Heat in New Jersey, July 28 to 30, 2002

Name: Heat in New Jersey, July 28 to 30, 2002
Start: 2002-07-28T09:00
End: 2002-07-30T18:00
Location: New Jersey

July 28 to 30, 2002 · NWS PHI · 19 events in 19 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 19 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: 19

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.

Another hot and very humid air mass moved into New Jersey on the 28th. In most areas this hot spell produced some of the highest heat indices of the summer as they reached around 105F during the afternoon of the 29th. Even shore areas baked on the 29th and 30th as westerly winds kept the sea breeze from forming. July 30th was the hottest day (99 degrees) of the summer at the Atlantic City Marina. A cold front moved through the region during the night of the 30th. While temperatures on the 31st still reached into the 90s, dew point temperatures and the moisture content of the air mass was considerably lower. The apparent temperature (or heat index) matched and did not exceed the afternoon high temperatures. More humid air again moved in during the start of August. The string of days with high temperatures of 90 degrees or higher for inland locations did not end until August 5th or 6th. There were several reports of heat related illnesses, most were along the shore. Cooling centers for senior citizens were opened in Middlesex County. The hot weather and high humidity levels taxed electric utilities and the PJM Interconnection issued a usage advisory . Both Jersey Central Power and Light and Conectiv Power Delivery asked customers to use electricity prudently. For most places the highest temperatures with the July part of this hot spell occurred on the 29th and included 101 degrees in New Lisbon (Burlington County), 99 degrees at the Marina within Atlantic City and Belvidere (Warren County), 98 degrees at the Atlantic City International Airport, New Brunswick (Middlesex County), Mount Holly (Burlington County), Pennsauken (Camden County), Beach Haven (Ocean County) and Trenton (Mercer County), 97 degrees in Belmar (Monmouth County), Morristown (Morris County), Somerville (Somerset County), West Deptford (Gloucester County) and Millville (Cumberland County), 96 degrees in Flemington (Hunterdon County) 94 degrees in Avalon (Cape May County) and Sandy Hook (Monmouth County) and 93 degrees in Wildwood (Cape May County) The hot spell at the end of July cemented the month as being well above normal. The preliminary statewide monthly mean temperature of 76.5 degrees was 2.0 degrees above normal and was tied for the 10th warmest July in New Jersey since 1895. The July monthly mean temperature at the Atlantic City International Airport was 77.1 degrees, 1.8 degrees above normal and the 6th warmest July on record. There were 16 days that the high temperatures was 90 degrees or higher. The July monthly mean temperature at the Marina within Atlantic City was 77.2 degrees, 2.0 degrees above normal and the 5th warmest July on record. The July monthly mean temperature in Trenton was 77.3 degrees, 1.4 degrees above normal. There were 15 days that the high temperatures was 90 degrees or higher.

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 28, 3:01 AM EST, 5 hours 59 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 28, 3:01 AM EST, 5 hours 59 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
401 AM EDT SUN JUL 28 2002

INCREASING HEAT AND HUMIDITY = THE STEAMBATH...THE SAUNA...THE
STICKIES.  ALL THE ABOVE IMPLIES UNCOMFORT. THAT IS WHAT WERE
HEADED FOR.  DWPTS INCRSD LT SAT AND DWPTS GNRLY IN 70-75 RANGE TDA
THRU AT LEAST TUE. TEMPS WL BE ON THE UPSWING. CURNT WX MAP SHOWS
TRW COMPLEX UP NR ERN LE HEADED TWD WRN NY STA. THIS IN CONJUNCTION
WITH WRM FNTL BNDRY THAT XTNDS SE TWD DEL BAY AREA. THIS WHOLE MASS
TO SWING E AND GRDLY AM LO CLDS TO GIVE WAY TO P/SNY AND WRMER AND
HUMID CONDITIONS THIS AFTN. TEMPS TDA WL RISE TO L-M 80S NRN AREAS
TO ARND 90 NR SE PA AND SW NJ AND MAYBE LOW 90S DELMAR. FOR
MON...TEMPS GO EVEN HIER MOSTLY L-M90S...XCPTN POCONOS AND IMMEDIATE
SHORE LINE. THIS WL MAKE IT FEEL MORE LIKE 100-105 MOST AREAS AND SO
WL ISSUE EXCESSIVE HT WATCH FOR MOST AREAS FOR MON. LATEST
INDICATIONS ARE THAT A CD FNT WL MOVE THRU AREA LT TUE AND TUE
NGT...BUT TEMPS SHUD ONCE AGAIN BE HI ENUF TO XTND HT WTCH INTO TUE.
REAL CONCERN WL BE FOR HIGHLY URBANIZED AREAS WHERE HT WRNG MAY BE
REQUIRED...SINCE TDA WL BEGIN TO HEAT THE BRICKS AND MON AND TUE WL
CONT BEFORE CD FNT BRINGS AN END TO CURNT SPELL.

AS FOR MARINE...ALL QUITE.

FCSTID = 14
MPO   81  67  86  69 /  40  30  40  30
ABE   86  71  93  73 /  40  30  40  30
RDG   89  74  93  76 /  40  30  30  30
PHL   90  76  96  78 /  30  30  30  30
12N   84  70  91  72 /  30  30  40  30
SMQ   86  73  97  75 /  30  30  30  30
TTN   87  74  96  76 /  30  30  30  30
MIV   90  75  93  77 /  30  30  30  30
ACY   83  76  88  78 /  30  30  30  30
ILG   90  75  94  77 /  30  30  30  30
DOV   93  75  95  77 /  30  30  30  30
GED   94  75  96  77 /  30  30  30  30
ESN   94  76  95  78 /  30  30  30  30

.PHI...
DE...EXCESSIVE HEAT WATCH MONDAY FOR ZONE DEZ001>003.

MD...EXCESSIVE HEAT WATCH MONDAY FOR ZONES
MDZ008...MDZ012...MDZ015...MDZ019>020.

NJ...EXCESSIVE HEAT WATCH MONDAY FOR ZONES
NJZ007>010...NJZ012>013...NJZ015>023...NJZ027.

PA...EXCESSIVE HEAT WATCH MONDAY FOR ZONES PAZ060>062...PAZ067>071.

MARINE...NONE.

JWH

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

19 heat. Local standard time, as filed.

Heat, Burlington

When: July 28, 9:00 AM EST to July 30, 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 28, 9:00 AM EST to July 30, 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 28, 9:00 AM EST to July 30, 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, Gloucester

When: July 28, 9:00 AM EST to July 30, 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 28, 9:00 AM EST to July 30, 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 28, 9:00 AM EST to July 30, 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 28, 9:00 AM EST to July 30, 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 28, 9:00 AM EST to July 30, 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 28, 9:00 AM EST to July 30, 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 28, 9:00 AM EST to July 30, 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, Warren

When: July 28, 9:00 AM EST to July 30, 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 28, 9:00 AM EST to July 30, 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 Monmouth

When: July 28, 9:00 AM EST to July 30, 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 28, 9:00 AM EST to July 30, 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, Eastern Atlantic

When: July 29, 9:00 AM EST to July 30, 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 29, 9:00 AM EST to July 30, 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 29, 9:00 AM EST to July 30, 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 29, 9:00 AM EST to July 30, 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, Western Cape May

When: July 29, 9:00 AM EST to July 30, 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)

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: 5308779, 5308780, 5308781, 5308782, 5308783, 5308784, 5308785, 5308786, 5308787, 5308859, 5308860, 5308861, 5308862, 5308863, 5308864, 5308865, 5308866, 5308867, 5308868.