.2 degrees, 2.0 degrees above normal and the 5th warmest July on record. The July monthly mean temperature in Trenton was 77.3 degrees, 1.4 degrees above normal. There were 15 days that the high temperatures was 90 degrees or higher.

July started with unseasonably hot and humid weather across New Jersey. The hottest and most humid weather occurred on Independence Day before a cold front quietly moved through the region during the night of the 4th. Highest temperatures for most locations were well into the 90s and heat indices reached as high as 105 degrees. Offshore winds even baked shore areas on the 3rd and 4th as high temperatures reached into the 90s. The excessive heat caused a small number of heat related illnesses across the state, mainly the elderly. Festivals scheduled for Independence Day showed drops in attendance figures because of the hot weather. Jersey Central Power and Light set a new usage record of 5,617 megawatts on the 3rd. Highest temperatures included 100 degrees in Pennsauken (Camden County) and Belvidere (Warren County), 99 degrees in Margate (Atlantic County), White House Station (Hunterdon County) and Morristown (Morris County), 98 degrees in Millville (Cumberland County), West Deptford (Gloucester County), Hightstown (Mercer County), New Brunswick (Middlesex County), Freehold (Monmouth County), Vernon (Sussex County) and Mount Holly (Burlington County), 97 degrees in Beach Haven (Ocean County), Wildwood (Cape May County), Trenton (Mercer County) and the Atlantic City International, 96 degrees in Somerville (Somerset County) and the Marina within Atlantic City and 94 degrees in Flemington (Hunterdon County).

The unseasonably warm and dry month of July intensified drought conditions across the state. In spite of mandatory restrictions, water usage increased as the month wore on. Water usage statewide was down by as much as 20 percent in May and June. The preliminary statewide average precipitation total for the month of July was 1.52 inches, the 6th driest July on record since 1895. Normal is 4.49 inches. As July wore on streamflow and groundwater levels dropped again. In the southern part of the state as of July 22nd groundwater levels in the Kirkwood-Cohansey Aquifer reached record low levels for July. Streamflow on the Maurice, Great Egg and Oswego Rivers were also approaching record lows.The number of municipalities declaring tighter restrictions increased. In Woolwich Township (Gloucester County) and Roxbury Township (Morris County) moratoriums on water allocation permits stopped ongoing developments. Brick Township in Ocean County banned all unnecessary watering in the township and also in Point Pleasant and Point Pleasant Beach as sand intruded in one well. The municipal authority could not draw water from the Metedeconk River because of salt water intrusion. In Cumberland County, residents in one Vineland community were invaded by crayfish after the Burnt Mill Pond went dry and the creatures went looking for water. Due to the normal to above normal precipitation from March through June, early crops were not affected by the drought. But, as the month wore on, they were showing signs of stress. The second cutting of hay in Sussex County was stopped because of inadequate moisture. Subsoil conditions were becoming dry. It was estimated that up to 50 percent of the corn crop in Hunterdon County could be lost. Flow along the Assunpink Creek was at a 19 year low. Any plans of opening the Mercer Oaks East Golf Course this year were cancelled. The Delaware River Basin Commission, which oversees water supply throughout the Delaware River Basin declared a "drought" on December 3, 2001 when the supply of water in the New York City reservoir system dropped below a designated level for early December. The commission declared a drought emergency on December 18, 2001. Both triggered additional reductions in the amount of water released from the reservoirs into the Delaware River and the amount diverted out of the Delaware River Basin to New York City and New Jersey. Diversions to New York City dropped from 800 million gallons a day to 520 million gallons a day. The emergency declaration gave the commission the power to restrict the amount of water suppliers could draw from the basin. It gave the commission the authority to take water from municipal reservoirs to maintain river levels. It could also call for water releases from federal, state and privately owned reservoirs. Water from Lake Nockamixon, the F.E. Walter Reservoir and Lake Wallenpaupack could be used to maintain river levels. They were last used for this purpose in the 1960s. The releases help protect the riverbank and aquatic life and also prevents salt water from flowing up the Delaware River. Salt water intrusion causes corrosion problems for industries and increases water treatment costs for municipalities that depend on the river for their water supply. Maintaining river levels are also important for groundwater reserves that are recharged by the river itself. As of July 31st, the salt front along the Delaware River was one mile farther upstream than its normal July position. The emergency declaration also gives the commission the power to request that utilities and other companies that use more than one million gallons of water a day to prepare contingency plans to use less water and submit the plans to the commission. The New York City Reservoirs which feed the Delaware River decreased from 89.0 percent of capacity on July 1st to 77.1 percent of capacity on July 31st. The northern New Jersey reservoirs were at about 80 percent of capacity as of July 31st, slightly below normal. For the month streamflow on the Delaware River was about 75 percent of normal. On a county weighted average, July monthly precipitation totals ranged from 1.1 inches in Hunterdon County to 2.5 inches in Camden County. The least precipitation fell across the Raritan River Basin. Monthly precipitation totals were 1.07 inches (second driest on record) at the Atlantic City International Airport and 0.60 inches in Trenton. The monthly precipitation total of 0.86 inches at the Atlantic City Marina was the 6th driest July on record.

New Jersey entered June 2002 with a drought emergency in effect for the entire state with mandatory watering restrictions in place. Water usage statewide was down by as much as 20 percent. June 2002 was the fourth straight month of either average or wetter than normal precipitation for the state. The preliminary statewide average precipitation total for the month of June was 4.69 inches. Normal is 3.79 inches. In spite of improving conditions, the long run of below normal precipitation was still taking its toll on the state, especially the southern half. Wells were being replaced in Atlantic, Burlington, Cape May, Cumberland and Ocean Counties at a faster pace than normal. The Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer in Deerfield (Cumberland County) remained near record lows. Even wells in Millstone (Somerset County) up to 180 feet deep were going dry. On the positive side, surface reservoirs in the northern half of the state continued to recover. They returned to seasonal normals during the month and were about 90 percent of capacity on June 30th. Even the Spruce Run Reservoir (Hunterdon County) reached 70 percent of capacity during June. On May 1st it was at 47.9 percent of capacity. The Round Valley Reservoir (Hunterdon County) was at 94 percent of capacity. Normal precipitation gave farmers enough moisture for their crops. The Delaware River Basin Commission, which oversees water supply throughout the Delaware River Basin declared a "drought" on December 3, 2001 when the supply of water in the New York City reservoir system dropped below a designated level for early December. The commission declared a drought emergency on December 18, 2001. Both triggered additional reductions in the amount of water released from the reservoirs into the Delaware River and the amount diverted out of the Delaware River Basin to New York City and New Jersey. Diversions to New York City dropped from 800 million gallons a day to 520 million gallons a day. The emergency declaration gave the commission the power to restrict the amount of water suppliers could draw from the basin. It gave the commission the authority to take water from municipal reservoirs to maintain river levels. It could also call for water releases from federal, state and privately owned reservoirs. Water from Lake Nockamixon, the F.E. Walter Reservoir and Lake Wallenpaupack could be used to maintain river levels. They were last used for this purpose in the 1960s. The releases help protect the riverbank and aquatic life and also prevents salt water from flowing up the Delaware River. Salt water intrusion causes corrosion problems for industries and increases water treatment costs for municipalities that depend on the river for their water supply. Maintaining river levels are also important for groundwater reserves that are recharged by the river itself. Due to a wet May, on June 1st, the salt front along the Delaware River was six miles farther downstream than its normal June position. The emergency declaration also gives the commission the power to request that utilities and other companies that use more than one million gallons of water a day to prepare contingency plans to use less water and submit the plans to the commission. The New York City Reservoirs which feed the Delaware River increased from 81.2 percent of capacity on June 1st to 89.9 percent of capacity on June 24th. They then dropped to 89.0 percent of capacity as of July 1st. Reservoir storage was within the normal range. Under law, the Delaware River Basin Commission drought emergency declaration could not be lifted until reservoir levels remained 40 billion gallons above the drought watch level for 30 days. The commission voted to continue the drought emergency declaration through October 2002 unless all hydrological parameters returned to normal. On June 30th the salt front on the Delaware River was about five miles farther downstream than normal. For the month streamflow on the Delaware River was above normal. In response to the improving conditions, some of the watering restrictions were relaxed. Lawns could be watered on an odd-even basis and vehicles washed on weekends. Non-lawn vegetation could also be watered on an odd-even basis. New sod or grass seed could be watered every day. Golf courses could use 80 percent of their normal usage (up from 50 percent). The moratorium on wells for new developments, running ornamental fountains and other restrictions remained in place. Several municipalities in Morris and Somerset Counties continued stricter restrictions. On a county weighted average, June monthly precipitation totals ranged from 3.5 inches in Cape May County to 6.3 inches in Camden County. The least precipitation fell across the northeastern part of the state, while the heaviest precipitation fell in the southwest part of the state. Monthly precipitation totals were 4.98 inches at the Atlantic City International Airport and 5.10 inches in Trenton.

