New Jersey, 2001Heat in New Jersey, December 1 to 6, 2001
December 1 to 6, 2001 · NWS PHI · 40 events in 20 counties and zones
A strong ridge of high pressure over the western Atlantic Ocean and adjacent parts of the United States brought unseasonably and record breaking warm weather from November 30th through December 6th in New Jersey. Daily record breaking high temperatures were set on the 1st, 5th and 6th in many locations with high temperatures reaching into the 60s and 70s.
Every event with a place to put it; 40 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
Open the live radar over this ground
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 40
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.
A strong ridge of high pressure over the western Atlantic Ocean and adjacent parts of the United States brought unseasonably and record breaking warm weather from November 30th through December 6th in New Jersey. Daily record breaking high temperatures were set on the 1st, 5th and 6th in many locations with high temperatures reaching into the 60s and 70s. A cold frontal passage on the 7th brought readings closer to seasonal levels. The warmest day for most areas was the 5th. Highest temperatures included 74 degrees in Trenton (Mercer County), New Brunswick (Middlesex County), and Belle Mead (Somerset County), 73 degrees at the Atlantic City International Airport and Freehold (Monmouth County), 72 degrees in Somerville (Somerset County), Flemington (Hunterdon County), and Mount Holly (Burlington County), 71 degrees in Chatham (Morris County), Walpack (Sussex County), and Iselin (Middlesex County), 70 degrees at the Marina within Atlantic City, Somerdale (Camden County), Hackettstown (Warren County), Millville (Cumberland County) and Marcella (Morris County). The 71 degree high temperature in Walpack (Sussex County) tied the all-time monthly record high for the county.
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 1, 3:20 AM EST, 5 hours 40 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Dec 1, 3:20 AM EST, 5 hours 40 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
320 AM EST SAT DEC 1 2001
WELCOME TO METEOROLOGICAL WINTER...MORE NEAR OR RECORD BREAKING HIGH
TEMPERATURES ON TAP FOR TAFTN. E CST RDG GETS FLATTENED IN THE NR
TERM AND FLOW BECOMES ZONAL FOR THE FIRST HALF OF NEXT WEEK WITH THE
E CST RDG REESTABLISHING ITSELF AS THE WEEK TRANSPIRES. NO SGFCNT WX
WITH ABV NML TEMPS THRU OUR DAY 7 FCST. LATEST MRF STILL HOLDS OFF
NEXT PCPN CHC TIL FRI.
CDFNT OR WHAT/S LEFT OF IT APRS TO BE MOVG THRU WRN PARTS OF OUR CWA
ATTM. ITS MAIN EFFECT TDY WILL BE TO FOSTER DWNSLPG WRLY WINDS. WITH
H8 TEMPS AT 00Z IN THE 6 TO 12C RNG...COOLER AIR WILL NOT BE
ABRRELING TDY AND S/B MORE THAN COMPENSATED BY THE DWNSLPG WRLY
FLOW. THUS UNDER MOSUNNY SKIES WE/LL HAVE THE CHC AT BREAKING MORE
RECORDS. THIS MADE EASIER THAT SOME RECORD HIGHS ARE ABT 5 DEG LWR
THAN YDA/S AND CUR TEMPS ARE STILL AS WARM AS THE MID 60S:
ABE 65 IN 1934
ACY ARPT 65 IN 1998
ACY MARINA 66 IN 1998
GED 77 IN 1991 (LOOKS SAFE)
ILG 68 IN 1933
PHL 68 IN 1908
TTN 66 IN 1962
ALL THE FCST MDLS BRING IN HI LVL MSTR TNGT. EVEN THE ETA IS SHOWING
SGFCNT MSTR AT HI LVLS TO BLV THERE WILL BE A CI CANOPY OVR MOST OF
THE CWA THIS EVE THAT SHLD BCM THICKER OVRNGT AS A SHRT WV APCHS THE
RGN. UNDER NML CIRCUMSTANCES WOULD HAVE LOPPED ABT 5 DEG OFF OF GUID
MINS...BUT WITH FCSTD CLDS FCST CONFID NOT HI AND WE/LL PBLY JUST
LEAN TWD THE COOLER OF THE TWO GUID PKGS. LOWEST MINS IN THE AREA
MAY VERY WELL BE IN THE NJ PINE BARRENS.
GENERAL MDL TREND HAS BEEN SLOWER WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE SHRT WV
AND WE/LL BE A BIT MORE PESIM WITH SUN MRNG/S FCST. THIS WOULD SEEM
PRUDENT GIVEN FCSTD PASSAGE OF ENTR RGN OF H2.5 JET ACRS PA/NJ.
