New Jersey Climate
Top 5 Cities: Newark, Jersey City, Paterson, Elizabeth, and Edison
This month in numbers
New Jersey experienced its 5th warmest April on record, with an average temperature of 12.44°C, a significant 2.7°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. Maximum temperatures in April were also notably high, ranking 4th warmest on record at 19.11°C, an anomaly of +3.2°C. This warmth was coupled with drier conditions, as precipitation for April was 63.75 mm, 35.1 mm below average, ranking 64th of 77 years on record. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April on record for land temperatures.
What changed
Over the February–April 2026 period, New Jersey's average temperature was 6.09°C, 1.6°C above the 1961–1990 baseline, ranking 21st warmest on record. Precipitation for this three-month period was 63.5 mm, 26.8 mm below average, ranking 70th driest. This regional trend aligns with the broader global picture, as global land temperatures for the same three-month period ranked as the 2nd warmest on record. New Jersey's 1-month temperature anomaly places it 53rd warmest out of 234 regions, while the 3-month anomaly ranks it 131st. The Northeast US climate region, which includes New Jersey, also saw above-average temperatures, with New Jersey's April anomaly being 0.31°C warmer than the group average.
What’s driving change?
The persistent warmth and dry conditions in New Jersey are being influenced by , with winters warming faster and spring arriving earlier. New Jersey has been under a drought warning since December 2025, with officials noting below-normal precipitation for 20 of the last 24 months. This extended dry period has led to 88% of New Jersey being under drought conditions as of May 12, 2026, with nearly half of the state experiencing severe drought. This lack of rainfall has exacerbated wildfire risks, with 4 wildfire events recorded in May, representing 100% of the annual total, an unusual concentration for the season. Additionally, an unusual weather sequence in mid-April saw a prolonged warm spell followed by a sharp temperature drop, causing significant damage to agricultural crops across the state, with estimated losses of over $300 million. The current ENSO state is Neutral, but an El Niño phase is strongly forecast to develop from May-July 2026, which typically brings warmer conditions to the Northeast US during winter months, though its impact on spring precipitation is less clear. More information on extreme weather can be found at Extreme Weather tracker and on ENSO at ENSO tracker.
Looking ahead
The NOAA CPC probability forecast indicates a high likelihood of an El Niño phase developing from May-July 2026, with probabilities increasing through the summer and autumn.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for New Jersey
Every figure on this page is sourced from official, openly published climate datasets. Anomalies are calculated against the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) and 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost) — see the Methodology & Sources page for the complete dataset list and update calendar.
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in New Jersey changing?
New Jersey is warming in line with the rest of the world. The page above shows the latest monthly temperature anomaly versus the 1961-1990 baseline, the long-term annual trend, and the region's rank in the historical record. The trend rate is shown as °C per decade in the headline panel; you can also see the warmest and coolest years on file.
Where does the climate data for New Jersey come from?
Climate data for New Jersey comes from NOAA Climate at a Glance (temperature and precipitation), refreshed every month, when the upstream temperature and rainfall data are refreshed.
What is the climate baseline used on this page?
Anomalies on this page are calculated against the 1961-1990 climatological baseline, which is the standard reference period used by the Met Office, NOAA, IPCC and most national climate services. Some panels also show the source-native 1901-2000 (NOAA) or 1991-2020 (WMO) baselines for verification. See Methodology & Sources for the full reference.
Which areas does the New Jersey climate data cover?
The New Jersey climate profile covers Newark, Jersey City, Paterson, Elizabeth and surrounding areas. New Jersey climate data from NOAA Climate at a Glance
How often is the New Jersey climate update refreshed?
The New Jersey climate update is refreshed monthly, typically a few days after the previous month closes and the upstream provider (Met Office HadUK-Grid, NOAA Climate at a Glance, Copernicus ERA5 or the Global Carbon Project) publishes its update. See the Climate Rankings for cross-region comparisons.