New Jersey, 2002

High Wind in New Jersey, February 1, 2002

February 1, 2002 · NWS PHI · 20 events in 20 counties and zones

A rapidly intensifying low pressure system and the pressure gradient (difference in surface pressure) between the low and a high pressure system building in from the Southern Plains caused strong northwest winds behind the low's cold frontal passage during the late afternoon and evening on the first. Some gusty southwest winds also preceded the cold frontal passage in southeast New Jersey.

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
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  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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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 rapidly intensifying low pressure system and the pressure gradient (difference in surface pressure) between the low and a high pressure system building in from the Southern Plains caused strong northwest winds behind the low's cold frontal passage during the late afternoon and evening on the first. Some gusty southwest winds also preceded the cold frontal passage in southeast New Jersey. Peak wind gusts averaged between 40 and 50 mph inland and between 50 and 70 mph along the coast. The strong winds knocked down weak trees, tree limbs and wires. Peak wind gusts included 69 mph in Keansburg (Monmouth County), 55 mph at Barnegat Light (Ocean County), 49 mph in Belmar (Monmouth County), 48 mph at the Atlantic City International Airport, 45 mph in Millville (Cumberland County), 43 mph in Somerville (Somerset County), 41 mph in Andover (Sussex County) and at the McGuire AFB (Burlington 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 Feb 1, 12:16 PM EST, 1 hour 44 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 1, 12:16 PM EST, 1 hour 44 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
1215 PM EST FEB 1 2002

HAVE ISSUED AN UPDATE. WARM AIR IS NOT MOVING AS FAR NORTH AS
PREVIOUSLY EXPECTED ALTHOUGH TEMPS ON THE DELMARVA ARE SURGING INTO
THE 70S AS PREV ADVERTISED. MOST AREAS NORTH OF PHL WILL HAVE HARD
TIME MAKING IT INTO THE 60S BUT DRY SLOT MOVING THROUGH EASTERN PA
COULD BRING TEMPS IN SE PART OF THE STATE INTO THE UPPER 60S.

JJM

...PREVIOUS AFD BELOW...

HAVE ALLOWED DENSE FOG ADVISORY TO EXPIRE ON THE DELMARVA BUT HAVE
PLACED A MENTION OF FOG INTO EARLY AFTN IN PORTIONS OF CWA NORTH OF
WARM FRONT. WINDS SOUTH OF WARM FRONT PICKING UP ALREADY WITH GUSTS
AROUND 35 MPH BEING REPORTED.  TEMPS ON THE RISE THERE AS WELL WITH
RECORD BREAKING TEMPS LOOKING LIKELY ON THE DELMARVA AND IN SOUTHERN
NJ THANKS TO CLEARING SKIES. RECORD TEMPS STILL A POSSIBILITY
FURTHER NORTH INTO THE PHL METRO AREA BUT THIS WILL DEPEND ON HOW
MUCH SUN BREAKS OUT THERE EARLY THIS AFTERNOON.  WINDS WILL BE ON
THE INCREASE INTO THIS AFTN AND WILL KEEP WIND ADVISORY FOR THIS
AFTERNOON THROUGH THIS EVENING THROUGHOUT THE CWA. CAN/T RULE OUT A
STRAY THUNDERSTORM HERE OR THERE BUT DON/T THINK THEY WILL BE
WIDESPREAD ENOUGH TO MENTION IN THE FCST.

MARINE: SCA FOR ALL CSTL WATERS.

.PHI...
DE...WIND ADVY THIS AFTN AND EVE ALL ZONES.
MD...WIND ADVY THIS AFTN AND EVE ALL ZONES.
NJ...WIND ADVY THIS AFTN AND NIGHT ALL ZONES.
PA...WIND ADVY THIS AFTN AND EVE ALL ZONES.
MARINE...SCA FOR CSTL WATERS AND DE BAY.

JJM

....PREVIOUS AFD BELOW...

TU FOR COORD ON TODAY/S EVENT LWX AND SPC. MANY POINTS TO PONDER
WITH THIS FCST PKG...MOST OF THEM IN THE FIRST PKG. MDLS ALL ARE
RAPIDLY MOVG A CDFNT THRU OUR CWA BY THIS EVE. EXTREMELY STG WINDS
ALF S/B TAPPED EITHER ALG THE FNTL INTERFACE AND/OR A NARROW LINE OF
SHRA PRECEDING THE CFP. AFT THAT IT MAY BE A SHOCK TO THE SYS...BUT
NML WINTER TEMPS WILL BE RETURNING FOR THIS WEEKEND WITH NO CHGS IN
THE SENSIBLE WX FCST THRU MON.