New Jersey entered May 2002 with a drought emergency in effect for the entire state with mandatory watering restrictions in place. Water usage statewide was down about 5 to 10 percent. May 2002 was the third straight month of either average or wetter than normal precipitation for the state. The preliminary statewide average precipitation total for the month of May was 4.22 inches. Normal is 4.30 inches. In spite of improving conditions, the long run of below normal precipitation was still taking its toll on the state, especially the southern half. On May 31st, groundwater levels in the southern half of the state still averaged about 5 feet below normal. Half of the ponds in the Mullica River Basin went dry over the winter. Pond levels in Absecon (Atlantic County) were still below normal. The disappearance of the ponds was expected to have a negative impact on the breeding of frogs and the endangered swamp pink flower. It was expected that only the main Pine Barrens rivers will contain enough water for canoeing and kayaking during the summer months. In the northern part of the state, a couple of fishing contests were canceled and the moratorium for new connections to the municipal water authority in Mendham Township (Morris County) remained in effect. The boat ramps to the Spruce Run Reservoir were not usable because water levels were too low. The Monmouth Beach (Monmouth County) Two River Water Reclamation Authority sent a letter to its township and neighboring towns that its purified effluent water was available for use. Nursery and landscaping business throughout the state was off by about 20 percent. Groups were still prohibited from holding fundraising car washes. On the positive side, surface reservoirs in the northern half of the state continued to recover. They rose from 60 percent to 85 percent of capacity by the end of the month and were only about 10 percent below normal. The contingency plans to draw 25 million gallons of water a day from Lake Hopatcong starting in the summer and transfer it into the Rockaway River for the Boonton Reservoir was dropped. In addition, the combination of holding back releases and normal springtime precipitation filled Lake Hopatcong to capacity. Even the Spruce Run Reservoir (Hunterdon County) reached over 60 percent of capacity during the month. On May 1st it was at 47.9 percent of capacity. The Round Valley Reservoir (Hunterdon County) was at 94 percent of capacity. Only two percent of the spring trout stocking was displaced. Normal springtime precipitation gave farmers enough moisture for their crops. The Delaware River Basin Commission, which oversees water supply throughout the Delaware River Basin declared a "drought" on December 3, 2001 when the supply of water in the New York City reservoir system dropped below a designated level for early December. The commission declared a drought emergency on December 18, 2001. Both triggered additional reductions in the amount of water released from the reservoirs into the Delaware River and the amount diverted out of the Delaware River Basin to New York City and New Jersey. Diversions to New York City dropped from 800 million gallons a day to 520 million gallons a day. The emergency declaration gave the commission the power to restrict the amount of water suppliers could draw from the basin. It gave the commission the authority to take water from municipal reservoirs to maintain river levels. It could also call for water releases from federal, state and privately owned reservoirs. Water from Lake Nockamixon, the F.E. Walter Reservoir and Lake Wallenpaupack could be used to maintain river levels. They were last used for this purpose in the 1960s. The releases help protect the riverbank and aquatic life and also prevents salt water from flowing up the Delaware River. Salt water intrusion causes corrosion problems for industries and increases water treatment costs for municipalities that depend on the river for their water supply. Maintaining river levels are also important for groundwater reserves that are recharged by the river itself. On May 1st, the salt front along the Delaware River was three miles farther upstream than its normal May position. The emergency declaration also gives the commission the power to request that utilities and other companies that use more than one million gallons of water a day to prepare contingency plans to use less water and submit the plans to the commission. The New York City Reservoirs which feed the Delaware River increased from 62.5 percent of capacity to 81.2 percent of capacity on June 1st. Normal for June 1st is 99.5 percent of capacity. For the first time since last October, reservoir storage was within the normal range. Under law, the Delaware River Basin Commission drought emergency declaration could not be lifted until reservoir levels remained 40 billion gallons above the drought watch level for 30 days. This was not achieved as of May 31st. But, by May 31st, the salt front on the Delaware River was three miles farther downstream than normal. For the month streamflow on the Delaware River averaged 150 percent of normal. On a county weighted average, May monthly precipitation totals ranged from 3.4 inches in Monmouth and Cape May Counties to 5.5 inches in Hunterdon and Sussex Counties. The least precipitation fell across the eastern part of the state, while the heaviest precipitation fell in the northwest part of the state. Monthly precipitation totals were 2.76 inches at the Atlantic City International Airport and 4.70 inches in Trenton.

New Jersey entered April 2002 with a drought emergency in effect for the entire state with mandatory watering restrictions in place. Water usage statewide was down about 5 to 10 percent. March 2002 was the first month since June of 2001 where the statewide average precipitation was wetter than normal. This trend continued during April. The preliminary statewide average precipitation total for the month of April was 4.06 inches. Normal is 3.93 inches. In spite of improving conditions, the long run of below normal precipitation was still taking its toll on the state. The state developed contingency plans to draw 25 million gallons of water a day from Lake Hopatcong starting in the summer and transfer it into the Rockaway River for the Boonton Reservoir. The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) was developing plans to also draw water from Lake Wawayanda. The DEP also requested that all water companies must detail how much water they were losing through leaky pipes and other failures and how they plan on reducing those losses. It was estimated that 15 percent of all water pumped each day is lost. The DEP also required the New Jersey American Water Company to take as much water as possible from the Elizabethtown Water Company in central New Jersey (where water conditions were the best) for northeast New Jersey. The Morris County Municipal Utilities Authority banned all watering of lawns. Two Roxbury (Morris County) Township wells were shut down because of low levels. The moratorium on all connections to the system were extended through July. Along with the water restrictions came a ban on controlled burns as the Forest Service was in the spring fire season. Recreational fires and open burns had to be coordinated with the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. Only outdoor barbecues and religious ceremonies that involved a fire were not banned. Through April 15th there were 714 wildfires in New Jersey in 2002 vs 223 in 2001. It was the busiest winter season for the Forestry Service in over 30 years.Effects of the drought on individual counties New Jersey entered April 2002 with a drought emergency in effect for the entire state with mandatory watering restrictions in place. The Morris County Municipal Utilities Authority banned all watering of lawns. Two Roxbury (Morris County) Township wells were shut down because of low levels. Netcong Borough (Morris County) banned using municipal water for filling swimming pools. The moratorium on all connections to the system were extended through July. In Branchburg (Somerset County), plans for a township park well were scrapped because of its effect on neighboring homeowner's wells. Gloucester County had drilled more replacement groundwater wells in April than all of 2001 combined. Many townships either scaled back or canceled their spring landscaping plantings. In Cape May County, the salt water intrusion reached well inland from the southern tip of the county. The drought had other affects across the area. Nurseries continued to struggle as consumers were reluctant to buy plants, shrubs and other big ticket items. Some tree nursery sales were down as much as 90 percent. In order to assist the landscaping industry, watering restrictions were relaxed a bit on April 30th for a two month period. Lawn watering was permitted twice weekly in the southwest, northwest and coastal south drought regions. It was already permitted in the central and north coastal drought areas. The annual trout stocking proceeded, but nine locations in the northwest part of the state were not stocked because of low water levels. Wildlife in general was expected to be threatened by higher concentrations of lawn chemicals, pesticides, septic runoff and pollutants in the streams. The lower water levels in lakes and ponds was expected to lead to more vegetation growth, warmer water temperatures, less oxygen and more fish kills. It was also feared that the spawning of bass will be threatened because their nests may be high and dry. Some local sewage authorities were making treated wastewater available to be used for street sweeping, roadside plantings, cleaning sewers and landscaping purposes. The Delaware River Basin Commission, which oversees water supply throughout the Delaware River Basin declared a "drought" on December 3, 2001 when the supply of water in the New York City reservoir system dropped below a designated level for early December. The commission declared a drought emergency on December 18, 2001. Both triggered additional reductions in the amount of water released from the reservoirs into the Delaware River and the amount diverted out of the Delaware River Basin to New York City and New Jersey. Diversions to New York City dropped from 800 million gallons a day to 520 million gallons a day. The emergency declaration gave the commission the power to restrict the amount of water suppliers could draw from the basin. It gave the commission the authority to take water from municipal reservoirs to maintain river levels. It could also call for water releases from federal, state and privately owned reservoirs. Water from Lake Nockamixon, the F.E. Walter Reservoir and Lake Wallenpaupack could be used to maintain river levels. They were last used for this purpose in the 1960s. The releases help protect the riverbank and aquatic life and also prevents salt water from flowing up the Delaware River. Salt water intrusion causes corrosion problems for industries and increases water treatment costs for municipalities that depend on the river for their water supply. Maintaining river levels are also important for groundwater reserves that are recharged by the river itself. On April 1st, the salt front along the Delaware River was eight miles farther upstream than its normal April position. The emergency declaration also gives the commission the power to request that utilities and other companies that use more than one million gallons of water a day to prepare contingency plans to use less water and submit the plans to the commission. Conditions though improved in New Jersey as April wore on. Enough topsoil moisture was available for the spring planting and germination of crops by farmers. Groundwater wells were rising, but were still near record lows. The steady rain decreased the chance of a deep turf forest fire. For the first time in over half a year the Mullica and Great Egg Rivers in southern New Jersey had normal streamflow. The Northern New Jersey reservoirs increased from about 48 percent to 60 percent of capacity during the month. Normal for April 30th is about 95 percent of capacity. The Round Valley Reservoir in Hunterdon County was over 90 percent full. The New York City Reservoirs which feed the Delaware River increased from 50.2 percent of capacity on April 1st to 62.5 percent of capacity on May 1st. Normal for May 1st is 100 percent of capacity.On a county weighted average, April monthly precipitation totals ranged from 2.4 inches in Monmouth County to 5.6 inches in Cumberland County. The normal statewide average is 3.93 inches. The least precipitation fell across the central third of the state, while precipitation was wetter than normal elsewhere in the state. Monthly precipitation totals were 4.08 inches at the Atlantic City International Airport and 3.03 inches in Trenton.

A strong cold frontal passage before dawn ushered in one of the coldest air masses of the winter season on the 10th. A line of thunderstorms accompanied its passage and produced some wind damage on its own in the northwest part of the state just after midnight. The surface pressure difference (pressure gradient) between a high pressure system in the Mississippi Valley and a very intense low pressure system (around 970 millibars) just east of James Bay produced more windy conditions from just before dawn into the early evening of the 10th. As the high pressure system moved closer to New Jersey late in the day, winds diminished. The worst reported wind damage occurred in Keansburg in Monmouth County. At 515 a.m. EST the winds tore off a section of a roof of an apartment building and knocked down several power lines. Forty people were evacuated from the building, several were sheltered at the New Point Comfort Fire Company. They were permitted to return to the building later that evening. Elsewhere in Monmouth County, the strong winds knocked down three telephone poles at 11 a.m. EST in Middletown Township and caused one road closure. Peak wind gusts averaged between 35 and 55 mph and included 54 mph in Keansburg (Monmouth County), 49 mph in Sparta Mountain (Sussex County), 48 mph in Atlantic City (Atlantic County), 47mph in Mountain Creek (Sussex County), 46 mph in Sandy Hook (Monmouth County), 45 mph at the Atlantic City International Airport and Lumberton (Burlington County), 43 mph in Cape May Harbor (Cape May County), 41 mph on Long Beach Island (Ocean County), 40 mph in Trenton (Mercer County), 39 mph in Morristown (Morris County) and Somerville (Somerset County) and 36 mph in Millville (Cumberland County).

