Heat, Western Ocean
- When
- February 26, 12:00 PM EST to February 28, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Western Ocean forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.866, -74.250 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat in New Jersey, February 26 to 28, 1997
A persistent west to southwest flow of air throughout the Eastern United States brought unseasonably warm air into New Jersey from the afternoon of February 26th through March 2nd. The warmest day through this spring preview was February 27th as many new record high temperatures were set.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 20 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
- 20
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 persistent west to southwest flow of air throughout the Eastern United States brought unseasonably warm air into New Jersey from the afternoon of February 26th through March 2nd. The warmest day through this spring preview was February 27th as many new record high temperatures were set. A series of cold fronts, one early on February 28th and a stronger second one on March 2nd brought temperatures closer to seasonal levels. On February 27th, at New Brunswick, the high of 74 degrees thoroughly thrashed the previous record of 62 degrees last set in 1976. The high temperature of 73 degrees at the Atlantic City International Airport in Pomona broke the previous record of 70 degrees set in 1971. Record highs were also set in Philadelphia (74 degrees) and the Lehigh Valley International Airport (72 degrees). Other high temperatures from February 27th around New Jersey included 75 degrees in Somerdale (Camden County), 74 degrees in Atsion (Burlington County), Hightstown (Mercer County), Mount Holly (Burlington County), Parsippany (Morris County) and Belle Mead (Somerset County), 73 degrees in Estell Manor (Atlantic County), Millville and Seabrook (Cumberland County) and Wertsville (Hunterdon County), 72 degrees in Stewartsville (Warren County), 70 degrees in Sussex, 69 degrees in Boonton (Morris County), 68 degrees in Newton and Wantage (Sussex County) and 66 degrees at the Marina within Atlantic City.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
20 heat. Local standard time, as filed.
Heat, Western Monmouth
- When
- February 26, 12:00 PM EST to February 28, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Western Monmouth forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.288, -74.158 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Western Cape May
- When
- February 26, 12:00 PM EST to February 28, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Western Cape May forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.085, -74.850 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Western Atlantic
- When
- February 26, 12:00 PM EST to February 28, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Western Atlantic forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.469, -74.634 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Warren
- When
- February 26, 12:00 PM EST to February 28, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Warren forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.857, -74.997 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Sussex
- When
- February 26, 12:00 PM EST to February 28, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Sussex forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.140, -74.690 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Somerset
- When
- February 26, 12:00 PM EST to February 28, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Somerset forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.564, -74.616 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Salem
- When
- February 26, 12:00 PM EST to February 28, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Salem forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.577, -75.358 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Morris
- When
- February 26, 12:00 PM EST to February 28, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Morris forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.862, -74.544 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Middlesex
- When
- February 26, 12:00 PM EST to February 28, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Middlesex forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.440, -74.409 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Mercer
- When
- February 26, 12:00 PM EST to February 28, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Mercer forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.283, -74.702 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Hunterdon
- When
- February 26, 12:00 PM EST to February 28, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Hunterdon forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.567, -74.912 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Gloucester
- When
- February 26, 12:00 PM EST to February 28, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Gloucester forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.717, -75.142 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Eastern Ocean
- When
- February 26, 12:00 PM EST to February 28, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Eastern Ocean forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.866, -74.250 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Eastern Monmouth
- When
- February 26, 12:00 PM EST to February 28, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Eastern Monmouth forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.288, -74.158 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Eastern Cape May
- When
- February 26, 12:00 PM EST to February 28, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Eastern Cape May forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.085, -74.850 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Eastern Atlantic
- When
- February 26, 12:00 PM EST to February 28, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Eastern Atlantic forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.469, -74.634 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Cumberland
- When
- February 26, 12:00 PM EST to February 28, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Cumberland forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.328, -75.129 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Camden
- When
- February 26, 12:00 PM EST to February 28, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Camden forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.804, -74.960 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Burlington
- When
- February 26, 12:00 PM EST to February 28, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Burlington forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.878, -74.668 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- Heat
- Heat below excessive heat criteria that still caused deaths, injuries or significant impacts.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Heavy Snow in Utah, February 26 to 28, 1997
- Flash Flood in Missouri, February 26, 1997
- Heavy Rain in Missouri, February 26 to 27, 1997
- Winter Storm in Nebraska, February 26 to 27, 1997
- Heat in Pennsylvania, February 26 to 28, 1997
- Winter Storm in Colorado, February 26, 1997
- Heavy Snow in Kansas, February 26 to 27, 1997
- Flooding in Missouri, February 26 to 28, 1997
- Heavy Snow in Colorado, February 26, 1997
- Heat in Maryland, February 26 to 28, 1997
- Winter Storm in Iowa, February 26 to 27, 1997
- Heavy Snow in Montana, February 26 to 27, 1997
More
Every storm in New Jersey in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in New Jersey, February 1997
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: 5595698, 5595699, 5595700, 5595701, 5595702, 5595703, 5595704, 5595705, 5595706, 5595707, 5595708, 5595709, 5595710, 5595711, 5595712, 5595713, 5595714, 5595715, 5595716, 5595717.