MIGHT EVEN SEE SOME SNIRGA/WINTRY TYPE SKIES ACRS OUR NRN CWA. FULL
SUN MAXT MACROS ARE MID 50S TO MID 60S. BUT WITH EXPECTED MRNG CLDS
AND SHRT DURATION OF DAYLIGHT...WE WILL NOT STRAY MUCH FROM GUID.
IDEAL RDTNL CONDS FCSTD FOR SUN NGT. ATTM NEXT EXPANSE OF CI LOOKS
TOO VIGOROUS AND PREDICATED ON AN ALMOST PERFECT PROG OF H5 SHRT WV.
IF PAST RECENT TRENDS CONT...THIS SHLD PASS FTHR TO OUR N. THUS
WE/LL OPT FOR COOLER AVN FMR GUID FOR MINS. ON THE OTHER HAND WITH
HI PRES IN CONTROL FOR MON...AVN MOS GUID LOOKS TOO LOW AND WE/LL
BUMP UP MAX TEMPS A TAD.
NEW AVN/MRF SEEMS TO VERIFY CUR EXTDD FCST.
MAR: SCA WILL BE CONTD FROM LTL EGG INLET NWD TO SANDY HOOK THIS
MRNG.
CLIMO AND WINTER TRENDS: PNS WIBIS ABT WARM/DRY AUTUMN. CLIMAT FOCAL
POINT WILL BE GOING OVER THESE NUMBERS...SO THEY MIGHT CHANGE A
TENTH OR SO COME MONDAY. NEVERTHELESS ONE OF THE WARMEST/DRIEST NOV
ON RECORD. LOOKING AT THE LATEST ENSEMBLES FOR THE FIRST HALF OF
DEC...WITH COLD AIR PRETTY MUCH LOCKED UP IN SIBERIA...IT WILL PBLY
TAKE A REVERSAL OF FORTUNE FOR DEC NOT TO BE WRMR THAN NML. OF
COURSE THE MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION REMAINS WHAT ABT THE WINTER. WE
HAVE GONE BACK IN PHL RECORDS TO FIND PAST COMBINATIONS OF OCTOBERS
AND NOVEMBERS THAT WERE UNSEASONABLY (IN THE UPPER 30 PERCENT) WARM
AND DRY (LESS THAN 2 INCHES OF PCPN FOR EACH MONTH). WE ARRIVED AT
FIVE SUCH EXAMPLES. THERE IS STILL A WEAK LA NINA IN FAR ERN
PACIFIC. CPC FCSTS ARE EXPECTING THIS TO GO LA NADA/WK EL NINO IN
2002. PAST PERFORMANCE IS NO INDICATION OF FUTURE TRENDS.
WINTER LA/EL ? DEC JAN FEB SNOWFALL
1918-19 LA NADA 40.9 37.7 37.6 4.5 INCHES
1922-23 LA NADA 36.1 34.4 30.0 19.5 INCHES
1928-29 LA NINA 40.8 34.2 35.2 11.9 INCHES
1973-74 LA NINA 38.6 35.9 31.7 20.8 INCHES
1990-91 EL NINO 42.1 35.2 40.0 16.5 INCHES
APPROX 1971-2000 NMLS 37.2 32.1 34.7 20.0 INCHES
ON TEMPERATURES ALONE THERE WERE 13 OCCURRENCES OF BOTH OCTOBER AND
NOVEMBER OF THE SAME YEAR BEING UNSEASONABLY WARMER THAN NORMAL. 77%
OF THE ENSUING DEC, 85% OF THE ENSUING JAN AND 54% OF THE ENSUING
FEB WERE WARMER (1971-2000 NUMBERS) THAN NML. SNOWFALL RANGED FROM
4.5 TO 33.1 INCHES WITH THE AVG OF 16.5 INCHES.
.PHI...SCA FROM SANDY HOOK NJ TO LITTLE EGG INLET NJ
TFGINO
Heat, Burlington
- When
- December 1, 9:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Burlington forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 39.878, -74.668 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Camden
- When
- December 1, 9:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Camden forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 39.804, -74.960 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Cumberland
- When
- December 1, 9:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Cumberland forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 39.328, -75.129 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Eastern Atlantic
- When
- December 1, 9:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Eastern Atlantic forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 39.469, -74.634 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Eastern Cape May
- When
- December 1, 9:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Eastern Cape May forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 39.085, -74.850 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Eastern Monmouth
- When
- December 1, 9:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Eastern Monmouth forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 40.288, -74.158 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Eastern Ocean
- When
- December 1, 9:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Eastern Ocean forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 39.866, -74.250 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Gloucester
- When
- December 1, 9:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Gloucester forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 39.717, -75.142 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Hunterdon
- When
- December 1, 9:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Hunterdon forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 40.567, -74.912 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Mercer
- When
- December 1, 9:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Mercer forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 40.283, -74.702 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Middlesex
- When
- December 1, 9:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Middlesex forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 40.440, -74.409 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Morris
- When
- December 1, 9:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Morris forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 40.862, -74.544 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Salem
- When
- December 1, 9:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Salem forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 39.577, -75.358 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Somerset
- When
- December 1, 9:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Somerset forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 40.564, -74.616 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Sussex
- When
- December 1, 9:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Sussex forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 41.140, -74.690 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Warren
- When
- December 1, 9:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Warren forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 40.857, -74.997 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Western Atlantic
- When
- December 1, 9:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Western Atlantic forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 39.469, -74.634 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Western Cape May
- When
- December 1, 9:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Western Cape May forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 39.085, -74.850 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Western Monmouth
- When
- December 1, 9:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Western Monmouth forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 40.288, -74.158 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Western Ocean
