Heavy Rain, Sussex
- When
- December 1, 2:00 AM EST to December 2, 6:00 AM EST
- Where
- Sussex forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.140, -74.690 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Rain in New Jersey, December 1 to 2, 1996
A slow moving cold front, coupled with a low pressure system that developed over West Virginia on the 1st and moved just northwest of New Jersey on the 2nd brought rain to the area from the 1st through the morning of the 2nd. The rain was the heaviest during the early morning of the 2nd and caused some urban and poor drainage flooding.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 16 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 16
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
What happened
The episode as NWS PHI wrote it up.
A slow moving cold front, coupled with a low pressure system that developed over West Virginia on the 1st and moved just northwest of New Jersey on the 2nd brought rain to the area from the 1st through the morning of the 2nd. The rain was the heaviest during the early morning of the 2nd and caused some urban and poor drainage flooding. River flooding was mainly confined to the Passaic and Raritan Basins. Storm totals averaged between 1.5 and 2.5 inches with higher amounts in the northwest part of the state and lower amounts along the southeast shore. Storm totals included 3.17 inches in Sparta (Sussex County), 2.89 inches in Blairstown (Warren County), 2.53 inches in Newton (Sussex County), 2.19 inches in Belvidere (Warren County), 1.76 inches in Pennsauken (Camden County), 1.75 inches in Brick Township (Ocean County), 1.68 inches in Estell Manor (Atlantic County), 1.61 inches in Millville (Cumberland County), 1.6 inches in Mount Holly (Burlington County) and 1.06 inches within Atlantic City.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
16 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy Rain, Warren
- When
- December 1, 2:00 AM EST to December 2, 6:00 AM EST
- Where
- Warren forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.857, -74.997 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Rain, Middlesex
- When
- December 1, 6:00 AM EST to December 2, 6:00 AM EST
- Where
- Middlesex forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.440, -74.409 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Rain, Western Monmouth
- When
- December 1, 6:00 AM EST to December 2, 6:00 AM EST
- Where
- Western Monmouth forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.288, -74.158 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Rain, Eastern Monmouth
- When
- December 1, 6:00 AM EST to December 2, 6:00 AM EST
- Where
- Eastern Monmouth forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.288, -74.158 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Rain, Salem
- When
- December 1, 6:00 AM EST to December 2, 6:00 AM EST
- Where
- Salem forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.577, -75.358 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Rain, Gloucester
- When
- December 1, 6:00 AM EST to December 2, 6:00 AM EST
- Where
- Gloucester forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.717, -75.142 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Rain, Camden
- When
- December 1, 6:00 AM EST to December 2, 6:00 AM EST
- Where
- Camden forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.804, -74.960 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Rain, Northwestern Burlington
- When
- December 1, 6:00 AM EST to December 2, 6:00 AM EST
- Where
- Northwestern Burlington forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.878, -74.668 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Rain, Western Ocean
- When
- December 1, 6:00 AM EST to December 2, 6:00 AM EST
- Where
- Western Ocean forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.866, -74.250 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Rain, Eastern Ocean
- When
- December 1, 6:00 AM EST to December 2, 6:00 AM EST
- Where
- Eastern Ocean forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.866, -74.250 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Rain, Cumberland
- When
- December 1, 8:00 AM EST to December 2, 5:00 AM EST
- Where
- Cumberland forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.328, -75.129 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Rain, Western Atlantic
- When
- December 1, 8:00 AM EST to December 2, 5:00 AM EST
- Where
- Western Atlantic forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.469, -74.634 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Rain, Western Cape May
- When
- December 1, 8:00 AM EST to December 2, 5:00 AM EST
- Where
- Western Cape May forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.085, -74.850 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Rain, Eastern Cape May
- When
- December 1, 8:00 AM EST to December 2, 5:00 AM EST
- Where
- Eastern Cape May forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.085, -74.850 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Rain, Eastern Atlantic
- When
- December 1, 8:00 AM EST to December 2, 5:00 AM EST
- Where
- Eastern Atlantic forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.469, -74.634 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- Heavy Rain
- Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Winter Storm in Utah, December 1 to 2, 1996
- Tornado in Florida, December 1, 1996
- Drought in Texas, December 1 to 31, 1996
- High Wind in New York, December 1, 1996
- Damaging Wind in Alabama, December 1, 1996
- High Wind in New York, December 1, 1996
- Tornado in Alabama, December 1, 1996
- Damaging Wind in Alabama, December 1, 1996
- Lightning Strike in Alabama, December 1, 1996
- Damaging Wind in Alabama, December 1, 1996
- High Wind in Vermont, December 1, 1996
- Damaging Wind in Alabama, December 1, 1996
More
Every storm in New Jersey in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in New Jersey, December 1996
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5576745, 5576746, 5576747, 5576748, 5576749, 5576750, 5576751, 5576752, 5576753, 5576754, 5576755, 5576756, 5576757, 5576758, 5576759, 5576760.