24-Jan-2012, 08:16 Good morning everyone. Again, I'm a bit short on time because I have to get over to work. We have a nice start to the day as the sun has come out. After reaching a low of 40.5 this morning, we are expected to reach a high of about 47 degrees. Temperatures climbed to a high of 51 degrees on Monday under cloudy and rainy skies. We had approximately 0.44 inches of rain during the day, and now have 1.86 inches for the month of January and 2012 as a whole. I went out for a walk twice during the day at work, and the rain was more steady in the afternoon. Peak wind gust was 8 miles an hour earlier this morning with a ten minute average of one mile per hour. The barometric pressure ranged between 29.86 and 30.23 inches of Hg. Little by little, the days are getting longer here in Central Jersey. We are already approaching the midpoint of winter. Groundhog day is a little more than a week away. With the winter not being as fierce as it has been the past two years, we've had it easy so far. However, we still have a ways to go yet before March. So, hang in there. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for partly cloudy skies and cooler conditions. 23-Jan-2012, 08:27 Good morning. I'm a bit short on time this morning. I've have to go to work in a bit. However, we have a gloomy start to the day with fog and freezing rain being reported around the state. After a chilly day on Sunday, temperatures are on the rise this morning. We have a storm system that caused a lot of severe weather from Indiana to Arkansas on Sunday. Here, it will start as drizzle in Northwestern Middlesex County with freezing rain in points north such as Morris County. As a matter of fact, a Freezing Rain Advisory is in effect until 9:00 AM Monday morning for places such as Dover in Morris County. The more significant rain will develop as the morning progresses, and we get into the afternoon hours. Temperatures are expected to rise into the low 50s. On Sunday, the temperature actually reached its high of 33.6 degrees a couple minutes before midnight. Peak wind gust reached only 5 miles per hour on Sunday while the 10 minute average was 2 miles per hour. There was only 0.03 inches of rain overnight for a total of 1.42 inches so far this month. Average temperature so far in January has been 33.4 degrees. 22-Jan-2012, 08:17 Good morning everyone. I have a few moments here before I go to work to post something to the journal. On Saturday, we had our first significant snow of the new year, and first since the historic October snowstorm. Here in Northwestern Middlesex County, there was about 3 inches of the white stuff. Early in the morning, I drove to work and found that the roads were in pretty bad shape. Roads weren't plowed at all. Even Interstate 287 lacked a lot of blacktop. I had to slow down, and as a result, I was late for work by about a minute. High temperature on Saturday was only about 28 degrees. Forecasts earlier in the week had the temperature in the mid to upper 30s on Saturday, but on Saturday morning, the forecast had been downgraded to the low 30s. In response to the snowstorm, many high school sports events were cancelled including boys basketball games across Middlesex County. Peak wind gust on Saturday was 8 miles per hour while the 10 minute average was 2 miles per hour. The barometric pressure dipped to only 29.95 inches, and has risen since to 30.48 inches as of this morning. The dew point peaked at 24.4 degrees in the afternoon. The storm cleared out at about noon time although there were some flurries around the 4:00 PM hour. We are off to a cold start on this Sunday morning with the temperature dropping to just under 17 degrees for a low. Since then, the mercury has climbed to 20 degrees. We will have sunny skies with temperatures in the low 30s. Much of the snow that melted yesterday, froze up overnight, and that has produced slippery conditions on the roads this morning. Temperatures are expected to continue to warm up through Monday with highs in the low 50s then along with some rain. 15-Jan-2012, 20:17 Good evening everyone. Well, I just settled in after being at work during the day. Yes, it was a cold one outside. The high temperature was just under 28 degrees after a low of 17 in the morning. We are still dealing with a little bit of wind. The peak wind gust this afternoon reached 14 miles per hour here in Middlesex County. The ten minute average was 4 miles per hour. The barometric pressure continues to climb. It has risen nearly another quarter of an inch to 30.53 inches, and it is still rising. The average temperature so far this month has been 35 degrees. The dew point ranged between -0.8 and 23.2 degrees on Sunday. Went out for a walk a couple times during the day at work, and the skies were crystal blue, and sunny, but very nippy with a decent wind. Northwestern Middlesex County as well as the rest of Central Jersey, and the Garden State are in for another night of cold temperatures. The mercury is expected to dip to the mid teens again. Monday will start out chilly, but a warm front is expected to move through during the day, and the mercury is expected to reach the upper 30s. Moving ahead to Tuesday, there is going to be another storm system moving in to bring some rain. Temperatures will climb into the 40s to near 50 degrees believe it or not. No significant snow is expected in the forecast although we could be expecting some on Thursday morning. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is at 21 degrees with the humidity at 43 percent for a dew point of one degree. Barometric pressure is rising at 30.53 inches of Hg. Winds are calm out of the SSW. 15-Jan-2012, 07:49 Good morning everyone. Sorry that I've been away, but I have been very busy the past month and a half. Actually, the past two months. I've been working a lot of overtime at my job, and basketball season is well underway. As a consequence, I have not been able to update the journal, or the blog during that time. I have been keeping track of things, and at least making sure that the data continually is updated to the site. I've also purchased a new web cam, but I have to get a lens for it before I install it. I'm also getting a new power supply for the old webcam to use it somewhere else in the yard. Anyway, old man winter has made a comeback over the past couple of days. Sunday is expected to be the coldest day of this latest cold snap. Temperatures dropped to around 17 degrees after a high of only 33 degrees on Saturday. The wind chill is down to 14 degrees with a steady wind of 3 to 4 miles per hour at the surface. Believe it or not, this morning's low is not the coldest it has been over the last month. We had a low of 13 degrees during the past 28 days. Meanwhile, the high has actually gone up to 62 degrees during the same period. Winds have gusted to 10 miles per hour during the past 24 hours. Over the last month, it has gusted to 20 miles per hour. The peak wind gust on Friday reached 16 miles per hour when the squally weather came through during the morning and early afternoon. The barometric pressure continues to rise at 30.29 inches of Hg while the humidity is at 55 percent for dew point of only 3 degrees. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for mostly sunny and clear skies with little temperature change. The actual forecast temperature is expected to reach only 29 degrees. Low temperature tonight into early tomorrow morning is expected to drop to 15 degrees before things start to warm up. A warm front is expected to move through the region during the afternoon on Monday, and we are expected to get a mixed bag of precipitation on Tuesday m 14-Jan-2012, 20:00 Good evening everyone. Well, old man winter has made a comeback over the past 24 hours. The result of that is much colder and more seasonable temperatures around the Central Jersey region. I came prepared to work though. I had several layers of clothing on, and wore my winter jacket. I went out for a walk four times during the day, and felt no ill effects from the weather. The skies were sunny for the most part, but there was still a bit of wind to deal with. The wind, which wasn't as bad on Friday, tapered off as the afternoon wore on. The high temperature reached 33 degrees after falling to a low of 28 during the overnight. Peak wind gust was 9 miles per hour while the 10 minute average was only one mile per hour. The dew point ranged between 16 and 22 degrees. The pressure climbed steadily during the day from 29.82 inches to 30.07 inches. Temperatures are expected to drop even further during the overnight, and Sunday is expected to be the coldest day of this latest cold snap. 13-Jan-2012, 18:00 Good evening everyone. It was quite a stormy day here in Central Jersey with a cold front pushing through behind a second massive storm in as many days. Winds around the area gusted between 40 and 50 miles per hour while the temperatures steadily dropped. I went outside to take video capturing the passage of the front. It brought squally weather. Snow flurries fell at a hurried pace as the atmosphere squeezed out whatever moisture was left in it after back to back storms moved through the region over the past two days. The winds roared as old man winter made a comeback. Peak wind gust here in Northwestern Middlesex County was 16 miles per hour. Barometric pressure dived to 29.22 inches of Hg, which is equal to that of a strong tropical storm with winds of 65 and 70 miles per hour. There was 0.11 inches of rain during the early hours on Friday. The high temperature was 46 degrees at 4:05 AM on Friday morning, but by the time of this report, the mercury dropped to 30 degrees. The peak wind gust was 16 miles per hour, and it lasted between 4:35 and 4:53 PM on Friday afternoon. The dew point peaked at 45.5 degrees, and then dropped like a rock to 16.3 degrees in a span of a bit more than 13 hours. 