- When
- December 1, 9:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Western Ocean forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 39.866, -74.250 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Burlington
- When
- December 4, 8:00 AM EST to December 6, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Burlington forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 39.878, -74.668 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Camden
- When
- December 4, 8:00 AM EST to December 6, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Camden forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 39.804, -74.960 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Cumberland
- When
- December 4, 8:00 AM EST to December 6, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Cumberland forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 39.328, -75.129 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Eastern Atlantic
- When
- December 4, 8:00 AM EST to December 6, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Eastern Atlantic forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 39.469, -74.634 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Eastern Cape May
- When
- December 4, 8:00 AM EST to December 6, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Eastern Cape May forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 39.085, -74.850 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Eastern Monmouth
- When
- December 4, 8:00 AM EST to December 6, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Eastern Monmouth forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 40.288, -74.158 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Eastern Ocean
- When
- December 4, 8:00 AM EST to December 6, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Eastern Ocean forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 39.866, -74.250 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Gloucester
- When
- December 4, 8:00 AM EST to December 6, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Gloucester forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 39.717, -75.142 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Hunterdon
- When
- December 4, 8:00 AM EST to December 6, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Hunterdon forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 40.567, -74.912 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Mercer
- When
- December 4, 8:00 AM EST to December 6, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Mercer forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 40.283, -74.702 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Middlesex
- When
- December 4, 8:00 AM EST to December 6, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Middlesex forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 40.440, -74.409 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Morris
- When
- December 4, 8:00 AM EST to December 6, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Morris forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 40.862, -74.544 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Salem
- When
- December 4, 8:00 AM EST to December 6, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Salem forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 39.577, -75.358 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Somerset
- When
- December 4, 8:00 AM EST to December 6, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Somerset forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 40.564, -74.616 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Sussex
- When
- December 4, 8:00 AM EST to December 6, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Sussex forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 41.140, -74.690 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Warren
- When
- December 4, 8:00 AM EST to December 6, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Warren forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 40.857, -74.997 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Western Atlantic
- When
- December 4, 8:00 AM EST to December 6, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Western Atlantic forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 39.469, -74.634 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Western Cape May
- When
- December 4, 8:00 AM EST to December 6, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Western Cape May forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 39.085, -74.850 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Western Monmouth
- When
- December 4, 8:00 AM EST to December 6, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Western Monmouth forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 40.288, -74.158 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heat, Western Ocean
- When
- December 4, 8:00 AM EST to December 6, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Western Ocean forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 39.866, -74.250 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
- 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.
- Drought in Texas, December 1 to 31, 2001$420 million · 24 events
- Heat in Georgia, December 1 to 23, 200197 events
- Drought in Georgia, December 1 to 31, 200197 events
- High Wind in Washington, December 1, 2001$600,000 · 50 kt wind · 4 events
- Winter Storm in Washington, December 1, 2001$300,000 · 2 events
- High Wind in Oregon, December 1, 20011 injured · $100,000 · 54 kt wind · 1 event
- High Wind in Washington, December 1, 2001$125,000 · 62 kt wind · 1 event
- Winter Storm in Idaho, December 1, 2001$100,000 · 2 events
- Heat in West Virginia, December 1 to 23, 200134 events
- Drought in North Carolina, December 1 to 31, 200129 events
- High Wind in Oregon, December 1, 2001$26,000 · 54 kt wind · 2 events
- Drought in New Jersey, December 1 to 31, 200120 events
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: 5275035, 5275036, 5275037, 5275038, 5275039, 5275040, 5275041, 5275042, 5275043, 5275044, 5275045, 5275046, 5275047, 5275048, 5275049, 5275050, 5275051, 5275052, 5275053, 5275054, 5274241, 5274242, 5274243, 5274244, 5274245, 5274246, 5274247, 5274248, 5274249, 5274250, 5274251, 5274252, 5274253, 5274254, 5274255, 5274256, 5274257, 5274258, 5274259, 5274260.