AS FOR TDY...THIS MRNG FIRST. WE SHLD HAVE STUCK TO OUR ORIGINAL
GUNS AND SLOWED THE WFP. ITS STILL S OF OUR CWA AND SHLD TAKE MUCH
OF THIS MRNG TO PASS THRU FROM S TO N. BASED ON CUR OBS WE ARE
PLANNING TO ISSUE A DENSE FOG ADVY FOR THE DELMARVA ZONES AND MNTN
PATCHY DENSE FOG ELSW THIS MRNG. THERE ARE NO REPORTED PBLMS IN
SUSSEX AND MONROE CTYS. IT APRS THE FREEZING DRIZZLE HAS ENDED AND
WE WILL LET THE WINTER WX ADVY EXPIRE.

THE MOST IMPORTANT QUES OF THE DAY IS HOW TO HANDLE THE PTNL FOR STG
WINDS LATER TDY. THE FCST MDLS HAVE TRENDED A BIT MORE STABLE. EVEN
THE ETA DOES NOT HAVE ANY S/B CAPES AND ITS LLVL LI/S DON/T GET TO
ZERO ANY LONGER. SO THE CHCS OF THUNDER APPEAR SMALLER. BUT
NEVERTHELESS WE HAVE SEEN LINE OF SHRAS THAT HAVE BEEN ACCOMPANIED
BY STG WINDS IN THE PAST. AFT GOING THRU OUR HIGH WIND CHECK LIST
AND LOOKING AT THE RULE OF THUMB RELATING TO FD WINDS...WE ARRIVED
AT PEAK WIND GUSTS OF ARND 45KT. SPC BELIEVES 50KT WOULD BE PBLY BE
AN ISOLATED HIGHEST PK GUST WITH THIS LINE. IN ADTN TEMP GUID IS A
BIT LWR AND WILL OBVIOUSLY TAKE LNGR FOR THE CLDS TO BRK AND WRMR
AIR TO MOVE IN. SO WE WILL OPT TO ISSUE A WIND ADVY WITH THIS
FCST PKG FOR THIS AFTN (THE SHRA LINE OR CFP) AND EVE (TIGHT GRAD
BHND THE FNT) THAT SHLD CVR MOST OF THIS EVENT. IF TEMPS BCM WRMR OR
SFC LO INTENSIFIES GREATER THAN EXPECTED DAYSHIFT MIGHT HAVE TO
REACCESS THIS DECISION.

FULL SUN MAXT PTNL TDY IS UPR 60S TO ARND 80. GIVEN THAT UPSIDE
PTNL...BLV AVN MOS GUID LOOKS BETTER IN SERN ZNS (MORE RECORDS?) BUT
PRFR COOLER NGM MOS TEMPS IN NW ZONES CLSR TO CFP TIME AND WITH A
LONGER TIME FOR COOL AIR TO BE MIXED OUT. HI TEMPS IN SOME OF OUR NW
ZONES MAY OCR JUST AFT CFP. AS FAR AS PCPN GOES WE LIKE THE CUR
BREAK OF LIKELY POPS NW TO CHC POPS SE AS THE FRMR LOCNS WILL BE
CLSR TO ENTR RGN OF H2.5 JET AND STGST FGEN FRCG. FGEN FRCG DOES
INCR ACRS OUR CWA DURG THE AFTN...SO CHC POPS LOOK GOOD TO THE CST.

RECORD HI TEMPS TDY
PHL 66 IN 1989
ILG 67 IN 1989
TTN 54 IN 1970
ACY 69 IN 1989
ACY SHORE...60
GED 69 IN 1967

ALL LOCNS SHLD BCM MOCLR BY END OF THE NGT AS MSTR AND CDFNT SWEEP
WELL OFSHR. ARCTIC AIR OVR MN LOOKS AS THO IT HAS TOO FAR TO GO OVR
NON SNOW COVERED AREAS TO ARRIVE AT AVN MOS MINS FOR TNGT. PRFR
SLGTLY WRMR NGM MOS.

THEN FAIR...BUT COLD WEATHER FOR THE WEEKEND. THERE SHLD BE SOME CAA
SC ACRS NRN ZONES ON SAT...LESS DOWN S. FULL SUN MACROS SUGG THAT
THE COLDER NGM (FOR MOST PLACES) SHLD WORK BETTER FOR SAT/S MAX
TEMPS. AS HI PRES DRIFTS EWD SAT NGT AND GIVES US RDTNL COOLG
CONDS...WE WILL GO WITH THE COOLER OF THE TWO GUID FOR
SUBURBAN/RURAL ZONES. MORE SUNNY SKIES FOR OUR SRN CWA ON SUN. OUR
NRN ZONES WILL BE CLSR TO SOME CHLNZD PVA AS WELL AS WAA INDCD MSTR
IN RETURN FLOW FROM ALBERTA CLIPPER. WE/LL FSCT PTLY SUNNY SKIES UP
THERE. MAXT MACROS SUPPORT WRMR AVN MOS MAX TEMPS FOR SUN.