12-Jan-2012, 21:00 Good evening everyone. Well, we have a stormy situation underway here. So far, we've had almost an inch of rain just on Thursday as a storm system moved up from the south. It is only the tip of the iceberg as we have another system pushing in from the west, and that is expected to bring some snow flurries in the morning along with gusty winds. Winds are expected to reach 45 to 50 miles per hour during the day on Friday. The rain has been steady during the day. With the ground thawing, it is quite saturated with the new rain. I went out for a walk just a little while ago, and the water levels in the streams and creeks in the nearby swamp were almost going over their banks. Thankfully, none of the water has approached the neighborhood, and it should stay that way as the storm system lifts out. Temperatures will drop dramatically during the day on Friday as the storm will leave a cold snap in its place for the weekend and early next week. The rainfall total from this storm, which started on Wednesday night, is 0.86 inches. The barometric pressure was on a roller coaster ride throughout the day on Thursday. It started out at 29.98 after midnight, climbed to 30.08 during the day, and fell to 29.78 by the time of this report. Peak wind gust was 7 miles per hour while the 10 minute average was 2 miles per hour. The low temperature bottomed out to 24.8 degrees while the high topped out at 47.8 degrees. 26-Nov-2011, 21:30 Good evening everyone. Well, I headed out to work on Saturday. Over the past three years, I had the Saturday and Sunday after Thanksgiving off. However, this year, a lot of my days off were used up for unforseen reasons. So, I had to work. Anyway, the day was very nice weather wise around the Central Jersey area. The sun and blue skies continued to dominate the weather landscape as temperatures also moderated. Temps were going to continue to do that into early next week . We may even see highs in the upper 60s to low 70s by Monday or Tuesday. Rain is expected to return as we approach midweek before the mercury drops to more seasonable levels. On Saturday, the low temperature was 34 degrees in the morning before reaching 64.4 degrees at 11:34 AM. The diurnal temperature range was 30 degrees on Saturday. Dew point ranged between 33 and 41 degrees, and the barometer ranged between 30.12 and 30.21 inches of Hg. Winds were relatively light. While the 10 minute average was barely a mile per hour, the peak wind gust was only 3 miles per hour. There was no measurable rainfall. Went out for a walk a couple of times on Saturday at work, and conditions were pleasant. Needed to wear a jacket in the morning, but then I was able to go without it in the afternoon. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is at 41.3 degrees with the humidity is at 88 percent for a dew point of 38 degrees. Barometric pressure is at 30.17 inches of Hg while winds are calm. 25-Nov-2011, 20:00 Good evening everyone. Had another nice day here in Central Jersey. Went out for a walk in the afternoon. My right knee is suffering for it. It is very sore. The weather was great though for the walk. Sunny skies without a lot of clouds. The nice weather is expected to continue into the weekend and even early next week with temperatures climbing into the 60s. After a low of 36 degrees at 5:08 AM on Friday morning, the high climbed to 61 degrees at 1:44 PM. So, we had a diurnal temperature range of 25 degrees. The dew point ranged between 34 and 42 degrees while the barometric pressure fluctuated between 30.09 and 30.19 inches during the day. Peak wind gust reached six miles per hour. The 10 minute average was only one mile per hour. There was no measurable rainfall on Friday. Conditions will remain dry until the middle of next week with the Garden State coming close to setting a new record for yearly rainfall. The state average is only about three inches away from the all time record. A storm system will move in around midweek to threaten that rainfall mark. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 45 degrees with the humidity at 79 percent for a dew point of 39 degrees. The barometric pressure is 30.11 inches of Hg while the winds are calm. 24-Nov-2011, 18:00 Good evening. Well, it was a great Thanksgiving Day holiday at the house. I went to two high school football games. First, I traveled over to East Brunswick High School to see the Bears take on Old Bridge in the Battle of Route 18. The Knights jumped out to a 40-7 lead in the second half en route to a 40-20 victory. Afterwards, I traveled over to Piscataway High School to see the final period of action between the Chiefs and the Warriors of Franklin High School. P-Way had a 20-13 lead late in the third quarter when it went on a drive that went well into the fourth period. The Chiefs capped the drive with a five yard Tevin Shaw touchdown run midway through the fourth. Franklin took the ensuing kickoff, and thanks to a 40 yard pass play, got down to the 14 yard line of P-Way. The Warriors scored several plays later, but the extra point was blocked and FHS wasn't able to get any closer in a 34-19 Piscataway win. The weather was great for both days. Plenty of sunshine and blue skies with mild temperatures for this time of year. It wasn't as warm as it was earlier in the week, but it was still comfortable. Following a low of 34 degrees at 6:20 AM, the high temperature climbed to 54 degrees by mid-afternoon in Northwestern Middlesex County. The dew point ranged between 31 and 40 degrees while the barometric pressure ranged between 30.01 and 30.16 inches of Hg. Maximum wind gust was 8 miles per hour just after midnight. The 10 minute average was only one mile per hour. I went out for a jog in the evening. It was the first time in a couple weeks that I did any running. My knee has been doing better, but it is still bothering me. Conditions were nice though for the evening run. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 45 degrees with the humidity of 77 percent for a dew point of 38.2 degrees. Barometric pressure is 30.16 inches of Hg while the winds are calm. 23-Nov-2011, 22:30 Good evening everyone. Just got in from seeing a really good football game between Woodbridge and Colonia. The Barrons had a 23-6 lead before Colonia tried to rally with two touchdowns. However, the Patriots were unable to get any closer as the Barrons won, 23-19. The skies cleared out and things began to dry out a few hours before game time. There were also two other football games on this Thanksgiving Eve with Dunellen defeating Middlesex (35-0) and Bishop Ahr knocking off Monroe (33-0). More games are on tap around Middlesex County on Thanksgiving Day with six contests involving GMC teams. The weather will continue to improve as we head into Turkey Day with the sun returning with slightly cooler temperatures. On Wednesday, there was 0.26 inches of rain. The storm total for the two days was 1.18 inches of rain, which was just under 60 percent of the rainfall this month (2.06 inches) in Northwestern Middlesex County. High temperature on Wednesday reached 52 degrees at 4:56 AM. The afternoon high was only 50 degrees. The low reached 43.2 degrees earlier this evening. The dew point ranged between 36 and 48 degrees while the barometer ranged between 29.60 and 29.97 inches of Hg. Maximum wind gust reached 8 miles per hour while the 10 minute average was 2 miles per hour. Currently in South Plainfield, the temperature is 43.5 degrees with a humidity of 76 percent for a dew point of 36.4 degrees. Barometric pressure is rising at 29.97 inches of Hg with a wind out of the SSW at 5 miles per hour. 22-Nov-2011, 21:45 Good evening everyone. Just got in from watching a college basketball game. It was a junior college matchup as Middlesex traveled over to Union County College. The Colts led 52-28 in the second half, but had to hold off a rally by UCC that closed the gap to four points late in order to win 82-73. It rained all day on Tuesday, but it fell in earnest when I got to Union County College in Cranford. A storm system began to move through the region on Monday night, and dumped nearly an inch of rain in Northwestern Middlesex County. There were higher amounts in other parts of the Garden State. Despite the rain, I managed to get outside for four walks at work. The cloud cover and rain kept the temperatures from climbing much during the day. After a low of 42 degrees in the morning, the high didn't occur until late in the evening. The diurnal temperature range was only seven degrees. The dew point ranged between 37 and 48 degrees while the barometric pressure fluctuated between 30.23 and 30.33 inches in the morning. Then, as the low approached, the barometer fell to 29.99 inches by the time of this report. Maximum wind gust on Tuesday was 7 miles per hour while the 10 minute average peaked at 2 miles per hour. Total rainfall for the day was 0.92 inches. The rain is expected to continue until Wednesday afternoon before things start clearing out for the Thanksgiving holiday. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 49 degrees with the humidity at 96 percent for a dew point of 48 degrees. The barometric pressure is 29.99 inches of Hg with the winds at 7 miles per hour out of the SE. 21-Nov-2011, 21:00 Good evening everyone. For the first time in quite a while I didn't have anything to do on a Monday night. All the fall league high school basketball action is over with as teams get ready for the regular season. Practices begin a week from today. The temperatures were warm in the morning, but didn't get higher as clouds began to move in during the afternoon as a storm system approached. The high temperature on Monday was 54 degrees after a low of 50 degrees for a diurnal temperature range of only four degrees. The barometric pressure ranged between 30.10 and 30.28 inches of Hg. The dew point fluctuated between 37 and 51 degrees. The peak wind gust was 5 miles per hour while the 10 minute average was only one mile per hour. There was a bit of rain with two tenths of an inch falling during the day. The light rainfall is only the beginning as a storm system will move in from the west and bring torrential rain on Tuesday. The National Weather Service is already issuing flash flood watches and warnings as rainfall amounts could reach two and a half inches by time the storm moves out on Wednesday. Currently, in South Plainfield, the temperature is 49 degrees with the humidity at 70 percent for a dew point of 40 degrees. Barometric pressure is at 30.26 inches of Hg (Mercury) while winds are again calm. 20-Nov-2011, 22:30 Good evening everyone. Just got around to posting this entry after watching some football, and working on some video highlights for my high school basketball web site. It was another nice day here in Central Jersey with temperatures moderating a bit. The low was much warmer than on Saturday morning at 39 degrees during the overnight. The high temperature reached just under 64 degrees by late Sunday morning (11:21 AM). The dew point ranged between 37 and 50 degrees while the barometer fluctuated between 30.06 and 30.20 inches of Hg. The peak wind gust reached 5 miles per hour while the 10 minute average was only one mile per hour. There was no measurable rainfall. I went out for a walk a couple times during the day on Sunday, and it was warmer outside than it was inside the office. It was a really nice day for this time of year. The good weather will continue for one more day before clouds move in late Monday, and rain returns on Tuesday and Wednesday. Thanksgiving still looks to be nice. Currently in South Planifield, New Jersey, the temperature is still a balmy 52.3 degrees with the humidity at 91 percent for a dew point of 50 degrees. Barometric pressure is at 30.10 inches of Hg. Winds are calm. 19-Nov-2011, 22:00 Good evening everyone. It was a fairly nice day on Saturday. Went out for a walk a couple times at work, and with my winter jacket on, I was very comfortable. After reaching a low of 28 degrees during the overnight, the mercury climbed to 53 for a high temperature on Saturday afternoon. The diurnal temperature range was 25 degrees. High pressure moved in over the past 24 hours, and the barometer skyrocketed to 30.43 inches of Hg (Mercury) in the first hour after sunrise on Saturday. The maximum wind gust was only 5 miles per hour while the ten minute average was only one mile per hour. There was no measurable rainfall on Saturday. It was a great day for more high school football playoff action. Rutgers also was in action against Cincinnati, and won 20-3. We will be enjoying the sun for another couple days or so before rain returns on Tuesday and part of Wednesday. A storm system will be moving in late on Monday night, and bring significant rainfall in the two days prior to Thanksgiving. Skies should clear out though by Turkey Day. Currently in South Plainfield, the temperature is at 40 degrees with a humidity of 84 percent for a dew point of 36 degrees. Barometric pressure has dropped a bit since this morning to 30.23 inches of Hg. Winds are calm. 18-Nov-2011, 21:45 Good evening everyone. Just got in from watching some high school football. The playoff game between Sayreville and South Brunswick was very good. Game was decided in the final minute and a half as Sayreville won. The weather was good, but temperatures became very cold by the game's end. After dealing with a vast storm system over the past two days, we had a nice clear day. Went out for a walk around noon time, and there was plenty of sun with deep crystal blue skies. More leaves came off the trees. There was a bit of a wind as well. The temperature topped out at 51.5 degrees after midnight. The mercury dropped throughout the day. It was about 46 degrees when I went out for my walk. By the end of the game, the temperature was down to 39 degrees. The dew point ranged between 28 and 51 degrees. The peak wind gust was 9 miles per hour. The 10 minute average was 2 miles per hour. Barometric pressure ranged between 29.77 and 30.02 inches of Hg. Clear and cold conditions are expected to continue on Saturday as high pressure continues to build in. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 39 degrees with a humidity of 65 percent for a dew point of 28 degrees. Barometric pressure is at 30.02 inches of Hg and winds are light. There was 0.04 inches of rain on Friday. All the rain occurred during the early morning hours as the storm system moved out. 17-Nov-2011, 22:30 Good evening. Just got in from a college basketball game. It was a good one too. Penn and Rider went to overtime before the Quakers prevailed. I've passed the midpoint of my weekend, and it was another gloomy day here in Central Jersey. While there wasn't as much rain as there was on Wednesday, the clouds were still out in earnest, and it was a bit damp. The high temperature was 51.5 degrees, which occurred after midnight. The mercury steadily declined as the day progressed in Northwestern Middlesex County. The front passed through, and cooler and drier air is moving in. There was only 0.04 inches of rain, which also occurred a short time after midnight. The peak wind gust was 9 miles per hour with the 10 minute average topped out at two miles per hour. Barometric pressure ranged between 29.74 and 30.04 inches of Hg. Temperatures will continue to fall as strong high pressure is moving in. Highs on Friday will have a difficult time getting into the 50s. Skies are expected to be clear and sunny. Then, the lows on Saturday morning could go below freezing. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 38 degrees with the humidity at 63 percent for a dew point of 27 degrees. The barometer is reading 30.04 inches while the winds are calm. Going to head out to a high school football game on Friday night. If you plan to see one, you better bundle up here in Central Jersey. 