On a statewide basis, July 2007 will be remembered as a summer month that was about as close to the long term average as one might expect. Based on a preliminary sampling of National Weather Service observing stations, the average temperature of 74.5° equaled the 1971-2000 average. The average precipitation of 4.54" was just 0.05" greater than the 30-year average.

However, statewide numbers can be deceiving, particularly when it comes to summer precipitation. The northern half of the Garden State experienced a rather wet July, with 5" to 7" falling in many locations (close to average up to 2" above average), while south Jersey totals were in the 1" to 4" range (about 1" to 2.5" below average). Within these two areas you can also find locations where totals fell outside of those ranges, thanks to hit and miss thunderstorms.

The wetter conditions in the north led to temperatures averaging a bit below average, while the dryness in the south resulted in slightly warmer than average temperatures. Absent were prolonged periods of excessively hot, humid weather, as occasional frontal passages kept conditions changing. In the process, the fronts brought timely rains to the north, yet failed to produce sufficient quantities of liquid for southern reaches.

Accumulating 30, 60 and 90 day negative precipitation departures will have to be watched closed in the coming weeks, particularly in the five southernmost counties of NJ. The US Drought Monitor has just begun to "paint" this area as "abnormally dry". While the mildest of the 5 categories depicted on this weekly map, this suggests that non-irrigated crops are being stressed and fire danger is on the rise.