New Jersey entered March 2002 with considerably dry conditions and a drought warning in effect for most of the state. The northern New Jersey and New York City Reservoirs were at about 40 percent of capacity, well below normal. Most of the state's shallow groundwater wells were at the lowest levels ever for this time of year. Most of the surface streams and rivers were flowing at only about 25 percent of normal. The South River in Atlantic County ran dry. There was a record number (500) of wells being replaced throughout the state through early March. All precipitated Governor Jim McGreevey to declare a drought emergency for the state of New Jersey on March 4th. The drought emergency placed an immediate ban on non-essential use of water. Water could be served in restaurants only be request. Vehicles and boats could only be washed commercially. Grass watering was banned except in the Raritan Basin and North Coastal New Jersey (every other day). There was a limit to the amount of watering for newly seeded or sodded grass. Gardens, trees and shrubs could only be watered using a hose or watering can. Golf courses must cut back usage by 50 percent. Athletic fields could only be watered overnight. Washing of streets, roads, sidewalks, driveways, garages, parking areas and patios with potable water was banned. Only commercial power washing of surfaces permitted. Running water through fountains, artificial waterfalls and reflection pools were prohibited except to support wildlife. Flushing of sewer lines with potable water was banned. Pools, hot tubs and jacuzzis can be filled as long as they have the consent of the local water provider. Any pool drained prior to March 11th could be refilled and a pool could be drained (for repairs) and refilled once. Major water consumers (>200,000 gallons a day) must develop contingency plans for incremental reductions to 50 percent. Water companies serving more than 10,000 people have to make sure the equipment that allows them to transfer water to other providers is working properly. Water releases from Lake Hopatcong was reduced from 7.5 to 4.4 million gallons per day to maximize water storage. There was a moratorium of new water allocation registrations to businesses seeking to use 100,000 gallons a day. This was extended to requests for any developments as small as two homes. Water was being pumped from central (Raritan Valley) New Jersey to help northeast New Jersey. Along with the water restrictions came a ban on controlled burns as the Forest Service was heading into what usually is the start of the spring fire season. Recreational fires and open burns had to be coordinated with the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. Only outdoor barbecues and religious ceremonies that involved a fire were not banned. The unseasonably dry weather continued the fire season through the winter. The Forest Service responded to 1,116 wildfires between October 1, 2001 and March 25th, the most in 30 years. The drought not only could cause fires to spread quicker, but the streams and ponds used by the firefighters as water sources were drying out. Brooks and swamps that normally act as natural barriers to fire were running low. The drought can also prolong underground turf fires that can burn for days.Effects of the drought on individual counties included in Sussex County, one well company had 200 well deepening contracts on back order. Well problems occurred in at least five townships. In Warren County, Christmas tree farms were showing stress. In Morris County, Roxbury Township issued a moratorium on all new water connections. In Hunterdon County, drought emergencies were declared (Raritan Basin) in Clinton and Glen Garden Boroughs. Wells were running dry in Hampton Borough and Cherryville. There was an eight week waiting list for drillers. In Ocean County, Brick Township may cancel the spring little league and soccer seasons because a total watering ban of athletic fields was in effect. In Burlington County, there was a seven week back log for deepening wells. In Atlantic County, wells were being replaced at twice the rate of 2001. In Cumberland County, irrigation ponds were dry. In Cape May County, the salt water line had moved north about 300 feet since last year and was under Lower Township. Once salt water infiltrates a well, it becomes brackish and unusable. There are about 9,000 private wells in Lower Township. The drought had other affects across the area. Sprinkler system, garden centers, pond design, pool companies, landscapers and wholesale nurseries were expected to suffer because of the restrictions. Some frogs and salamanders are not expected to reproduce this year because most of the 3,000 to 5,000 vernal (winter) pools they lay their eggs in are dry. Wildlife in general was expected to be threatened by higher concentrations of lawn chemicals, pesticides, septic runoff and pollutants in the streams. A farmer's fish population died after he pumped water from the Manasquan River into his pond. The trout restocking went as scheduled, but the state avoided stocking them in smaller streams and brooks. Due to the lack of feed and warm weather there have been more nuisance bear sightings and deer have damaged more of the corn and alfalfa crops. The high number of acorns left on the ground led to a boom in the wild turkey population. Lower ground water levels led to poorer water quality that needed further treatment. Laundromat businesses were booming because people were afraid of running out of well water. Commercial car washes were also doing well. New golf course openings may be cancelled or postponed in Hunterdon and Mercer Counties. The winter wheat crop was suffering. The spring allergy season started earlier and stronger because of the dry, warm weather. The low level of Lake Hopatcong was expected to harm the local economy. The Budweiser Plant in Newark had to start using water from the Raritan River instead of the Wanaque Reservoir. The lack of standing water was expected to diminish the impact of mosquitoes and West Nile Disease. The Delaware River Basin Commission, which oversees water supply throughout the Delaware River Basin declared a "drought" on December 3rd when the supply of water in the New York City reservoir system dropped below a designated level for early December. The commission declared a drought emergency on December 18th. Both triggered additional reductions in the amount of water released from the reservoirs into the Delaware River and the amount diverted out of the Delaware River Basin to New York City and New Jersey. Diversions to New York City dropped from 800 million gallons a day to 520 million gallons a day. The emergency declaration gave the commission the power to restrict the amount of water suppliers could draw from the basin. It gave the commission the authority to take water from municipal reservoirs to maintain river levels. It could also call for water releases from federal, state and privately owned reservoirs. Water from Lake Nockamixon, the F.E. Walter Reservoir and Lake Wallenpaupack could be used to maintain river levels. They were last used for this purpose in the 1960s. The releases help protect the riverbank and aquatic life and also prevents salt water from flowing up the Delaware River. Salt water intrusion causes corrosion problems for industries and increases water treatment costs for municipalities that depend on the river for their water supply. Maintaining river levels are also important for groundwater reserves that are recharged by the river itself. On March 1st, the salt front along the Delaware River was five miles farther upstream than normal. The emergency declaration also gives the commission the power to request that utilities and other companies that use more than one million gallons of water a day to prepare contingency plans to use less water and submit the plans to the commission. Conditions improved in New Jersey as the month wore on. Precipitation events on March 2nd and 3rd, 13th, 17th and 18th, 20th, 26th and 31st resulted in above normal precipitation for most of the state. The March 2nd and 3rd precipitation event was the heaviest event in some locations since September of 2001. This was the first month since June of 2001 that the statewide average monthly precipitation (4.35 inches preliminary average) was wetter than normal (4.17 inches). On a county weighted average, March monthly precipitation totals ranged from 3.0 inches in Sussex County to 4.8 inches in Atlantic County. Monthly precipitation totals were 4.21 inches in Trenton and 5.61 inches at the Atlantic City International Airport. Soil moisture in farms reached down to about 10 inches by the end of the month. Reservoirs and groundwater levels started to improve, but were still below normal. Most are normally near capacity by the end of the month. The Northern New Jersey reservoirs increased from about 40 percent to 48 percent of capacity during the month. The Spruce Run Reservoir in Hunterdon County increased from 32 to 40 percent of capacity. In Monmouth County, the Swimming River Reservoir was overflowing and the other its two reservoirs were up to about 85 percent of capacity. A monitoring groundwater well in Hunterdon County rose five feet during the month. The New York City Reservoirs which feed the Delaware River increased from 39.3 percent of capacity on March 1st to 50.2 percent of capacity on April 1st. The salt front on the Delaware River was only 2 miles farther upstream than normal on April 1st. But, average flow for the major streams and rivers were still only about 50 percent of normal.

For the third time during the first eleven days of February, strong and even some high winds followed the passage of a vigorous cold front through New Jersey. Strong winds began around sunrise and persisted throughout the daylight hours. Peak wind gusts averaged between 35 and 55 mph inland and between 45 and 65 mph along the shore. Weak trees, tree limbs and power lines were knocked down. In Sussex County, downed trees or limbs littered sections of New Jersey State Route 23 and County Routes 565, 517 and 623. Downed trees and limbs were also reported in Andover, Newton, Green and Wantage Townships. GPU Energy reported about 200 customers in Sussex County lost power. In Atlantic County in Somers Point, a small tree fell on a house and smashed its gutter. Peak winds included 62 mph at Barnegat Light (Ocean County), 60 mph in Cape May (Cape May County), 55 mph at High Point and Sparta Mountain (Sussex County), 54 mph in Keansburg (Monmouth County), 50 mph at the Atlantic City International Airport (Atlantic County), 46 mph in Belmar (Monmouth County), 45 mph in Wildwood (Cape May County), 44 mph in Millville (Cumberland County) and Trenton (Mercer County), 41 mph in Somerville (Somerset County) and 40 mph in Wrightstown (Burlington County).

Unseasonably dry weather intensified across New Jersey during the month of February. It was the driest February on record across the state. The preliminary monthly statewide average precipitation total was 0.78 inches. The previous record was 0.92 inches set in 1901. Normal is 3.15 inches. On a county weighted average, monthly precipitation totals ranged from 0.5 inches in Salem County to 1.0 inch in Morris County. Fifteen of the last seventeen months in the state were drier than normal. It was also the driest meteorological winter (December through February) on record in the state. The preliminary seasonal average precipitation total was 5.32 inches. The previous record was 5.49 inches set during the winter of 1979-80. Normal is 10.60 inches.The continued dry weather, the drop in stream flow and groundwater levels and the reduced levels in the New York State reservoirs forced the New Jersey State Department of Environmental Protection to continue the drought warning for all of New Jersey except for Union, Middlesex and Somerset Counties. The unseasonably dry weather in February exacerbated the drought and forced several individual counties to declare water emergencies, especially in the northeast part of the state. On February 27th, Morris County declared a water emergency and issued mandatory restrictions that prohibited the non-commercial washing of vehicles and paved surfaces. The county also prohibited serving water without asking in restaurants and operating decorative fountains and waterfalls. Sussex County issued a water use advisory asking residents to conserve water. The Clinton Water Authority in Hunterdon County declared a drought emergency and restricted customers from washing any outside surfaces or vehicles. Signs of the worsening drought were obvious through hydrological measurements during February. Four northern New Jersey reservoirs remained around 43 percent of capacity, about half of their normal level. The low water level exposed islands and rocks no one has seen for years in the Boonton Reservoir. Release reductions continued from the Wanaque, Point View, Boonton and Split Rock Reservoirs and reduced passing flow continued on the Passaic, Pompton, Ramapo, Raritan, Saddle, Shark, Jumping Brook, Manasquan and Metedeconk Rivers. Water was released from the Merrill Creek Reservoir to help maintain a base flow on the Delaware River. Water was diverted from central New Jersey to help the cities of Newark and Elizabeth. Record low streamflow for calendar days were set for the Rancocas Creek in Pemberton (Burlington County), Crosswicks Creek in North Hanover (Burlington County), Oswego Creek in Bass River (Burlington County), the Mullica River near Batsto (Burlington County), Great Egg Harbor River (Atlantic County) and Maurice River (Cumberland County). Wells were either at or near record lows in Cumberland, Hunterdon and Sussex Counties. Shallow wells in the southeast part of Morris County were showing strain. Water level on Lake Hopatcong (Morris/Sussex County) was three feet below normal and some smaller boat slips were dry. Farmers stated that the winter wheat crop was struggling. They expected a reduced yield. One stated that this was the driest the fields in February have been in his 49 years of farming. Christmas tree farms were also suffering as were other evergreens at nurseries. Irrigation ponds were well below normal (3 to 4 feet) for February. Another result of the drought was increased bear sightings and nuisance calls in the northwest part of the state.The Delaware River Basin Commission, which oversees water supply throughout the Delaware River Basin declared a "drought" on December 3rd when the supply of water in the New York City reservoir system dropped below a designated level for early December. A drought emergency was declared by the commission on December 18th. Both triggered reductions in the amount of water released from the reservoirs into the Delaware River and the amount diverted out of the Delaware River Basin to New York City and New Jersey. Diversions to New York City dropped from 800 million gallons a day to 520 million gallons a day. Diversions to northern New Jersey through the Delaware and Raritan Canal was reduced to 65 million gallons a day from 100 million gallons a day. The emergency declaration gave the commission the power to restrict the amount of water suppliers could draw from the basin. It gave the commission the authority to take water from municipal reservoirs to maintain river levels. It could also call for water releases from federal, state and privately owned reservoirs. Water from Lake Nockamixon, the F.E. Walter Reservoir and Lake Wallenpaupack could be used to maintain river levels. All of these bodies of water are in Pennsylvania. They were last used for this purpose in the 1960s. The releases help protect the riverbank and aquatic life and also prevents salt water from flowing up the Delaware River. Salt water intrusion causes corrosion problems for industries and increases water treatment costs for municipalities that depend on the river for their water supply. Maintaining river levels are also important for groundwater reserves that are recharged by the river itself, especially in southern New Jersey. The salt front along the Delaware River was farther upstream than it normally is during February. The emergency declaration also gives the commission the power to request that utilities and other companies that use more than one million gallons of water a day to prepare contingency plans to use less water and submit the plans to the commission. At both the Atlantic City Marina (0.56 inches) and the International Airport (0.74 inches), it was the driest February on record. In Trenton, the monthly precipitation total of 0.67 inches was 2.12 inches below normal. It was also the driest meteorological winter on record at the Atlantic City International Airport as only 4.66 inches of precipitation fell. Other winter precipitation totals included 5.69 inches (3.69 inches below normal) in Trenton and 3.60 inches (6.01 inches below normal) at the Marina within Atlantic City.

