It is not as if August 2023 was devoid of strong thunderstorms that produced locally heavy rain and three minor tornadoes. There were also some hot and humid days and even a few days with smoke high aloft, a rather persistent feature of this summer’s weather (more on this in earlier June and July recaps and the summer summary later in this report). However, with temperatures a bit below normal and statewide rainfall leaning that way too, it just was not a particularly notable August in the weather/climate department. Mind you, most folks hardly complained of 90° maximum temperatures being rather scarce, there being no soaking tropical system, and, for the most part, fine weather for outdoor activities.

Statewide, the average temperature of 72.9° was 0.7° below the 1991–2020 normal. This ranked as the 48th warmest August of the past 129, but the coolest since 2017. Three of the past four months have been below normal, something not accomplished since January, March, and April 2018. The average high of 82.4° was 1.4° below normal, ranking 60th warmest. The low of 63.4° was 0.1° above normal, raking 31st warmest. The northern climate division averaged 70.7° (-1.2°, 53rd warmest), the southern division 74.2° (-0.4°, 46th warmest), and coastal division 74.5° (-0.2°, 38th warmest).

Precipitation averaged 4.03” across NJ, which is 0.54” below normal and ranks as 61st driest (68th wettest) since 1895. There was a north/south difference in rainfall, with the north averaging 5.02” (+0.46”, 41st wettest/89th driest), the south 3.45” (-1.12”, 49th driest/81st wettest), and coastal NJ 3.14” (-1.46”, 42nd driest/88th wettest).

Click here to see the distribution of the top 5 NJ warm/cold and wet/dry months since 1895