Above average temps expected this summer

By cindy tietjen

Staff Writer

W

ith all the different types of weather New Jersey has experienced over the past two months it’s hard to believe it can be called normal, but that’s exactly how New Jersey climatologist Dave Robinson characterizes the spring.

"We’ve had a typical spring, which is a little bit of everything," Robinson said. "There are many people who said we went directly from winter right into summer, but that’s what spring is — a season of abrupt transition."

In April it was unclear whether winter jackets should be put away for storage or kept in the closet, just in case of snow, but according to Rob-inson, it was all typical.

"In April, we had a heat wave and a snowstorm, but the range of temperature was below normal," he said.

In May the weather has been just as unpredictable.

"May’s temperatures have been above normal, largely due to the heat wave we had those five days [May 5-9]," said Robinson. "While it is normal to see high temperatures in May, having a heat wave in the first week is a little unusual."

During a heat wave when no rain has fallen, there is always concern over drought.

"In the back of my mind, I am a little concerned about possible droughts," Robinson said. "The levels of precipitation have been below normal. In fact, we have not had a normal or above-average rainfall in the past two years."

But Robinson is not putting up the red flag just yet.

"The reservoirs are full, thanks to a couple of heavy rains. Without the wet months we have had or the tropical storms, we would be in greater trouble. The only thing that worries me is that we have managed to sneak through because of a couple of fortuitous events," said Robinson, adding that he would be more comfortable if the state received a little more rain.

As for what New Jersey can ex-pect in the future, Robinson is hesitant to speculate.

"New Jersey is a difficult area to forecast because of our geography," he said, "but according to the National Weather Service, it looks like June’s temperatures will be above average."

According to Robinson, the weather service puts out a bulletin forecasting the weather for the rest of the summer.

"It seems that June, July and August will bring above-average temperatures," said Robinson, who added that the bulletin gave no information as to how much precipitation the state will receive.

There has also been speculation about a bad hurricane season but, according to Robinson, that is hard to predict.

"It is impossible to predict if New Jersey is going to feel the effects of hurricanes," Robinson said. "In the long run, New Jersey does feel the impact of hurricanes through heavy surf and coastal flooding."