A strong cold front moved through New Jersey around daybreak on the 13th. As its associated low pressure system intensified quickly as it moved into the Canadian Maritimes, northwest winds increased and peak wind gusts reached between 35 and 45 mph in most places. However, at coastal areas, peak wind gusts reached as high as 58 mph. The high winds tore down several trees around Noon EST and knocked out power to about 1,000 Conectiv Energy customers in Linwood and Somers Point (Atlantic County). Power was restored in about an hour. Peak wind gusts included 58 mph in Barnegat (Ocean County), 51 mph in Keansburg (Monmouth County), 48 mph in Belmar (Monmouth County), 47 mph in Point Pleasant (Ocean County), 45 mph at the Atlantic City International Airport, 43 mph in Millville (Cumberland County) and Trenton (Mercer County), 41 mph in Cape May (Cape May County) and Wrightstown (Burlington County) and 37 mph in Stewartsville (Warren County) and Somerville (Somerset County).

Unseasonably dry weather continued across New Jersey during the month of January. While more precipitation fell during January than any month since last September, it was still drier than normal, especially across the northern half of the state. On a county weighted average, monthly precipitation totals ranged from 1.5 inches in Warren County to 2.9 inches in Mercer, Burlington and Ocean Counties. Normal monthly precipitation is around 3.4 inches. The continued dry weather, the drop in stream flow and groundwater levels and the reduced levels in the New York State reservoirs prompted the New Jersey State Department of Environmental Protection to upgrade the drought watch to a drought warning for counties in the Delaware River Basin and southern New Jersey on November 21st. At the end of January, stream and creek flow remained well below normal and some were either tying or breaking record low stream flow for the days. The Paulins Kill (Warren County) was within 2 cubic feet per second (cfs) of its record low flow, the North Branch of the Rancocas Creek at Pemberton (Burlington County) was flowing at only 29?% of its normal rate and the Great Egg Harbor River at Folsom (Atlantic County) tied its record low flow (36 cfs) for the date. Groundwater supplies were no better. Wells in Mercer and Cumberland Counties were within half a foot of their record lows. On January 4th, Mount Olive Township (Morris County) placed mandatory water restrictions into effect. On January 24th Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) acting commissioner Bradley Campbell extended the drought warning to seven additional counties in northern New Jersey as well as all of Monmouth and Ocean Counties. The only counties not under a drought warning were Middlesex, Union and Somerset Counties. Northern New Jersey reservoirs were at 42.9 percent of capacity when they should be at 80.1 percent of capacity. Reservoir levels were lower than they were prior to Hurricane Floyd in 1999. The drought warning declaration also called for reduced releases from the Wanaque, Point View, Boonton and Split Rock Reservoirs and reduced the passing flow on the Passaic, Pompton, Ramapo, Raritan, Saddle, Shark, Jumping Brook, Manasquan and Metedeconk Rivers. While no formal restrictions were in place, state officials asked residents and businesses to curb unnecessary water use and practice conservation. The Delaware River Basin Commission, which oversees water supply throughout the Delaware River Basin declared a "drought" on December 3rd when the supply of water in the New York City reservoir system dropped below a designated level for early December. This triggered additional reductions in the amount of water released from the reservoirs into the Delaware River and the amount diverted out of the Delaware River Basin to New York City and New Jersey. Diversions to New York City dropped from 800 million gallons a day to 520 million gallons a day. Diversions to northern New Jersey through the Delaware and Raritan Canal was reduced to 65 million gallons a day from 100 million gallons a day. The emergency declaration gave the commission the power to restrict the amount of water suppliers could draw from the basin. It gave the commission the authority to take water from municipal reservoirs to maintain river levels. It could also call for water releases from federal, state and privately owned reservoirs. Water from Lake Nockamixon, the F.E. Walter Reservoir and Lake Wallenpaupack could be used to maintain river levels. All of these bodies of water are in Pennsylvania. They were last used for this purpose in the 1960s. The releases help protect the riverbank and aquatic life and also prevents salt water from flowing up the Delaware River. Salt water intrusion causes corrosion problems for industries and increases water treatment costs for municipalities that depend on the river for their water supply. Maintaining river levels are also important for groundwater reserves that are recharged by the river itself, especially in southern New Jersey. The salt front along the Delaware River was farther upstream than it normally is during January. The emergency declaration also gives the commission the power to request that utilities and other companies that use more than one million gallons of water a day to prepare contingency plans to use less water and submit the plans to the commission.

Unseasonably dry weather continued across New Jersey during the month of December. While more precipitation fell during December than either October or November, it was still drier than normal. On a county weighted average, monthly precipitation totals ranged from 1.6 inches in Cape May County to 2.5 inches in Sussex County. Normal is around 3.7 inches. The continued dry weather, the drop in stream flow and groundwater levels and the reduced levels in the New York State reservoirs prompted the New Jersey State Department of Environmental Protection to upgrade the drought watch to a drought warning for counties in the Delaware River Basin and southern New Jersey on November 21st. The drought warning included all or part of the following counties: Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Hunterdon, Mercer, Monmouth, Ocean, Salem, Sussex and Warren. The drought warning gives the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) greater authority to control water distribution and transfers among the major reservoir systems and to temporarily modify water allocation permits. Individual municipalities can also set their own restrictions.The DEP asked residents to use good water conservation practices but there were no mandatary restrictions unless required by an individual township. The Delaware River Basin Commission, which oversees water supply throughout the Delaware River Basin declared a "drought" on December 3rd when the supply of water in the New York City reservoir system dropped below a designated level for early December. This triggered additional reductions in the amount of water released from the reservoirs into the Delaware River and the amount diverted out of the Delaware River Basin to New York City and New Jersey. Diversions to New York City dropped from 800 million gallons a day to 520 million gallons a day. Diversions to northern New Jersey through the Delaware and Raritan Canal was reduced to 65 million gallons a day from 100 million gallons a day. As precipitation continued to be below normal, the New York City reservoirs failed to rise and were about 50 percent below normal for December. They were at their lowest level since the last of the three reservoirs went on line in 1967. The Delaware River Basin Commission declared a drought emergency on December 18th. The emergency declaration gave the commission the power to restrict the amount of water suppliers could draw from the basin. It gave the commission the authority to take water from municipal reservoirs to maintain river levels. It could also call for water releases from federal, state and privately owned reservoirs. Water from Lake Nockamixon, the F.E. Walter Reservoir and Lake Wallenpaupack could be used to maintain river levels. All of these bodies of water are in Pennsylvania. They were last used for this purpose in the 1960s. The releases help protect the riverbank and aquatic life and also prevents salt water from flowing up the Delaware River. Salt water intrusion causes corrosion problems for industries and increases water treatment costs for municipalities that depend on the river for their water supply. Maintaining river levels are also important for groundwater reserves that are recharged by the river itself, especially in southern New Jersey. The salt front along the Delaware River was approximately 11 miles farther upstream than it normally is during December. The emergency declaration also gives the commission the power to request that utilities and other companies that use more than one million gallons of water a day to prepare contigency plans to use less water and submit the plans to the commission. Signs of the drought were apparent across the state. On December 3rd, 20 percent of all streams were at record low flow for the calendar day. Another 40 percent were threatening record lows. As of December 5th, that number increased to 25 percent. Water was being released from the Round Valley Reservoir to meet mandatory flow requirements for the Raritan River. In Sussex County, both Hopatcong and Sussex Boroughs restricted water use. Wells in Morris County were below normal and the flow along the Rockaway River (on the 30th) was one fifth of normal.During 2001, precipitation was well below average. The preliminary statewide average precipitation total of 35.84 inches was the fourth driest year on record and the driest year since 1965. Normal is 47.19 inches. On a county weighted average, yearly precipitation totals ranged from 31.3 inches in Cumberland County to 39.6 inches in Hunterdon County. The deficiencies ranged from 8.4 inches in Gloucester County to 13.5 inches in Morris County. Most of the deficit came in the second half of the year. The yearly precipitation total of 30.02 inches at the Atlantic City International Airport was 10.27 inches below normal and the third driest year on record.

