Start of Meteorological Fall in Garden State More Like Beginning of Summer

After the coolest and driest month of August in the last four years, New Jersey has begun the month of September with a return of heat and humidity.  The recent increase in temperatures and moisture began late last week when temperatures got into the upper 80s to low 90s during the weekend.  Sunday marked only the second time in August 2014 that the temperature climbed to 90 degrees at GWC in South Plainfield.  The previous time was on August 6th.

Combined with a dew point of 76, the heat index rose to 102 degrees in South Plainfield on Sunday afternoon.  Meanwhile, at Citi Field in Queens, the temperature topped out at 88 degrees before storms came through just after the Mets game against Philadelphia ended.  Following the development of showers and thunderstorms on Sunday night, the mercury and humidity levels dropped just a little bit on Labor Day with the high peaking at 89 degrees in town while it reached 87 over at Watchung Lake in Somerset County.  The dew point at GWC was still high at 75 for a peak heat index of 98.

Showers and storms were more isolated on Monday, but looked to be more widespread on Tuesday with more heat and humidity.   During a trip to High Point in Sussex County, showers developed to the southwest near the Delaware Water Gap, and moved to the northeast just to the south of High Point Monument before crossing the border into Orange County, New York.  The high temperature at High Point was 85 degrees.  Closer to sea level at Sussex County Airport, the mercury climbed to 91 degrees.  Back home at GWC in South Plainfield, the high temperature on Tuesday was 91 as well with a peak dew point of 76 for a top heat index of 101.

The heat and humidity didn’t slow down the players at Tuesday’s football scrimmage between Sayreville and South Plainfield at Frank R. Jost Memorial Field.  The two squads went at it for two hours in the late summer mugginess.  Sayreville, one of the top programs in Middlesex County jumped out to a 21-6 lead, and eventually won 42-20.  There was a threat of showers and storms as an impressive line of thunderstorms moved east from Central and Eastern Pennsylvania, but the heavy weather stayed to the north and south of the Central Jersey area bringing rough weather only to Northwest Jersey and Southern Ocean County on Tuesday night.

A cold front then moved through, and temperature and humidity levels dropped to slightly more comfortable levels on Wednesday.  It was nice and comfortable enough to get a long walk, or run in during the day. The high temperature in South Plainfield was 85 degrees with a heat index of 90.  It was still pretty tough weather to put on the pads and play football in like Middlesex and Governor Livingston did in their scrimmage on Wednesday afternoon in Berkeley Heights where the temperature peaked at 87 degrees around game time.  Governor Livingston went on to take a 21-0 halftime lead en route to a 24-7 victory.  Warmer and more humid conditions began to return on Thursday with the high temperature rising a couple of degrees to 87 at GWC with a peak dew point of 70 for a heat index of 90.  

The high pressure that has been controlling our weather and providing more comfortable conditions the past two days will begin to move offshore on Friday.  As a result, the Central Jersey area will fall under a more southwesterly flow, which will pull up more warm and humid air from the Southeastern United States.  Temperatures and humidity levels will be on the rise again for both Friday and Saturday with temperatures in the upper 80s to around 90 before another round of storms roll through on Saturday afternoon and evening ahead of a cold front.  Some of the storms could reach strong to severe limits.  Once the front moves through, temperatures will drop off significantly with highs in the mid 70s for most of next week.  A more significant cool down is being hinted at for next weekend.