Heat in New Jersey, July 1 to 4, 2002

Name: Heat in New Jersey, July 1 to 4, 2002
Start: 2002-07-01T09:00
End: 2002-07-04T18:00
Location: New Jersey

July 1 to 4, 2002 · NWS PHI · 20 events in 20 counties and zones

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

Open the live radar over this ground

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.

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).

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 Jul 1, 1:10 AM EST, 7 hours 50 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 1, 1:10 AM EST, 7 hours 50 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION - CORRECTION FOR WATCH WARNING BELOW
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
210 AM EDT MON JUL 1 2002

AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WATCH WILL BE ISSUED FOR THE METRO AREAS IN AND
AROUND PHL. VALID TIMES TUE AND WED.

HOT AIR IS BEING PUSHED NE AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT IN CANADA. AS THIS
COLD FRONG GRADUALLY MOVES SOUTH AND EAST THROUGH MIDWEEK...THE HOT
AIR PRECEDING IT ALSO MOVES SOUTHEAST UNTIL THE FRONT CROSSES SLOWLY
FROM THE NORTHWEST LATE WED NIGHT AND THU.

TODAY...TEMPS DONT GET TOO HOT. ALTHOUGH THE HUMIDITY INCREASES
SOME...IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO CAUSE THE HEAT INDEX TO PEAK MUCH ABOVE
THE LOW 90S. THERE IS ENUF DRY AIR ALFT...THAT SHOULD MIX DOWN AS
TEMPS RISE KEEPING DEWPTS IN THE 60S. THE SHORE ZOENS SHOULD BE
NICER WITH A COOL SEABREEZE.

TUE SHOULD BE HOT WITH THE HEAT INDEX 100 TO 105 AS TEMPS REACH THE
MID 90S AND DEWPTS THE LOW 70S. THE FLOW IS MORE OFFSHORE ALLOWING
THE COAST TO ALSO GET HOT. HOWEVER...THE OFFSHORE FLOW IS NOT ENOUGH
TO KEEP THE SEABREEZE FROM DEVELOP...ALBEIT AFTER TEMPS REACH THE
LOW 90S.

WITH RIDGING SFC AND ALFT...TEMPS SHOULD SOAR WED AFTER WARM
NIGHTTIME MINS IN THE 70S. 850 SUPPORTS TEMPS WELL INTO THE 90S ON
WED...WHICH WILL PROBABLY BE THE HOTTEST DAY AND THE HEAT INDEX MAY
EXCEED 105. THE COAST SHOULD ALSO GET HOT WITH OFFSHORE FLOW...ANY
SEABREEZES THAT DVLP SHOULD NOT MOVE INLAND AND REMAIN RESTRICTED TO
THE BEACHES.

PER TSTM POTENTIAL. CONSIDERING THE RIDGING SFC AND ALFT...TSTMS
ACTIVITY IS NOT EXPECTED TO BE ORGANIZED OR VERY WIDESPREAD UNTIL
THE FRONT GETS CLOSER TO THE REGION. THEREFORE...I WILL ONLY CARRY A
30 PCT POP FOR LATE THIS AFTN NORTH DUE TO A WEAK SHRT WAVE
THERE...THEN ALL AREAS IN THE AFTN TUE AND AGAIN WED AFTN. SINCE
DYNAMICS ARE NOT ORGANIZED...DAYTIME HEATING WILL BE NEEDED FOR
THEIR DVLPMT.

FCSTID = 9
MPO   85  70  89  70 /  30  20  30  20
ABE   88  70  95  72 /  30  20  30  20
RDG   89  70  95  72 /  30  20  30  20
PHL   90  72  97  76 /  10  10  30  20
12N   88  70  94  72 /  30  20  30  20
SMQ   90  71  96  76 /  20  10  30  20
TTN   90  71  96  76 /  20  10  30  20
MIV   87  70  97  74 /  10   0  30  20
ACY   81  70  93  73 /  10   0  30  20
ILG   89  70  97  76 /  10  10  30  20
DOV   87  70  97  74 /  10   0  30  20
GED   87  70  97  74 /  10   0  30  20
ESN   87  70  97  74 /  10   0  30  20

.PHI...
DE...EXCESSIVE HEAT WATCH TUE AND WED FOR NEW CASTLE COUNTY.
MD...NONE.
NJ...EXCESSIVE HEAT WATCH TUE AND WED FOR NORTHWEST BURLINGTON...
     MERCER...CAMDEN AND GLOUCESTER.
PA...EXCESSIVE HEAT WATCH TUE AND WED FOR BUCKS...MONTGOMERY...
     CHESTER...DELAWARE AND PHILADELPHIA.
MARINE...NONE.

RNS

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

20 heat. Local standard time, as filed.

Heat, Burlington

When: July 1, 9:00 AM EST to July 4, 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: July 1, 9:00 AM EST to July 4, 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: July 1, 9:00 AM EST to July 4, 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: July 1, 9:00 AM EST to July 4, 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: July 1, 9:00 AM EST to July 4, 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: July 1, 9:00 AM EST to July 4, 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: July 1, 9:00 AM EST to July 4, 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: July 1, 9:00 AM EST to July 4, 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: July 1, 9:00 AM EST to July 4, 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: July 1, 9:00 AM EST to July 4, 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: July 1, 9:00 AM EST to July 4, 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: July 1, 9:00 AM EST to July 4, 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: July 1, 9:00 AM EST to July 4, 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: July 1, 9:00 AM EST to July 4, 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: July 1, 9:00 AM EST to July 4, 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: July 1, 9:00 AM EST to July 4, 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: July 1, 9:00 AM EST to July 4, 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: July 1, 9:00 AM EST to July 4, 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: July 1, 9:00 AM EST to July 4, 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: July 1, 9:00 AM EST to July 4, 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)

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

Every storm in New Jersey in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in New Jersey, July 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: 5308325, 5308326, 5308327, 5308328, 5308329, 5308330, 5308331, 5308332, 5308333, 5308334, 5308408, 5308409, 5308410, 5308411, 5308412, 5308413, 5308414, 5308415, 5308416, 5308417.