A severe thunderstorm knocked over numerous trees and wires in Princeton Borough, Princeton Township and West Windsor Township. Several roads were closed. Public Service Electric and Gas reported about 6,000 of its customers lost power because of the severe thunderstorms in central New Jersey. In Princeton Borough, there were 15 calls of downed trees, downed wires and/or small fires. Trees fell on three homes and damaged six cars. A couple of roads were closed through the 5th. In Princeton Township, a gas main ruptured and wooden planks were blown off the roof of one house. In West Windsor Township, trees were uprooted in six locations and a couple of roads were closed.

Lightning strikes set a couple of poles and transformers on fire in Hamilton Township. U.S. Route 130 was closed because of downed wires. Another lightning strike punctured a hole in the roof of a Washington Township home. About 4,000 homes and businesses lost power in Mercer and Burlington County that afternoon.

A ridge of high pressure both surface and aloft that was broiling the central part of the country moved east and covered New Jersey during the work week of August 6th. This brought a very oppressive hot spell to the region that peaked on the 9th. It brought the hottest August temperature ever recorded at the Atlantic City International Airport (103 degrees). There were 25 heat related deaths in the Greater Philadelphia Metropolitan Area: one each occurred in Burlington and Gloucester Counties. In both instances, they were found indoors with windows closed and air-conditioning units (if available) not turned on. The second floor temperature of the deceased in Swedesboro (Gloucester County) was over 100 degrees. Dozens upon dozens of others suffered heat exhaustion. Emergency rooms were filled with outdoor workers, the elderly, asthmatics and dehydrations. One Ocean County hospital had a 40% increase in emergency room visits over normal. Ten percent of all the admitted patients in the Trenton Capital Health System were suffering from heat exhaustion. The hot weather and lack of wind produced unhealthy ozone levels. The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission issued a "code red" warning for ground level ozone concentration. All 21 New Jersey counties had unhealthy ozone levels from the 7th through the 10th. The hot weather put a strain on both electrical and water usage with several utilities setting records. The PJM Interconnection (An independent organization that coordinates electric delivery for 22 million people in Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey) set a usage record of 54,176 megawatts on the 9th. It was also forced to reduce voltage by 5 percent that day between 310 p.m. and 615 p.m. EDT to protect power reserves. In an effort to conserve electricity, acting Governor Donald T. DiFrancesco sent home 30,000 non-essential state workers at 2 p.m. EDT on the 9th. Colleges also cancelled classes. PSE&G (10,052 megawatts), GPU Energy (10,468 megawatts) and Conectiv Energy (2,847 megatwatts) all set usage records on the 9th. The heat caused outages throughout the state. On the 6th, 6,000 Camden (Camden County) residents lost power from noon until 9 p.m. EDT. On the 7th, 15 persons were evacuated and the whole Shrewsbury Township lost power when an electrical fire occurred on a power line. On the 8th, a transmission line failure caused 25,000 customers to lose power from 340 p.m. until 945 p.m. EDT from Dover to Lavallette. On the 9th, a power substation failure caused 13,000 central New Jersey customers to lose power for up to 8 hours. The excessive water usage caused Sparta (Sussex County) to issue a water emergency. Sparta and Newton (whose water supply was coming from Sparta due to the floods of last August) banned all daytime outdoor watering. Voluntary water restrictions were also asked by Hammonton (Atlantic County) and Madison (Morris County). The excessive heat took its toll on all outdoor activities. Many hospitals observed that heat exhaustion patients were mainly younger people who work outdoors. A letter carrier collapsed while delivering the mail in South River (Middlesex County). In Monmouth County, nine youths of the Howell-Farmingdale Pop Warner Football League suffered heat exhaustion during a practice. Firefighters collapsed from heat exhaustion while battling a blaze in Middletown (Monmouth County). Dozens of people suffered heat illnesses while attending the Sussex County Farm and Horse Show/The New Jersey State Fair. In East Brunswick, a 33-year-old man just collapsed in the street. The heat was blamed for the poor attendance at the Sussex County Fair. The heat was also blamed for the death of fish in the Barbara Moyer Memorial Park in Princeton (Mercer County). On the positive side, street crimes were down as it was too hot outside for even the criminals. Many townships and counties initiated programs to assist the elderly and distributed fans. The heat caused the buckling of Interstate 195 near Trenton and AAA reported a 15 percent increase in calls for assistance. In Morristown, the heat caused a mounted spare tire on the van to explode. The stainless steel and plastic spare wheel cover soared 25 feet in the air.Highest temperatures included 104 degrees in Iselin (Middlesex County), Vernon (Sussex County) and the McGuire AFB (Burlington County), 103 degrees in Morristown (Morris County), the Atlantic City International Airport (Atlantic County) and Mount Laurel (Burlington County), 102 degrees in Mount Holly (Burlington County) and Belle Mead (Somerset County), 101 degrees in New Brunswick (Middlesex County), Newton (Sussex County), Red Bank and Belmar (Monmouth County), 100 degrees in Hackettstown (Warren County), 99 degrees in Marcella (Morris County), Trenton (Mercer County) and Somerville (Somerset County), 94 degrees in Wildwood (Cape May County) and 91 degrees at the Atlantic City Marina. The 103 degree high temperature at the Atlantic City International Airport was the hottest August day ever on record and the hottest day at the airport since July 3, 1966 when it reached 104 degrees. A cold front moved into the region the evening of the 10th and stalled throughout the weekend (the 11th and 12th). While it did not remove the humid air in place, the clouds and precipitation prevented temperatures from reaching into the 90s after the 10th.

A severe thunderstorm knocked down trees and power lines on two blocks in Princeton.

An intensifying low pressure system that helped generate its own cold air produced heavy snow across most of the northern half of New Jersey and some accumulating snow across southwest New Jersey. The air was cold enough for precipitation to fall as snow across far northwest New Jersey. Farther southeast, the precipitation intensity was so heavy, that the rain changed to snow faster and lasted longer than anticipated. Unfortunately this occurred during the late morning and midday on a Monday. While schools were closed in far northwest New Jersey, schools were open farther south. As schools and businesses closed early, an early rush hour produced dire and nightmarish consequences. Numerous accidents congested nearly every major roadway to the point that emergency personnel and snow plows could not get through. The worst accident occurred on Interstate 78. The roadway was backed up for up to 50 miles at times during the afternoon of the 5th. Many tractor trailers jackknifed and many vehicles including school buses could not negotiate hills or turns. There were thousands of accidents, many resulted in only minor injuries. Vehicles slammed into each other, careened into road embankments, trees and streams. Thousands of motorists were stranded on roadways, many abandoned their vehicles after running out of fuel adding to the traffic congestion. Stories of 40 minute commutes turning into 4 hour nightmares were common. Many communities declared snow emergencies. The New Jersey State Police responded to 1,973 calls for assistance, quadruple their normal number for a 12 hour period. In addition, the heavy wet snow downed numerous trees, tree limbs and power lines, particularly in Morris and Somerset Counties. About 45,000 homes and businesses lost power throughout the state. Repair efforts were hampered by the traffic congestion. Hospitals were swamped with snowthrower, slip and fall and traffic accidents. Several pedestrians were injured when struck by either snow plows or vehicles. Cell phone use overwhelmed the capacity of their systems. Accumulations in northwest New Jersey ranged from 7 to 20 inches. Many schools were also closed the next day (the 6th). Accumulations from Gloucester County northeast through Monmouth County averaged between 2 and 5 inches. Very little snow fell farther southeast in the state. The heavy snow in the northwest part of the state already exhausted many municipalities' snow removal budget for the season.In Sussex, Warren and Morris Counties, the air mass was cold enough for precipitation to start as and fall as mainly snow. The snow began after 2 a.m. EST on the 5th, fell the heaviest between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. EST and was over by 8 p.m. EST. In Sussex and Warren Counties, municipal and county offices closed early. Hospital personnel were transported by New Jersey Forest Service personnel. In Warren County, trucks could not cross the hill on Interstate 80 in Allamuchy Township. A 65-year-old man was found face down in a snowbank in Independence Township (Warren County). Emergency personnel were able to save his life. In Morris County, downed wires suspended service on the New Jersey Transit Morristown Line. Hospitals were loaded. In Long Hill Township alone, the police responded to 153 calls. In Chatham, a pedestrian was struck by a vehicle that skidded onto the sidewalk. Two other persons were struck and injured by a limb while they were clearing off their cars. The heavy wet snow tore down trees and limbs, especially in the southern part of the county. GPU Energy distributed bottled water to homeowners who rely on pumps for drinking water. It took until the evening of the 8th for all power to be restored. A highway sign was also damaged on Interstate 80. Precipitation started as rain in Somerset and Hunterdon Counties before dawn on the 5th, but changed over to all snow by 10 a.m. EST. The heaviest snow fell between 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. EST before it ended by 8 p.m. EST. While some locations, received more snow, the worst tree damage occurred in northern Somerset County and the worst debilitating traffic accident occurred in Hunterdon County. The traffic snarl began about 2 p.m. EST when a couple of tractor trailers jackknifed while trying to drive over the Jugtown Mountain near Clinton on Interstate 78. Vehicles, tow trucks and snow plows became stuck behind the accident. This was further complicated by about another half dozen tractor trailers jackknifing behind the original accident. The backup was described as long as 50 miles. Front end loaders were brought from the opposite direction to clear the scene. People were stuck for as long as nine hours. Many vehicles ran out of gas. Once traffic finally started to move again, another multi-vehicle accident 45 minutes later snarled traffic again. A 12 mile stretch of U.S. 202 from Somerville to Flemington saw dozens of vehicles skid off the roadway. Elsewhere in the county, both County Routes 518 and 519 were closed, the latter because of a jackknifed tractor trailer. In East Amwell Township, several large trees were knocked down, one damaged a restaurant. About 750 homes in Clinton lost phone service. In Somerset County, the hardest hit area was in the northern part. The worst roads were ones leading up the ridges of the Watchung Mountains. Numerous trees and wires were knocked down. Nearly the entire borough of Peapack-Gladstone lost power. Thirty commuters had to walk through the snow after waiting for two hours for power to be restored on the Gladstone New Jersey Transit Line. In Bernards Township, downed power lines blocked 10 streets. A senior citizen development was evacuated because of lost power. Across Mercer and Middlesex Counties and southwestern New Jersey, the effects of the storm were less. The rain changed to sleet and then all snow by 11 a.m. EST on the 5th in Mercer and Middlesex Counties and by 1 p.m. EST across southwest New Jersey. Heavy snow fell briefly around 3 p.m. EST. The snow ended by around 8 p.m. EST. In Middlesex County, in spite of accumulations of only around 4 inches, the snow was heavy and wet enough to pull down power lines. About 1,500 homes and businesses lost power. Abandoned cars littered the roadway. A couple of schools were closed the next day (the 6th). In Mercer County, one school bus skidded into a ditch in Hopewell Township. Many schools had delayed openings the next day. Specific accumulations included in Burlington County: 3.5 inches in Bordentown and 3 inches in Moorestown, in Camden County: 3.5 inches in Somerdale and 2 inches in Cherry Hill, in Gloucester County: 3.5 inches in Swedesboro and 3 inches in West Deptford, in Hunterdon County: 18 inches in Califon, 17.5 inches in Frenchtown, 16 inches in Kingwood and 11.8 inches in Whitehouse Station, in Mercer County: 6 inches in Princeton, 4.5 inches in Washington's Crossing and 4 inches in Yardville, in Middlesex County: 5 inches in New Brunswick, 4 inches in Milltown, in Monmouth County: 3.5 inches in Freehold and Middletown, in Morris County: 18 inches in Oak Ridge, 16 inches in Butler and Marcella, 14.5 inches in Rockaway and 10 inches in Parsippany, in Somerset County: 12 inches in Basking Ridge, 9 inches in Pottersville and Branchburg and 7 inches in Bridgewater, in Sussex County: 19 inches in Stillwater, 18.5 inches in Franklin, 18 inches in Branchville and Stockholm, 17 inches in Sparta and Newton and 16 inches in Vernon, in Warren County: 20 inches in Belvidere, 19 inches in Oxford, 18 inches in Washington, 17.5 inches in Hackettstown and 16.5 inches in Blairstown.The low pressure system responsible for the heavy snow developed along a stationary front just east of Florida on the 4th. By the morning of the 5th, it moved north to near Elizabeth City, North Carolina. It then intensified rapidly (a drop of about 25 millibars during the next 24 hours) as it moved northeast and reached Nova Scotia during the morning of the 6th. The air mass over the region was marginally cold for snow, especially in central New Jersey. But, the precipitation intensity was so heavy (storm total water equivalents were around 1.5 inches), that the heat required to melt the snow aloft (called the latent heat of fusion) chilled the air mass and made the snow capable of reaching the ground. This type of snowstorm is typically called a "warm snowstorm" because the low pressure system itself manufactures the cold air needed to make the snow reach the ground. In a so-called standard snowstorm the air mass is cold enough at the start to support snow. Warm snowstorms are not only difficult to predict, but also because of the lack of cold air, usually produce heavy wet snow that easily can take down trees, tree limbs and power lines.