16-Nov-2011, 22:00 Good evening again. The first significant rain of the month came on Wednesday. A vast storm system ushering in more cooler and drier air continued to push through New Jersey and the rest of the Northeast. Just under six tenths of an inch of rain fell here in Northwestern Middlesex County. I went out for a walk during the morning, and then took a trip out to Northeastern Philadelphia to take in some college hoops action in the evening. The rain fell more in earnest the farther south and west you went on Wednesday. It at least seemed that way when I got on to Interstate 95 during the peak of rush hour. It wasn't that stormy though. The temperature didn't fluctuate much during the day. It stayed mostly in the low to mid 50s throughout. With the cloud cover and rain that was no surprise. The thermometer peaked at 56.5 degrees at around noon time. The barometric pressure fluctuated between 29.69 and 29.93 inches of Hg. Maximum wind gust was only 4 miles per hour with a 10 minute average of one mile per hour. Dew point mirrored the temperature with all the clouds and rain about. The forecast is calling for the rain to taper off on Thursday, but the winds and cooler air will begin to move in. Temperatures by Friday will struggle to get into the 50s. Lows could get below freezing. Currently in South Plainfield, the temperature is 53.2 degrees, humidity is 96 percent for a dew point of 52 degrees. Barometric pressure is 29.74 inches of Hg, and the winds are calm. 15-Nov-2011, 21:45 Good evening everyone. It was another nice mid-November day temperature wise here in Northwestern Middlesex County as well as the rest of Central Jersey. The high reached 65 degrees after a low of 54 degrees, but the clouds were starting to move in as we entered an unstable weather phase. We have a vast storm system moving in from the west, and it brought some showers and light rain, but nothing as serious as what occurred in Western New York on Monday with nearly an inch in diameter hail falling. The fact that the clouds moved in during the night on Monday, and the sun didn't come out at all during the day on Tuesday prevented any thunderstorms from developing. I went out for a walk several times during the day on Tuesday. There wasn't that much rain to deal with. Temperatures were nice although I still wore my jacket because of the rain. You are getting more and more of a sense of winter as the leaves continue to fall off the trees. After a nice fall foliage season, it is sad to see the leaves tumble to the ground. I really enjoyed the colors this year. There was no measurable rainfall in South Plainfield on Tuesday. Barometric pressure ranged between 29.71 and 29.94 inches of Hg. Dew point ranged between 51 and 55 degrees. Peak wind gust was only 3 miles per hour while the 10 minute average was only one mile per hour. Temperatures will start to gradually cool down on Wednesday as more significant rain is expected. By Friday, the mercury is going to have a tough time getting into the 50s. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 55 degrees with the humidity at 93 percent for a dew point of 53 degrees. Barometric pressure is 29.94 inches of Hg. Winds are calm. 14-Nov-2011, 22:30 Good evening. Just got in from seeing some more high school basketball fall league action. It was a rather balmy day here in Northwestern Middlesex County as well as the rest of the Central Jersey area. The sun did make an appearance, but clouds became more and more prominent as we moved through the day into the evening. I went out for a walk several times on Tuesday. There was no need for the winter jacket that I wore. The leaves on the trees are becoming less and less. When I got home after the games, I saw a moon fighting through the clouds. Another interesting thing that I saw was a large cloud that spread across the Raritan Center section of Edison during the afternoon on Monday. The high temperature nearly reached 70 degrees on Monday afternoon. The low was only 49 in the morning. Dew point ranged between 45 and 55 degrees. Top wind gust in the area was 5 miles per hour while the ten minute average was only one mile per hour. The barometric pressure ranged between 29.71 and 29.94 inches of Hg. There was no measurable rainfall on Monday. The rain could come back on Tuesday though. A vast storm system that produced hail in Western New York, and brought strong thunderstorms in Northeastern Pennsylvania, and portions of Southeastern New York, is going to move through on Tuesday. We could get some light rain in the afternoon. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 62 degrees with the humidity of 74 percent for a dew point of 54 degrees. Barometric pressure is at 29.73 inches of Hg and the winds are calm. 13-Nov-2011, 22:55 Good evening everyone. Had a busy day today. After work, I went to see a game from the Immaculata Fall League in Somerville. When I got home, I posted some articles to my high school basketball web site blog. Anyway, it was an ok day for the most part. While it was warmer, there were more clouds, especially toward the end of the day. The high temperature on Sunday reached 62 degrees after a low of 33 in the morning. The diurnal temperature range was almost 30 degrees. The dew point averaged 39 degrees while the maximum wind gust was 6 miles per hour. The 10 minute average wind was one mile per hour while the barometric pressure ranged between 29.91 and 30.14 inches of Hg. A storm system began to approach from the west by day's end, which was the reason behind the cloud cover at sunset, and the halo around the full moon at night. The forecast is calling for rain on Monday with temperatures hovering in the low to mid 60s. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 52 degrees with the humidity at 58 percent for a dew point of 38 degrees. The barometric pressure is at 29.95 inches of Hg, and the winds are calm. Temperatures are expected to be warmer than normal into mid-week before a storm system ushers in cooler air. 12-Nov-2011, 22:00 Good evening everyone. It was a decent day on Saturday. A little bit of a chilly start, but then things warmed up a bit. The fall colors are losing their luster a bit. Many of them are turning brown and falling to the ground. The blue skies weren't a crystal clear as they have been. I went out for a walk twice yesterday. Once at about lunch time, and the other at around dinner time. Conditions were comfortable. The high temperature reached 57 degrees after a low of 31 earlier in the morning. The diurnal temperature range was 26 degrees. The dew point ranged between 27 and 36 degrees. The maximum wind gust was 5 miles per hour while the 10 minute average was one mile per hour. The barometric pressure ranged between 30.01 and 30.14 inches of Hg. There was no measurable rainfall. Only a trace of rain so far this month. Since the new weather station was installed in mid-June, there has been 31.13 inches of rain. The average temperature so far this month has been 46.4 degrees, which is down from the 54.7 degree average in October. The average since mid-June has been 65 degrees. The forecast for Sunday is calling for a bit more clouds, and milder temperatures with highs in the 60s. 11-Nov-2011, 05:49 Good morning everyone. We're off to a chillier start here in Northwestern Middlesex County. Temperatures fell into the low 40s. Dew point ranged between 34 and 42 degrees. Peak wind gust so far today has been 7 miles per hour while the 10 minute average was 2 miles per hour. The barometric pressure has ranged 29.61 and 29.65 inches of Hg. Temperatures aren't expected to get much warmer today either. The mercury is only expected to climb into the low 50s by lunch time. Despite the threat of a front pushing through yesterday, there was only 0.01 inches of rain on Thursday. We are expected to have another nice day on Friday. It will just be a bit brisker. We are still watching Tropical Storm Sean in the Atlantic, but it will not be a threat to the United States. Planning to head out for a walk sometime during the day today, and go to a football game this evening. Currently in South Plainfield, the temperature is 42 degrees with the humidity of 75 percent for a dew point of 35 degrees. Barometric pressure is rising at 29.66 inches of Hg, and the winds are calm. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for mostly cloudy skies and cooler temps with a chance of precipitation in the next 12 hours, and it could be possibly heavy at times with wind. I think the VP2 forecast went out to lunch today! LOL! 10-Nov-2011, 22:30 Good evening. Just got in from watching a college hoops game at Middlesex County College in Edison. It turned out to be quite a matchup as the MCC Colts hung on to win by the score of 91-89 over Raritan Valley Community College. Despite forecasts calling for rain to develop during the day on Thursday, the sun was out all day, and the moon came out in the early evening. I didn't have a chance to go outside much on Thursday. I was busy putting together more video not only of the fall foliage, but also of some recent basketball games. In addition, I posted several new articles to the blog at hurricaneville.com. Speaking of Hurricaneville, there is a tropical system in the Western Atlantic as Tropical Storm Sean moves toward Bermuda. We have a storm system moving up from the south, and bringing some rain to Eastern portions of Long Island, but staying away from our area. However, a front is moving in from the west. Rainfall was supposed to develop at around the 9:00 PM hour in Northwestern Middlesex County, but as of right now, there has been now measurable rainfall. High temperature on Thursday reached 67.4 degrees at 1:52 in the afternoon after a low of 55 in the morning. Clouds and fog developed on Wednesday night, and that prevented radiational cooling from occurring. Barometric pressure fell gradually throughout the day from 29.97 inches to 29.62 inches of Hg. Peak wind gust reached 6 miles per hour while the 10 minute average was only one mile per hour. With the front pushing through, temperatures will cool down on Friday. Highs are only expected to reach the low to mid 50s in the afternoon. Skies will be clear and sunny though. Currently in South Plainfield, the temperature is 49 degrees with a humidity of 86 percent for a dew point of 45 degrees. Barometric pressure has climbed a bit to 29.64 inches of Hg while winds are light at one mile per hour. 09-Nov-2011, 23:35 Good evening. Went out for a nice long walk in the late morning, and then took some video of the fall colors, which continue to peak here in Northwestern Middlesex County. Then, I went out again to see some high school fall league basketball in nearby North Edison. It was another nice day here in South Plainfield, New Jersey. There was a bit more radiational cooling with the temperature falling to 39 degrees for an overnight low. The high temperature peaked to 66 degrees in the afternoon for a diurnal temperature range of 27 degrees. The dew point ranged between 39 and 57 degrees while the barometric pressure ranged between 29.97 and 30.19 inches of Hg. The maximum wind gust on Wednesday peaked at 7 miles per hour while the 10 minute average was only one mile per hour. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 58 degrees with the humidity at 95 percent for a dew point of 56 degrees. Barometric pressure is 29.99 inches of Hg while the wind is at 2 miles per hour. The forecast is calling for temperatures to reach the mid 60s on Thursday, but conditions will be more unsettled with a chance of rain by the evening. 08-Nov-2011, 22:00 Good evening again. Well, it was a superb day weather wise here in Central Jersey as well as the rest of the Tri-State area. Went out for a walk a few times during the day at work. Leaves are starting to fall more in earnest. The temperature climbed to just under 70 degrees in Northwestern Middlesex County. The high temperature was 69.7 degrees on Tuesday afternoon after a low of 41.3 degrees in the morning for a diurnal temperature range of 28.4 degrees. The dew point ranged between 40.4 and 51.3 degrees. Barometric pressure ranged between 30.17 and 30.23 inches of Hg. Winds peaked at 5 miles per hour while the 10 minute average topped out at only one mile per hour. The nice weather is expected to continue until Thursday when a frontal system is expected to push through to bring temperatures down. Temperatures are expected to be slightly cooler on Wednesday, but still forecast to reach the mid to upper 60s. Currently in South Plainfield, the temperature is 48.5 degrees with a humidity of 92 degrees for a dew point of 46.3 degrees. Barometric pressure is 30.21 inches of Hg while the winds are calm. 07-Nov-2011, 23:45 Good evening everyone. Just got in from a trip down to Neptune in Monmouth County to see some high school fall league basketball. It was a splendid day here in Central Jersey as temperatures climbed into the mid 60s under sunny blue skies. The fall colors, which are now peaking, really popped when combined with the sun and blue sky. Went out for a walk several times during the day, and it was great to be outside. I brought my video camera, and shot some video twice during the day. I posted the video of the fall foliage on YouTube. I'd have to say that before this year, I never really cared much for fall, but after collecting all of this video of the leaves changing color, I've become more enthusiastic. The nice weather is expected to continue into Thursday. Temperatures may even reach 70 degrees on Tuesday and Wednesday. The high temperature on Monday was 61.6 degrees after a low of 31.7 in the early morning hours for a diurnal temperature range of 30 degrees. The dew point ranged between 30 and 47 degrees. The barometric pressure ranged between 30.22 and 30.36 inches of Hg while winds peaked at 4 miles per hour. Currently in South Plainfield, the temperature is 44 degrees with a humidity of 94 percent for a dew point of 42 degrees. Barometric pressure is at 30.24 inches of Hg while the winds are calm. 06-Nov-2011, 23:15 Good evening everyone. It was another nice day here in Northern Middlesex County. I had managed to get out for a walk a couple times at work, and then headed over to Immaculata High School in Somerville to take in action from the finale of fall league action there. The fall colors are definitely peaking here. Again, I forgot to bring my camera, but I plan to bring it with me on Monday. Seeing the oranges, reds, yellows, and browns along with the blue skies and abundant sunshine amazed me. Never saw the colors popping out at you. Whether you were in the Raritan Center section of Edison, New Jersey or South Plainfield, you were treated to quite a visual show. Almost a week into the new month, and we have yet to see any significant rainfall. After a low of 28.4 degrees in the early morning hours, the high temperature reached 55 degrees on Sunday afternoon. The diurnal temperature range was just under 27 degrees. The barometric pressure reached a peak of 30.53 inches of Hg, which is the highest pressure reading since the weather station was installed back in mid-June. Peak wind gust was only 4 miles per hour while the average wind was just one mile per hour. With the clear skies and light winds, you can expect the temperatures to drop down to at or below freezing on Sunday night. Currently in South Plainfield, the temperature is 36 degrees with the humidity at 94 percent for a dew point of 34.5 degrees. Barometric pressure is at 30.38 inches of Hg. Winds are calm. The forecast is calling for temperatures to approach 70 degrees under sunny skies by mid-week. 05-Nov-2011, 23:30 Good evening everyone. Just got in from a great finish to a Rutgers football game. Perhaps the greatest finish to an RU game in all the eight years I've been going to see games there. The Scarlet Knights were down 17-3 with 7:38 to go in the game, and got a kickoff return TD, and a 34 yard TD pass on a 2nd and 25 with two minutes to go in regulation to tie the game. South Florida had a chance to win the game when the drove down the field to set up a field goal try with seconds to go, but the Bulls field goal kicker shanked the chip shot attempt, and the contest went to over time where Rutgers won on a 37 yard field goal after intercepting a South Florida pass. It was a nice crisp night for football, and with all the energy in the stadium, I didn't have much thought of the cold even while I was sitting on the metal bleachers. The high temperature on Saturday reached 50 degrees after a low of 34 in the morning. There was plenty of blue sky, which was great for viewing the fall colors. The colors of the leaves are really peaking, and with a clear blue skies, the color combinations are really popping right now. Peak wind gust reached 7 miles per hour while the barometric pressure skyrocketed to 30.46 inches of Hg, and it is still rising. The dew point ranged between 24 and 31 degrees so conditions were quite dry. Currently in South Plainfield, the temperature is 33.5 degrees, with the humidity at 89 percent for a dew point of 31 degrees. The barometric pressure is up to 30.46, and winds are calm. Forecast is calling for another nice day on Sunday with a bit warmer temperatures. 04-Nov-2011, 14:38 Good afternoon everyone. Just took some video of the fall colors that are reaching their peak here in Northwestern Middlesex County. I am currently posting a video of the fall colors from last week along with the first clouds moving in from the October Nor'easter that brought record snowfall. I also went for a walk earlier in the day. It is quite a day to be outside, especially with an HD camera. The colors are so vibrant with the bright blue sky and the color of the leaves on the trees finally reaching their peak. A front came through late this morning, and it brought some gusty winds and cooler temperatures relative to yesterday. The high temperature on Thursday was 61 degrees here in South Plainfield. Today's low dropped to 41 degrees in town. The dew point has fluctuated between 29 and 47 degrees. The 10 minute average wind has reached 2 miles per hour. Maximum wind gust over the past 24 hours has reached 8 miles per hour while the barometric pressure has ranged between 29.88 and 30.02 inches of Hg. Didn't really have much of a chance to go outside until late last night. Had my first run in a while. I've been plagued by a bad right knee the past couple months. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 55 degrees with the humidity at 39 percent for a dew point of 30 degrees. Barometric pressure is falling at 29.99 inches of Hg. There has been no measurable rain over the past several days. As a matter of fact, there has been no rain at all so far this month. The forecast is calling for the temperatures to moderate over the next few days. The weather for the New York City Marathon is supposed to be very nice. Temperatures at the start will be in the 40s, but will get into the mid 50s by the race's end. Temperatures will continue to climb into early next week, and we could see the mercury reach 70, especially in places in Southern Central Jersey. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for increasing clouds with little temperature change. 03-Nov-2011, 07:31 Good morning. Looks like the chilly mornings are here to stay for a while. Temperature has dropped to the low 30s. However, we are now in a good stretch of weather. Temperatures are expected to climb into the low 60s on Thursday, and the sun appears to be sticking around into early next week. The sun is just starting to come up here in Northwestern Middlesex County. There are some clouds around. With the recent snow melt, we've had 31.12 inches of rain since the new weather station was installed in mid-June. The average temperature in October was 54.7 degrees. November is off to a chillier start with an average temperature of 43.4 degrees. Daylight savings time is about to end. So, don't forget to turn back your clocks one hour on Saturday night. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is at 34 degrees with a humidity of 96 percent for a dew point of 33 degrees. Barometric pressure is falling at 30.15 inches of Hg. Winds are calm out of the WSW. While the Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for increasing clouds with little temperature change, and precipitation possible within 24 to 48 hours, the actual forecast is calling for conditions to stay dry until Monday. 02-Nov-2011, 23:42 Good evening. I'm a bit tired so I'm going to keep it short. It was quite a nice day here in Central Jersey. Like yesterday, the sun was out along with plenty of blue skies. The fall colors are continuing to develop, and despite last weekend's storm, they are getting closer to peaking. I went out for a walk at 11:15 AM, and got in about an hour and a half workout. My right knee is feeling better, and is not as sore after workouts as it was a month ago. By the way, my webcam is down for the time being. The power supply on it went bad, and I have to replace it. After reaching a low of 31.4 degrees this morning, the mercury climbed to 57.2 degrees for a high. The diurnal temperature range was just under 26 degrees. The barometric pressure remained high at 30.41 inches earlier in the day. It has fallen a bit to 30.24 inches of Hg. Winds didn't gust that much today. Only peaked at 3 miles per hour while the 10 minute average was one mile per hour. Currently, the temperature was 39 degrees with the humidity at 94 percent for a dew point of 38 degrees. 01-Nov-2011, 08:07 Good morning everyone. Getting ready to head out to work for the final time this week. Skies are mostly clear. Just took a peek out my bedroom window, and saw a good deal of blue sky. On Monday, the temperature topped out at 52 degrees here in South Plainfield. It was one of the coldest Halloweens that we have had in recent memory. Other than the chilly temperatures, it was a nice day on Monday. I went out for a walk on a couple of occasions, and it was comfortable. It helped to have a winter jacket on, especially in the morning. The barometric pressure rose to 30.39 inches of Hg. Highest wind gust reached 5 miles per hour while the ten minute average was one mile per hour. The diurnal temperature range on Monday was 24 degrees. The average temperature here in South Plainfield during the month of October was 68 degrees. We could have some early morning cloudiness on Tuesday thanks to the approach of a coastal storm from the south. However, the forecast calls for the storm to stay offshore. Currently in South Plainfield, the temperature is 42 degrees and the humidity is at 90 percent for a dew point of 40 degrees. Barometric pressure has dropped a bit to 30.27 inches, but it is steady at the moment. The winds are calm out of the north. Oh by the way, if you're wondering what the temperature is in my room, it is 78 degrees. Much more comfortable than the 61 degrees in the middle of the night on Sunday morning. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for partly cloudy skies with little temperature change. 31-Oct-2011, 08:10 Good morning everyone. Happy Halloween. We're off to a very cold start this Monday morning. Temperatures dropped into the upper 20s this morning for record lows in many parts of the Garden State. Here in South Plainfield, the low was just below 28 degrees. We have to thank the radiational cooling conditions that prevailed last night. Skies were clear with very little in the way of wind, which allowed the infrared energy stored in the ground during the day to escape into the atmosphere. It was a tough night for many in the Garden State, which are still without power. Some 400,000 Jersey residents are still in the dark while another 700,000 are without electricity or heat in Connecticut. On Sunday, the sun returned with nothing but clear blue sky around it. I went out for a walk several times yesterday, and I wish that I had my HD camera with me. The sun angle, blue skies, snow, and peaking fall foliage made quite a combination of color. It was quite nice to see. The high on Sunday reached 47 degrees here in Northwestern Middlesex County. The barometric pressure has climbed up to 30.37 inches of Hg (Mercury) this morning. So, after the powerful nor'easter, we have another area of strong high pressure building in. The winds were strong early on Sunday. Maximum wind gust reached 10 miles per hour while the 10 minute average was 3 miles per hour. With Saturday's precipitation, we've had 30.88 inches of rainfall since mid-June. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 29 degrees with the dew point at 96 percent. The dew point is 28 degrees while the barometric pressure remains steady at 30.37 inches. Winds are calm out of the SSE. The forecast is calling for a nice day. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for partly cloudy skies with little temperature change. The actual forecast is calling for a mostly sunny day with temperatures getting into the low 50s. 30-Oct-2011, 08:15 Good morning everyone. The power just came back on a few hours ago here in Northwestern Middlesex County. However, there are more people and places still without power. Approximately 600,000 people in the Garden State were without power. As of right now, a half a million remain without power. Snowfall amounts ranged from 0.5 inches in Howard Beach, New York to 2.5 inches in Central Park to 3 inches here in South Plainfield to 19 inches in West Milford. Marcella, New Jersey had 15.5 inches of snow while 27.6 inches fell in Western Massachusetts. A total of 0.83 inches of precipitation fell here in Northwestern Middlesex County. Our house lost power and heat at about 1:30 PM on Saturday afternoon. With temperatures plummeting into the low 30s overnight, things got quite chilly in the house. The temperature in my room was 61 degrees at one point. The warmest room in the house, my room is usually about 80 degrees. Early on in the storm, trees in my neighborhood snapped under the weight of the heavy snow. I had to work yesterday, but wasn't immune to the hostile weather. I went outside for a walk a couple times, and also stepped out two other times to capture this historic event. Power in the building took several hits during the day, and finally gave way a little bit after 7:00 PM, It would come back on several minutes later. I did manage to take some video footage of the weather on Saturday, and am currently putting that all together to post in the blog. The high temperature on Saturday was about 41 degrees with a low this morning of 32.5. The peak wind gust here was 8 miles per hour with the 10 minute average being at 2 miles per hour. Barometric pressure fluctuated between 29.83 and 30.11 inches of Hg. Currently, the temperature is 35 degrees with the humidity at 84 percent. Dew point is only at 31 degrees while the barometric pressure is at 30.10 inches of Hg. There was 0.06 inches of precipitation this morning. Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for mostly clear skies with little temperature change. Actual forecast is calling for sunny skies with chilly temps in the mid 40s for highs. 29-Oct-2011, 08:20 Getting ready to head out to work now. Rain is falling here in Northwestern Middlesex County. We've received nearly a tenth of an inch of rain already. Temperature is a cold 40 degrees with humidity at 92 percent. Barometer is falling at 30.10 inches of Hg. It has fallen 0.13 inches since peaking yesterday afternoon. So far in October, there has been 3.38 inches of rain in South Plainfield, and since mid-June, there has been 29.65 inches of rainfall. 29-Oct-2011, 07:52 Just took a look at the National Weather Service web site. The NWS Office in Mount Holly has a Winter Weather Advisory issued for Middlesex County. The forecast for South Plainfield is calling for 2 to 5 inches while the projected snowfall accumulations are expected to be 4 inches. Coastal Flood Warning is also in effect for Middlesex County. 