NO CHGS TO THE EXTDD. FOR MON ATTM 2NDRY OCEANIC CYCLOGENESIS FOR
APRS TO BE TOO FAR OFSHR TO AFFECT US AND PRIMARY ALBERTA LOW MOVES
N OF US. LATEST AVN/MRF BACK OFF ON THU/S WX ATTM...BUT LAST WINT WE
HAD NO SKILL ON MIDN SHIFTS CHANGING DAY 7 OF THE EXTDD. FCST COULD
STILL BE RIGHT FROM A DIF SYS AFFECTING US.

CLIMO: PRELIMINARY JAN MEAN TEMP FOR PHL 39.2 DEG...6.9 DEG ABV
NORMAL (EVEN WITH WRMR 1971-2000). THIS WAS THE 4TH CONSECUTIVE
MONTH THAT WAS WELL ABOVE NORMAL (DEFINED AS UPR 30% OF ALL MONTHS)
AND ONLY THE 3RD TIME THIS HAS EVER HAPPENED IN PHL. THE LAST TIME
WAS THE FALL/WINTER OF 1918-19 (ALSO A DRY FALL). THE TWO ENSUING
FEBRUARIES WERE THE COLDEST MONTH OF THOSE WINTERS...BUT THEN AGAIN
THERE IS CONSIDERABLE DOWNSIDE PTNL.

MARINE: SCA FOR ALL CSTL WATERS.

.PHI...
DE...DENSE FOG ADVY THIS MRNG FOR DEZ002>004. WIND ADVY THIS
     AFTN AND EVE ALL ZONES.
MD...DENSE FOG ADVY THIS MRNG FOR MDZ012-015-019-020
     WIND ADVY THIS AFTN AND EVE ALL ZONES.
NJ...WIND ADVY THIS AFTN AND NIGHT ALL ZONES.
PA...WIND ADVY THIS AFTN AND EVE ALL ZONES.
MARINE...SCA FOR CSTL WATERS AND DE BAY.

TFG

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

20 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Burlington

When
February 1, 2:00 PM EST to 11:59 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)

High Wind, Camden

When
February 1, 2:00 PM EST to 11:59 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)

High Wind, Cumberland

When
February 1, 2:00 PM EST to 11:59 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)

High Wind, Eastern Atlantic

When
February 1, 2:00 PM EST to 11:59 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)

High Wind, Eastern Cape May

When
February 1, 2:00 PM EST to 11:59 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)

High Wind, Eastern Monmouth

When
February 1, 2:00 PM EST to 11:59 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)

High Wind, Eastern Ocean

When
February 1, 2:00 PM EST to 11:59 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)

High Wind, Gloucester

When
February 1, 2:00 PM EST to 11:59 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)

High Wind, Hunterdon

When
February 1, 2:00 PM EST to 11:59 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)

High Wind, Mercer

When
February 1, 2:00 PM EST to 11:59 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)

High Wind, Middlesex

When
February 1, 2:00 PM EST to 11:59 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)

High Wind, Morris

When
February 1, 2:00 PM EST to 11:59 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)

High Wind, Salem

When
February 1, 2:00 PM EST to 11:59 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)

High Wind, Somerset

When
February 1, 2:00 PM EST to 11:59 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)

High Wind, Sussex

When
February 1, 2:00 PM EST to 11:59 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)

High Wind, Warren

When
February 1, 2:00 PM EST to 11:59 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)

High Wind, Western Atlantic

When
February 1, 2:00 PM EST to 11:59 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)

High Wind, Western Cape May

When
February 1, 2:00 PM EST to 11:59 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)

High Wind, Western Ocean

When
February 1, 2:00 PM EST to 11:59 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)

High Wind, Western Monmouth

When
February 1, 2:00 PM EST to 11:59 PM EST
Where
Western Monmouth forecast zone
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
40.288, -74.158 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

High Wind
Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in New Jersey in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in New Jersey, February 2002

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: 5282422, 5282423, 5282424, 5282425, 5282426, 5282427, 5282428, 5282429, 5282430, 5282431, 5282432, 5282433, 5282434, 5282435, 5282436, 5282437, 5282438, 5282439, 5282440, 5282441.