The first widespread major snowstorm of the season blanketed New Jersey, especially the northern half, with heavy snow. In the northern half of the state, it was the heaviest snow since the Blizzard of 1996. The snow began between 3 and 5 a.m. EST across most of the state and fell heavy at times during the morning. As the low intensified during the afternoon, its heavy snow shield expanded and slowed. The low was too far north during the afternoon to drop heavy snow across the southern half of the state, but the snow fell even heavier across the northern half. Snowfall rates of 2 to 3 inches per hour were occurring across the Raritan Basin and this increased to 4 inches per hour during thunderstorms in Sussex and Morris Counties. Accumulations across the southern half of the state were mainly between 4 and 12 inches. But in the northern half, they ranged from about a foot to 30 inches in the Hamburg Mountains of Sussex County. The 15 inches of snow that accumulated in New Brunswick was the 10th heaviest snow on record. Amtrak canceled its Metroliner Service between Washington D.C. and New York City. New Jersey Transit canceled bus service in the northern half of the state. New Jersey Transit had about 20 minute rail delays on their line. Businesses and malls either closed early, or never opened, especially in the northern half of the state. The number of accidents were relatively low given this snow occurred on a Saturday morning. Most of the injuries occurred from heart attacks caused by shoveling the heavy snow, snow blower accidents and slip and fall accidents. The snow was powdery and nature. Thus few tree limbs and wires were pulled down. GPU Energy reported only 5,500 customers lost power in Northwest and Central New Jersey.In Sussex County, a countywide state of emergency was declared at 3 p.m. EST. Cars and even plows were sliding off the roads. In Morris County, a Parsippany Police Officer was struck and injured by a moving vehicle. A jackknifed tractor trailer caused lane closures on Interstate 80 in Denville. In Somerset County, the heavy snow forced the closure of a few roads. In Middlesex County, a Red Cross shelter was opened for residents of a Spotswood trailer park when the heavy snow blocked their exhaust pipes. The snow was so heavy in Perth Amboy, they were dumping it into Raritan Bay. A snow emergency was declared in Princeton (Mercer County). In Gloucester County, State Route 42 was closed after a vehicle struck a traffic light. Sussex County (11 to 30 inches), Morris County (14 to 25.5 inches) and Somerset County (12 to 25 inches) received the heaviest snow. Specific accumulations included 30 inches in Mountain Creek (Sussex County), 25.5 inches in Randolph Township (Morris County), 25 inches in Sussex and Highland Lakes (Sussex County) and Somerset (Somerset County), 24 inches in Marcella, Rockaway and Morris Townships (all Morris County), 22 inches in Barry Lake (Sussex County) and Basking Ridge (Somerset County), 19.8 inches in Whitehouse Station (Hunterdon County), 18.1 inches in Belle Mead (Somerset County), 17.5 inches in Milltown (Middlesex County), 15 inches in East Windsor (Mercer County) and New Brunswick (Middlesex County), 14 inches in Neptune and Middletown (Monmouth County), 12.5 inches in Brick Township (Ocean Township), 12 inches in Stewartsville and Washington (Warren County), Yardville (Mercer County) and Jackson Township (Ocean County), 11 inches in Bordentown (Burlington County), 10 inches in Browns Mills (Burlington County), 9.5 inches in Tabernacle (Burlington County), 8 inches in Williamstown (Gloucester County), Haddonfield and Pennsauken (Camden County), 7 inches in Voorhees (Camden County) and at the Atlantic City International Airport, 6 inches in Bridgeton (Cumberland County) and Margate (Atlantic County), 5 inches in Upper Township (Cape May County) and 4 inches in Atlantic City (Atlantic County) and Salem and Pennsville (Salem County). The low pressure system responsible for the heavy snow developed just east of Elizabeth City, North Carolina during the evening of the 29th. By 5 a.m. EST it was located about 75 miles east of Cape Charles, Virginia and by 9 a.m. EST it was located about 50 miles east of Delaware Bay Buoy. At this point, the low started to intensify more rapidly and by 5 p.m. EST on the 30th as it crossed the Twin Forks of Long Island, it had dropped to a 992 Mb low, a 10 millibar drop in an eight hour period.

An unseasonably warm air mass and an intense low pressure system and cold front set the stage for an extremely windy day across New Jersey on December 17th. Gusty southerly winds buffeted the region during the first half of the day. Winds reached high wind levels across Sussex, Morris, Middlesex and Monmouth Counties even without the thunderstorms before noon EST. Elsewhere (and later in central New Jersey) thunderstorms embedded within bands of heavy precipitation exacerbated the wind. Please look at separate Stormdata entries on this date about the severe thunderstorms. As the cold front passed through the region during the afternoon of the 17th, the strong southerly winds were replaced by equally strong westerly winds into the evening. The difference was there were no thunderstorms to mix down even stronger winds. Most of the peak wind gusts occurred during the morning and were between 40 and 60 mph. Numerous trees and power lines were knocked down in Northwest New Jersey. GPU Energy reported 26,800 customers lost power in Northwest New Jersey. In Middlesex County, a tree fell on a house at 7 a.m. EST in East Brunswick Township. Trees and wires were also knocked down on Agate Road. A similar incident (tree on a house) occurred about the same time in Willingboro (Burlington County) Township. About 8,500 homes and businesses lost power around Flemington (Hunterdon County). Power was lost at the Hamilton Mall in Atlantic County about 6 p.m. EST after some wires were pulled down, stranding numerous holiday shoppers. In addition to Northwest New Jersey, an additional 30,200 customers lost power in Central and Southern New Jersey. Most of the outages occurred during the severe thunderstorms. Reported peak wind gusts included 70 mph in Keansburg (Monmouth County), 58 mph in Sparta (Sussex County), 56 mph in Stewartsville (Warren County), 53 mph at the Cape May Coast Guard Station, 48 mph at Barnegat Light (Ocean County) and Mount Holly (Burlington County), 46 mph in Trenton (Mercer County), Wildwood (Cape May County) and Whitehouse Station (Hunterdon County) and 44 mph at the Atlantic City International Airport. Record breaking high temperatures occurred at both the Philadelphia (65 degrees) and Lehigh Valley (63 degrees) International Airports on the 17th, but fell one degree short of tying (64 degrees and 63 degrees respectively) the record at both the Atlantic City International Airport and the Marina within Atlantic City.

An unseasonably warm air mass and an intense low pressure system and cold front set the stage for an extremely windy day across New Jersey on December 17th. Thunderstorms embedded within bands of heavy precipitation exacerbated the wind and in some instances became severe. This was the case in Mercer County. Severe thunderstorms knocked down trees and wires in Ewing, Hamilton, Hopewell and Princeton Townships. About a dozen streets were blocked by either downed trees and/or wires with Hamilton Township hit the hardest. PSE&G reported about 9,000 customers lost power throughout Central New Jersey.

A winter storm of sleet and freezing rain encrusted much of Northwest New Jersey with a combination of about three-quarters of an inch of sleet and ice. A combination of about an inch and a half of snow, sleet and ice fell in Sussex County. Precipitation began during the late evening of the 13th as a mixture of sleet and snow in Sussex County, a mixture of sleet and freezing rain across the rest of Northwest New Jersey and as mainly freezing rain across central New Jersey. Precipitation changed to plain rain in Trenton and New Brunswick by around 3 a.m. EST on the 14th with ice accretions generally less than one-tenth of an inch. By that time across Northwest New Jersey precipitation was falling as mainly freezing rain. Temperatures slowly rose above freezing from southwest to northeast that morning, but took until around 900 a.m. EST for the last of the sub-freezing air to be scoured from the valleys of Sussex County. The hardest hit locations were in a strip across northern Hunterdon County, Warren County, southeastern Sussex County, northern Somerset County and western Morris County where freezing rain was the predominate precipitation type. Ice accretions in these areas averaged around half an inch. Elsewhere ice accretions were around one-quarter of an inch as either more sleet and snow fell (farther to the northwest) or the precipitation changed to plain rain (central New Jersey) faster. The ice knocked down tree limbs and power lines. GPU Energy reported about 9,000 customers lost power. Power was restored the afternoon of the 14th. Schools were closed in Sussex County. Two hour opening delays were common elsewhere. Precipitation occurred overnight and this reduced the number of accidents. The greatest number were reported in Sussex County where the freezing rain lingered into the morning commute. A strong high pressure system nestled itself across the northeastern United States on the 13th. It brought some very cold and dry air into the region. As the high moved offshore the evening of the 13th, temperatures did not have enough time to recover to the freezing mark. During the evening of the 13th, the low pressure system moved from the lower Tennessee Valley northeast into the upper Ohio Valley during the early morning of the 14th. A secondary low pressure system did form in Chesapeake Bay toward dawn on the 14th and moved northeast through New Jersey during the morning. It eventually became the primary low pressure system on that afternoon as it headed toward Cape Cod. These lows were relatively weak (their central pressures as of 1 p.m. EST on the 14th were around normal sea level pressure). Thus as warmer air was streaming in aloft, the weak southeast flow from the relatively warm Atlantic Ocean took a while to move inland and change the freezing rain to plain rain, especially in Sussex County.