29-Oct-2011, 07:42 Good morning. I just woke up, and I'm getting ready for work. Turned on the television, and checked the Weather Channel's Weatherscan to find out that the forecast is calling for 5 to 8 inches in Newark, 6 to 10 inches in Somerville, and one to two inches of rain in Belmar along the Jersey Shore. Winds are expected to gust to 40 miles per hour, and record low temperatures are expected. HIstoric stuff!!! 28-Oct-2011, 11:34 Good morning again. We had the coldest temperature here in Northwestern Middlesex County since April with the low bottoming out to 33.3 degrees. Since then, the mercury has climbed a bit to 45 degrees. After the barometric pressure dropped to 29.57 inches on Thursday, it rapidly rose back to 30.21 inches this morning. The pressure is still rising, but don't expect it to for long. Strong highs usually follow strong lows and vice versa. Well, with strong high pressure here in the Northeast, we now have an amplified jet stream to provide the upper level energy for this weekend's nor'easter to feed into. Add to that the moisture coming up from the south including some from dissipating Tropical Storm Rina, and the drop in temperature, and you have the right ingredients for some snow!!! I managed to get out for a walk a couple times during the day on Thursday, and the rain was steady, but not that bad. The winds began to pick up during the evening after the front passed through. A little more than a half an inch fell here in Northwestern Middlesex County on Thursday. For the month of October, we have had 3.29 inches of rain, and since the weather station was installed in June, we've had 29.56 inches. The temperature topped out at 56 degrees for a high, but then fell dramatically in the past 24 hours. The dew point fell to 27.4 degrees this morning. Highest wind gust reached 8 miles per hour while the 10 minute average was 2 miles per hour. No difference in the wind chill or heat index in the past 24 hours. Currently, in South Plainfield, the temperature is 45 degrees with 50 percent humidity for a dew point of 28 degrees. Barometric pressure is rising at 30.21 inches of Hg while winds are calm out of the west. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for increasing clouds with little temperature change. Precipitation possible within the next 24 to 48 hours. The actual forecast is calling for a strong nor'easter to develop on Saturday. The precipitation is likely to start out as rain in South Plainfield, and points to the south and east. However, as the day progresses, temperatures will drop, and snow will start to mix with the rain. Approximately one to three inches of rain is expected here in Northwestern Middlesex County with points further north and west getting higher amounts. For instance, Allentown, Pennsylvania is expected to get 6 to 10 inches of the white stuff. I'll have more updates in both the journal and the blog during the next couple days as well as video from the storm on Saturday. 28-Oct-2011, 00:46 Good morning everyone. Just saw the end to a great baseball game. Anyway, I was just posting this journal entry since the temperature has dipped below 40 degrees. As a matter of fact, the mercury is now at 38.9 degrees, and could not only reach the lowest level since May 6th, but we have frost and freeze warnings in effect around the area. We could have the lowest temperature here in Northwestern Middlesex County since April. 27-Oct-2011, 10:26 Good morning. We have a steady rain falling here in Northwestern Middlesex County. It is a sign of things to come as a very long cold front is pushing southeastward. It will usher in more colder air into the Eastern United States. In addition, the front will also set the stage for our second nor'easter of the season to come up this weekend, and give us some wet snow to the North and West. Wednesday turned out to be a nice day for the most part, especially in the afternoon. I went out to have an early dinner, and then traveled over to Washington Rock to check out how the fall foliage is coming along. Still not at peak color yet. The skies were nice and blue with some high cirrus clouds. Toward New York City, the skies were a bit hazier. It was more difficult to see the skyscrapers on Wednesday than my last visit a week ago. The high temperature on Wednesday was about 61 degrees after a low of 50 in the morning for a diurnal temperature range of 11 degrees. The dew point ranged between 47 and 56 degrees. We had a maximum wind gust in the past 48 hours of 12 miles per hour, but it was only 3 miles per hour on Wednesday. The 10 minute average wind was non-existent while the barometric pressure ranged between 29.72 and 29.91 inches of Hg. So far on Thursday, there has been a quarter of an inch of rain that has fallen around Northwestern Middlesex County. It has been a light, but steady rain. Winds are still calm to light. Currently, the temperature in South Plainfield, New Jersey is 55 degrees with the humidity of 96 percent. The dew point is at 54 while there is no difference between the temperature, heat index, or wind chill. Barometric pressure is steady at 29.64 inches of Hg. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for mostly cloudy skies and cooler temperatures. More rain is possible over the next 12 hours, and could be heavy at times. Winds could also pick up as well. Keep in mind though that the VP2 forecast on Wednesday afternoon called for rain within 6 hours, and it didn't happen. 26-Oct-2011, 15:01 Good afternoon everyone. My weekend is underway, and I've put together some time lapse videos as well as weather footage of the fall colors around the region over the past week or so to the blog. We had some ominous looking clouds earlier this morning, but they have relented a bit. After my journal entry on Tuesday morning, the temperature reached a high of 63 degrees. Dew point ranged between 32.5 and 50.1 degrees. Maximum wind gust reached 10 miles per hour while the average was 2 miles per hour. No difference in the heat index or the wind chill. Barometric pressure has ranged 29.75 and 30.03 inches of Hg. The weather is going to go through some changes over the next several days with a few storm systems moving through. Low pressure is beginning to push through right now. Another low will be moving up the coast as a Nor'easter on Thursday. After that, temperatures will begin to drop to their coldest since the early spring. High on Saturday is expected to be in the 40s. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is at 59 degrees with 73 percent humidity for a dew point of 51 degrees. No difference in heat index or wind chill. Barometric pressure is falling at 29.75 inches of Hg while winds are calm out of the ENE. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for increasing clouds and cooler temperatures. Precipitation possible within 6 hours. Windy conditions could also accompany the rain with winds eventually shifting to the West, Northwest, or North. Well, that's it for now. Time to go out and get something good to eat. 25-Oct-2011, 08:16 Good morning everyone. Getting ready to head out to work for the final time this week. We're off to a chilly start again, and that is only the beginning. Major changes are on the way this week as several storms are expected to move through, and usher in more cold air by the end of the week. There was some sprinkles of rain late last night, but no measurable rainfall so far this morning. The sun is out, and should be in control for most of the day today. However, the clouds will begin to move in, and begin a tumultuous final half of the week. Rain is expected on both Wednesday and Thursday, and temperatures will drop into the lower 50s by the end of the week, and the upper 40s by Saturday with more rain. Hurricane Rina has continued to strengthen. Maximum sustained winds are now at 100 miles per hour with the barometric pressure falling to 28.70 inches of Hg. There is good outflow to the north despite the presence of a deep trough extending into the Gulf of Mexico. Rina still may strengthen into a major hurricane, and could threaten the Yucatan although the models have the storm moving very slowly to the west. Currently in South Plainfield, the temperature is 47 degrees with a humidity of 97 percent for a dew point of 46 degrees. Heat index and wind chill is 47 degrees as well. Barometric pressure is rising at 30.05 inches of Hg. Winds are calm out of the NNE. Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for mostly clear skies with little temperature change. 