A rapidly intensifying low pressure system and its associated cold front produced high winds across New Jersey during the morning of the 12th. Peak wind gusts ranged between 50 and 71 mph in most areas. The most serious injury occurred when a 13-year-old boy was crushed by a fallen tree in Trenton. Ten other injuries were reported. A quick thinking bus driver avoided further injuries by evacuating a school bus before downed wires set it aflame. The high wind knocked down trees, tree limbs, power lines and holiday decorations. Several buildings, homes and vehicles were damaged by either the wind or fallen trees. The high winds spewed the streets with fallen branches and runaway trash and recyclables and knocked down numerous Christmas trees at nurseries. About 82,000 homes and businesses lost power in the state. All power was restored by the afternoon of the 13th. New Jersey Transit reported about 25 trains were delayed because of debris on the tracks. The tree damage was relatively high given the reported wind speeds. Part of the reason was due to relatively benign winds during the latter half of the year. Many trees and tree limbs that were rotted or diseased were knocked down. In Northwest New Jersey, Sussex County reported the most wind damage as numerous trees were knocked down. There were 21 calls of downed trees in 5 municipalities along. Several roads were closed including U.S. Route 206 in Stanhope and Newton. In Andover Township, a woman was trapped in a vehicle for one hour because of downed wires. The worst reported property damage occurred across central New Jersey. In Monmouth County, the facade was ripped from a building in Sea Bright. The second floor of a home in Union Beach was damaged by a fallen tree. In Middletown Township, a man was injured by a fallen tree. Numerous roads were closed and several vehicles were damaged by downed trees. In Middlesex County, a 150 foot by 200 foot section of aluminum roof was peeled from a store in the Shoprite Plaza. Five properties were damaged by downed trees in Woodbridge. In Middlesex Borough, the wind broke four large panes of glass. A 29-year-old man was injured on River Road in Piscataway when a 100 foot tree fell on the hood of the vehicle he was driving. Winds were so strong on the Garden State Parkway Driscoll Bridge that vehicles were blown from lane to lane. In Somerset County, in Branchburg, a quick thinking bus driver evacuated 25 first and second graders through the rear of a school bus before a downed wire set the bus on fire. The bus was charred. In Mercer County, in Trenton, 9 students were injured when a large tree fell on them while they were waiting in front of a school. One 13-year-old boy was critically injured with a fractured skull. He shoved another student from harm's way. The injuries to all of the students could have been worse if not for the downed tree falling first onto a traffic signal box. The Mercer County Board of Social Services was evacuated and closed after a chunk of its roof and shingles fell onto the parking lot. Two of the three buildings owned by the Zettler Food Supply Company were condemned after they suffered roof damage. A downed tree damaged a house in Lawrence Township.While damage reports diminished across the southern half of New Jersey, some were reported in Mercer and Burlington County. In Burlington County, the wind tore part of the roof and the chimney from a deli in Mount Holly. A 130-year-old tree fell through a fence and was leaning on a Medford house. A driver in Riverside escaped injury after their moving vehicle was struck by a falling tree. In Ocean County, the high winds ripped the overhang away from the store roof in the Beachwood Shopping Center. A sign fell on and damaged a boat in Beachwood. Nine municipalities reported downed trees and wires.The strong west to northwest winds caused lower than normal tides at the time of low tide the afternoon of the 12th. The low tide at Sandy Hook was 2.6 feet below mean lower low water. Blowout tides (as these are referred as) start causing low water problems when they reach 1.8 feet below mean lower low water. The only exception were west facing shorelines. The strong winds and wave actions brought water from Barnegat Bay into the streets of Seaside Park.Peak wind gusts included 71 mph in High Point (Sussex County), 69 mph in Keansburg (Monmouth County), 67 mph in Seaside Park and Barnegat (Ocean County) and Cape May (Cape May County), 61 mph in Stewartsville (Warren County), 58 mph in Lawrence Township (Cumberland County), 54 mph at the Belmar (Monmouth County) Airport, 53 mph at the Atlantic City International Airport, 51 mph at the McGuire AFB (Burlington County), 48 mph at the Millville (Cumberland County) and Morristown (Morris County) Airports, 46 mph at the Trenton (Mercer County) Airport and 45 mph at the Somerville (Somerset County) Airport.The low pressure system intensified from a 1009 Mb central pressure in Missouri the morning of the 11th to a 984 Mb low near Burlington, Vermont the morning of the 12th. The rapid drop of the central pressure of the low of about 25 Mb within a 24 hour period is normally described as a meteorological bomb. This rapid intensification normally occurs over the western Atlantic Ocean, but when it does occur over land, can produce high winds and wind damage.

A severe thunderstorm knocked down numerous trees and caused scattered property damage in Lawrence, Princeton and West Windsor Townships. Wind gusts were estimated to reach 80 mph in the strongest part of the storm that went through Lawrence Township. About 75 large trees were completely uprooted. Three persons were injured. The worst damage within Lawrence Township occurred on U.S. Route 206, Province Line, Carter, Rosedale and Carson Roads. Carter Road was closed for over 24 hours because of the downed trees and five snapped poles. A large tree crashed into the bedroom of a house on U.S. Route 206 next to Peterson's Nursery. A 92-year-old barely escaped serious injury. In the nursery itself, 30 trees were uprooted and a gazebo was lifted and splintered. Two volunteer fire-fighters were injured by a fallen limb while responding to an emergency call. Elsewhere within the township, a chimney was knocked down on Lawrenceville Road, another tree landed on a house on Tall Timbers Drive and the front door and garage of another home were completely blocked by downed trees. The Bristol-Myers Squibb Lawrence Campus suffered considerable wind damage to their trees, especially the willows. At least three vehicle were crushed by fallen trees. In Princeton Township, U.S. Route 206 was blocked by fallen trees for a day. Several trees were also knocked down in Clarksville (West Windsor Township). Large hail also fell in Lawrence and Princeton Townships and shredded vegetation. The hail reached golf ball size in Princeton Township. In Lawrence Township, the hail piled into small drifts. PSE&G reported about 11,000 homes and businesses lost power in the county.

A severe thunderstorm caused wind damage across the northern part of Mercer County from Hopewell Township eastward through Princeton Township. Hardest hit were eastern sections of the Hopewell Valley. In Hopewell Borough, two women were trapped in their Ford Explorer after a tree fell onto the roof of their vehicle on New Jersey State Route 31. A tree fell through the porch of one house. The family was evacuated. A couple of other homes suffered minor damage. In Hopewell Township, damage followed a path along County Route 518. About four roads were blocked by fallen trees. Downed wires ignited and destroyed a pickup truck. The driver escaped just before the vehicle burst into flames. In Princeton Township, a tent was shredded by the high winds. A couple of lines were also pulled down in Ewing Township. About 4,760 customers lost power. All power was restored by the morning of the 8th.

Lightning struck and downed a power line on U.S. Route 206 in Lawrence Township. The major roadway was closed to traffic for two hours.

A strong cold front moved through New Jersey during the early evening on the 8th. A strong secondary low formed on the frontal boundary overnight and by 8 a.m. EDT on the 9th was located near Worcester, Massachusetts. The intensifying low pressure system brought strong and gusty west to northwest winds into New Jersey from the early morning of the 9th into the early evening the same day. It also ingested enough cold air to change the rain over to snow before it ended across the region during the morning of the 9th. The changeover started in Sussex County around 100 a.m. EDT and slowly spread southeast. The sooner changeover permitted heavy snow to fall in the county. Elsewhere the change to snow spread southeast from Sussex County. Because the storm was relatively intense, the cold air wrapped around the south side of the system. The change from rain to snow across the southern part of the state (between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. EDT) occurred from the southwest to the northeast. The snow ended by early afternoon.Accumulations ranged from about an inch in coastal areas of Cumberland and Atlantic Counties to 8 inches in Sussex County. The combination of the heavy wet snow and strong gusty winds downed trees, tree limbs and power lines, particularly in the northwest part of the state. The slushy roadways also led to several fender bender type accidents. Four hikers were rescued the morning of the 9th from the Appalachian Trail in Stokes State Forest (Sussex County). They had taken shelter overnight at an open air lean-to at about 1,200 feet above mean sea level and suffered hypothermia. The heavy wet snow caused some minor damage to the fruit trees, but was not expected to affect the overall crop.Accumulations included 8 inches in High Point (Sussex County), 6 inches in Barry Lake and Wantage (Sussex County), 5.5 inches in Hackettstown (Warren County), 4.5 inches in Neshanic (Somerset County), 4 inches in Howell Township (Monmouth County), Raritan Township (Hunterdon County), and Trenton (Mercer County), 3.5 inches in Somerville (Somerset County) and Mount Holly (Burlington County), 3.1 inches in Wertsville (Hunterdon County), 3 inches in Rockaway and Chatham (Morris County), 2.8 inches in Somerdale (Camden County), 2.7 inches in New Brunswick (Middlesex County), 2 inches in Winslow (Camden County), Verga (Gloucester County), Seabrook (Cumberland County), Wrightstown (Burlington County) and Manasquan (Monmouth County), 1.8 inches in Estell Manor (Atlantic County), 0.5 inches in Toms River (Ocean County) and 0.2 inches at the Atlantic City International Airport.Peak wind gusts included 65 mph in Harvey Cedars (Ocean County), 51 mph in Seaside Heights (Ocean County), 47 mph in Wildwood (Cape May County), 46 mph in Belmar (Monmouth County), 44 mph in Millville (Cumberland County), 43 mph at the Atlantic City International Airport, 39 mph in Trenton (Mercer County) and 38 mph in Somerville (Somerset County). A wind tower at High Point recorded a peak gust of 67 mph.

A low pressure system developed in the western Gulf of Mexico during the day on the 28th. It slowly moved eastnortheast and by Sunday morning the 30th was located near Apalachicola Florida, not too far from the location of the January 25th storm. Unlike the previous storm, this one tracked farther to the west and moved northeast along the Atlantic Seaboard. By the morning of the 31st, it was located near Boston, Massachusetts. There was less cold air present at the start of the storm, especially along the coastal plain. Most of it was in the lowest layers of the atmosphere. This led to the more typical potpourri of weather across New Jersey with primarily rain in the southeast part of the state and heavy snow in the northwest part of the state.Precipitation started during the afternoon as snow throughout most of the state. Along the coast and in the southeast part of the state enough warm air was already present for precipitation to just briefly start as either sleet or rain before changing to rain. By early evening precipitation had changed to sleet and freezing rain across the southwest part of the state, but still falling as snow in the west central and northwest part of the state. By 9 p.m. EST enough warm air had moved into the southwest part of the state to change the precipitation to plain rain. Meanwhile at that time a transition to sleet and freezing rain was occurring in the west central and northwest part of the state. The cold air was deep enough in Sussex County for precipitation to continue to fall as mainly snow. By 10 p.m. EST sleet had made it as far north as Warren County. Precipitation ended from south to north from midnight through 3 a.m. EST on the 31st. Temperatures never made it above freezing in the northwest part of the state. Accumulations were highest in the northwest part of the state where precipitation fell as snow the longest. The greatest accretion of ice, around one-quarter of an inch, occurred in townships along the Delaware River from Salem County to Mercer County. The ice brought down a couple of power lines and caused isolated outages. Untreated roadways were very treacherous and high traffic volume due to Super Bowl Sunday exacerbated the problems. Snowfall accumulations of an inch or more included: in Sussex County 8.5 inches in Stillwater, 7.5 inches in High Point, 7 inches in Highland Lakes, 6.5 inches in Wantage and 6 inches in Sparta; in Warren County 8 inches in Belvidere and 7 inches in Blairstown; in Morris County 5.5 inches in Marcella, 5 inches in Long Valley and 4.5 inches in Morristown; in Hunterdon County 6 inches in Reigelsville, 5 inches in Bloomsbury and 4 inches in White House Station; in Somerset County 2 inches in Somerville, in Middlesex County, 1.8 inches in New Brunswick and in Mercer County 1.5 inches in Hamilton Square.

The most intense winter storm since the Blizzard of 1996 buried New Jersey on the 25th with 6 to 15 inches of snow, sleet and freezing rain, wind gusts as strong as 60 mph along the shore, moderate coastal flooding and drifts as high as four feet. For the first time since 1996 county and government offices were closed. Many businesses and all schools were closed. Many malls never opened and all the others closed early. Dozens of public events were postponed. Both the Millville Airport and the Atlantic City International Airport were shut down. Many schools were also closed the next day (the 26th). Scores of vehicles slid off roadways. At least one man died of a heart attack after shoveling the snow. Strong onshore winds gusted up to 60 mph, downed power lines and caused about 3,100 homes and businesses to lose power. Motorists crashing into poles caused outages to another 1,100 homes and businesses in northern New Jersey. Service on the Cape May-Lewes Ferry was suspended. The rough onshore winds caused moderate tidal flooding at the time of the midday high tide on the 25th. The snow began with a vengeance between 2 a.m. and 7 a.m. EST across the state. It began in Cape May County and spread northwestward. Snowfall rates of around 2 inches per hour were common during the first couple of hours during this storm. By 6 a.m. EST, some locations already had 4 inches of new snow on the ground. After 6 a.m. EST, as warmer air came in above the ground and the precipitation intensity slackened, the snow began mixing with and changing over to sleet and freezing rain in the central and southern part of the state. Snow continued across northwest New Jersey, but its intensity was lighter during the late morning and afternoon hours. Central and Southern New Jersey spent most of the daylight hours in the storm's "dry slot" - an area of lighter precipitation. Even so, mid morning accumulations of 5 inches were common along the New Jersey shore. As colder air became more deeply entrenched across the state after 3 p.m. EST, the wintry mix started to change to sleet and then snow by the early evening of the 25th. The change to snow coincided with one last band of heavier snow that affected New Jersey during the evening of the 25th. The snow ended around Midnight EST on the 26th. The winter storm caused numerous accidents around the region. In Hoptacong (Sussex County), a pedestrian was injured by a vehicle. In Warren County, a tractor trailer jackknifed on Interstate 80 and backed up traffic in both directions for two hours. Interstates 78 and 287 became "spinout alleys" in Hunterdon, Somerset and Morris Counties. In Middlesex County, a 35-year-old male was killed on County Route 522 when he lost control of van and collided head-on with a tractor trailer. A four vehicle accident closed down busy New Jeresy State Route 18 during the evening rush hour. In Monmouth County on the 26th, a 58-year-old man suffered a heart attack and died after shoveling his car out in Upper Freehold Township. In Gloucester County, a tractor trailer overturned in Harrison Township. In Atlantic County, two New Jersey Transit buses became stranded on the Atlantic City Expressway. One skidded onto a median and the other became stuck after stopping for assistance. In Cumberland County, many vehicles skidded off New Jersey State Route 55. About 4,200 homes and businesses lost power throughout the state. Most were along the shore as high winds took down power lines. In Middlesex County, the winds took down power lines on United States Route 1 in Edison. The worst wind damage occurred on the New Jersey State Route 72 Causeway between Long Beach Island and Stafford Township in Ocean County. The roadway was closed for 90 minutes around midday when two utility poles cracked and caused their wires to fall onto the westbound lanes. Downed wires caused outages to about 2,500 homes in Surf City. Other outages occurred on Mystic Islands. Another pole was knocked down on the mainland in Stafford Township. The strong onshore winds also produced moderate tidal flooding at the times of the midday high tide on the 25th as well as some beach erosion. In Monmouth County coastal flooding was reported in Long Branch, Manasquan, Neptune and Union Beach. In Atlantic County, there was a long list of bayside roads flooded from Brigantine to Somers Point. In Atlantic City, both the Black (U.S. Route 40 and 322) and White (U.S. Route 30) Horse Pikes were closed. The Beesleys Point Bridge connecting Somers Point and Upper Township (in Cape May County) was under 1.5 feet of water and closed. In Cape May County, flooding forced the closure of the 9th Street Bridge and Causeway in Ocean City. Flooding was also reported along 34th Street. Dozens of motorists were rescued from flooded streets. In Stratmere, the ocean met the bay as the oceanfront dunes collapsed. In Wildwood, the New Jersey State Route 147 and the George Redding Bridges were closed. The worst flooding in Wildwood was on the west (bay) side of the township. North Wildwood declared a state of emergency because of the tidal flooding. The worst flooding was in the Angelsea section of North Wildwood. Three families near Delaware Avenue were evacuated. In Cape May City minor tidal flooding was reported at the foot of Yacht and Washington Avenue and Elmira Street. The high tide at Sandy Hook peaked at 7.7 feet above mean lower low water at 1254 p.m. EST on the 25th. The high tide at Atlantic City also peaked at 7.7 feet above mean lower low water at 1212 p.m. EST on the 25th. The high tide at the Cape May/Lewes Terminal peaked at 8.2 feet above mean lower low water at 1130 a.m. EST on the 25th and peaked at 8.5 feet above mean lower low water at 1201 p.m. EST on the 25th. Moderate tidal flooding starts at 7.7 feet above mean lower low water. Total Accumulations included (going from the northwest to southeast across the state): in Sussex County 15 inches in High Point, 14.7 inches in Culver Lake, 13.5 inches in Wantage, 9.5 inches in Sparta and 8 inches in Sussex; in Warren County 12 inches in Phillipsburg and 11 inches in Allamuchy; in Morris County 12 inches in Oak Ridge, 11 inches in Long Valley, 9 inches in Whippany and Rockaway and 6 inches in Madison; in Hunterdon County 13 inches in White House Station, 11.5 inches in Califon and 10 inches in Flemington and Wertsville; in Somerset County 10.5 inches in Neshanic, 10 inches in Pottersville and 9 inches in Branchburg and Somerville, in Middlesex County 6 inches in New Brunswick and Woodbridge, in Monmouth County 7 inches in Ocean Grove and Manasquan, 6 inches in Howell and Union Beach; in Mercer County 10 inches in Washington's Crossing, 8 inches in Princeton and Hightstown; in Burlington County 13 inches in Moorestown, 10 inches in Lumberton and Marlton, 9 inches in Mount Laurel and 7 inches in Bordentown; in Ocean County 10 inches in Brick, 9 inches in Brant Beach and 8 inches in Jackson; in Camden County 14 inches in Gloucester City, 11 inches in Somerdale, 10 inches in Pennsauken and 8 inches in Cherry Hill; in Gloucester County 13 inches in Sewell and Mullica Hill, 11.5 inches in Swedesboro; in Salem County 10.3 inches in Deepwater; in Cumberland County 9 inches in Seabrook, 8 inches in Millville and 7 inches in Vineland; in Atlantic County 10 inches in Pomona, 9 inches in Estell Manor and 8.3 inches at the Atlantic City International Airport and in Cape May County 10 inches in North Wildwood, 8.5 inches in Cape May City and 8 inches in Cape May Courthouse. The low pressure system responsible for the winter storm began as a weak low pressure system on a stationary front in southern Texas on the 23rd. By the morning of the 24th, it was located in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico near Apalachicola, Florida. Initial projections were for this storm system to stay far enough offshore for the heaviest precipitation to fall over the ocean and a more significant storm was expected on Wednesday the 26th. But, by Monday evening the 24th, it became apparent that the storm would not safely go out to sea. In fact, it was intensifying and hugging the South Atlantic Coast. By 7 a.m. EST on the 25th, it was about a 980 millibar low just northeast of Cape Hatteras. The storm's greatest intensification was over, but it moved northeast near the Atlantic Seaboard, instead of eastnortheast as was originally expected. At 7 p.m. EST, the storm was about a 975 millibar low located about 80 miles east of Long Beach Island, New Jersey. It proceeded to move northeast and weaken and at 7 a.m. EST on the 26th, it was a 988 millibar low just east of Portland Maine. This storm system pushed the cold front well offshore. The third low that did develop on Wednesday the 26th was too far offshore to affect the region other than reinforcing the preexisting cold northwest flow.