24-Oct-2011, 23:45 Good evening everyone. Just got in a little while ago from watching some high school fall league basketball action down in Neptune in Monmouth County this evening. It was a nice night with conditions cool, but comfortable. During the day, I had the chance to take several breaks at work, and went out for some walks. Skies were mostly sunny, and temperatures were warm. There wasn't much of a wind either. The high temperature was just under 63 degrees after a low of 40.4 degrees in the morning. The dew point ranged between 39 and 53 degrees. Maximum wind gust was 4 degrees with the 10 minute average being only one mile per hour. Barometric pressure ranged between 29.93 and 30.10 inches of Hg. Heat index and wind chill were not factors yesterday. The wind chill could become more of a factor as we progress later into the week. Meanwhile, we have a hurricane in the Western Caribbean. Hurricane Rina was rapidly intensified into a Category Two system, and is crawling westward. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 54.2 degrees. The humidity is at 93 percent for a dew point of 52.3 degrees. Barometric pressure is 29.95 inches of Hg. Winds are calm. 23-Oct-2011, 23:35 Good evening everyone. Well, I've been busy putting together several time lapse videos of weather conditions on October 14th, 19th, and 20th. I hope to have them posted soon. I had work again on Sunday, but I did manage to get out for a couple of breaks, and went for walks. Temperatures were comfortable with very little or no wind. Skies were sunny and blue. It was a bit warmer on Sunday as supposed to Saturday. High temperature reached 60 degrees after a low of 46 after midnight. The diurnal temperature range was only 14 degrees, but was higher than on Saturday. Dew point ranged between 39 and 46 degrees while the maximum wind gust reached 6 miles per hour. The 10 minute average wind was one mile per hour. Barometric pressure ranged between 30.05 and 30.14 inches of Hg. There has been no measurable rainfall for the past several days. Average temperature so far this month has been 68 degrees. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey is 45 degrees with humidity at 92 percent for a dew point of 43 degrees. Winds are calm while the barometric pressure is at 30.11 inches of Hg. Forecast is calling for more cloudy skies and some showers late in the day. This will be a transitional week with several systems quickly moving through with a stormy and colder end to the week. 22-Oct-2011, 23:30 Good evening everyone. It was a nice start to the weekend here in Northern Middlesex County. Had to work on Saturday so I didn't get much of a chance to get outside and enjoy the weather. It was a bit more chilly than it has been. Skies were sunny though and winds were light. The high temperature on Saturday reached only 57 degrees after a low of 42 degrees in the morning. So, the diurnal temperature range was 15 degrees. Peak wind gust was 7 miles per hour while the dew point ranged between 42 and 47 degrees. Barometric pressure ranged between 30.00 and 30.09 inches of Hg. Expect more of the same for Sunday with temperatures being a bit warmer. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 45 degrees with the humidity at 93 percent for a dew point of 43.5 degrees. Barometric pressure is 30.09 inches of Hg. Winds are calm. 21-Oct-2011, 23:00 Good evening everyone. Didn't have much of a chance to get outside on Friday. I didn't get out until the evening when I went to a high school football game between Monroe Township and Woodbridge Township. The Barrons of Woodbridge scored on all six of its first half possessions en route to a 42-10 victory. This was the first football game this year where I started to feel the cold, especially late in the game. Friday was probably the coldest day so far this fall. Temperatures struggled to get out of the 50s while the mercury dropped in the evening. There was also a little bit of a breeze to make things even chillier. The high temperature on Friday was just 57 degrees, which occurred just after noon time. The low was 46 degrees late in the evening after lows of 49 on a couple of occasions during the early morning So, the diurnal temperature range was only 8 degrees. There was no measurable rainfall on Friday. Top wind gust was only 6 miles per hour. Barometric pressure ranged between 29.69 and 30.01 inches of Hg. Currently in South Plainfield, the temperature is 46 degrees with a humidity of 92 degrees for a dew point of 44 degrees. Barometric pressure was 30.01 inches of Hg while winds were calm. Weather is expected to be nice again on Saturday with sun and temperatures getting a bit warmer. 20-Oct-2011, 22:45 Good evening everyone. I had a real busy day. First, I had a dentist appointment. Then, I went to the store and the bank, took a walk in the park, and then went around to five different parks to take video of some of the fall foliage that is starting to take shape. There were plenty of clouds in the sky on this Thursday, but the sun did manage to come out often, especially during the morning and early afternoon. However, by the late afternoon into the sunset, the clouds took control. The fall colors are still not quite at their peak here in Central Jersey, but they're getting there. Another thing that I noticed on this day was that the wind was still quite strong. As we transitioned from a low of 29.27 inches to strong high pressure, there was a tight pressure gradient allowing the winds to rush in. It was a great day to be outside. It was a great help to me since I had been under a bit of stress. Shooting the video of the fall colors made me feel a lot better. It was a weird day temperature wise. The high was 69 degrees, and that occurred at 4:20 AM. The thermometer than tumbled to 61 degrees before going back up to 64 for the afternoon high. When the cold front finally pushed through, the mercury plummeted to just under 51 degrees before midnight. So the diurnal temperature range was 18 degrees. There was only 0.03 inches of rain. The rainfall was a leftover of the storminess on Wednesday night. The maximum wind gust was 8 miles per hour while the barometric pressure ranged between 29.33 and 29.69 inches of Hg. Currently in South Plainfield, the temperature is at 52 degrees with the humidity at 79 percent for a dew point of 45. Barometric pressure is 29.68 inches of Hg. Winds are calm. Conditions will improve on Friday, but with chillier temperatures. The mercury will have a tough time getting out of the 50s for highs. 19-Oct-2011, 21:30 Good evening everyone. Well, up until now, it appears that we've dodged a bullet. The two storm systems that were supposed to combine to bring some rain to our area have not merged. In addition, most of the rainfall associated with the storm approaching from the Gulf and Southeastern United States stayed mostly offshore. So far on Wednesday, we have received only two-thirds of an inch of rain. Rain is falling right now so perhaps we will add a bit more to that total, but considering these storm systems were supposed to combine and bring up to 3 inches of rain, and the low from the south had a history of bringing as much as 5 inches of rain in portions of South Florida, things could have been much worse. The high temperature on Wednesday topped out at 62 degrees after having a low of only 54 degrees just after midnight. The diurnal temperature range was only eight degrees. With the abundant moisture in the region, humidity levels were near 100 percent and the high dew point was just under 62 degrees. Barometric pressure dropped to 29.27 inches of Hg. Currently, in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 62 degrees with a dew point of 61 degrees. Humidity is at 98 percent. Barometric pressure is at 29.42 inches of Hg while winds are between 3 and 4 miles per hour. 18-Oct-2011, 21:45 Good evening everyone. Well, it was the end of my work week today, and it was a decent day weather wise. I went out for a walk a couple times, and temperatures were comfortable as conditions remained status quo for another day. After a low temperature of 46 degrees in the morning, the mercury climbed up to 68 degrees for a high. The diurnal temperature range was 22 degrees. Winds were light on Tuesday. Maximum wind gust was only 3 miles per hour. Barometric pressure ranged between 29.78 and 29.87 inches of Hg. The dew point ranged between 36 and 50 degrees. Clouds have begun to move in over the past few hours, and that is a harbinger of things to come. Two storm systems are expected to come together to bring several inches of rain to the Central Jersey region. After a fairly decent dry spell with only rain on Friday the most recent precipitation. So far this month, we've had a little more than an inch of rainfall in Northwestern Middlesex County. The torrential rain will also be accompanied by gusty winds. A storm system from the Midwest will push eastward while another storm is pushing northward after dumping as much as 5 inches of rain in the Southeast. Currently, in South Plainfield, the temperature is 54 degrees with a humidity of 85 degrees for a dew point of 50 degrees. The barometric pressure is 29.86 inches of Hg. Winds are calm. There was only a trace of rain so far on Tuesday. 17-Oct-2011, 23:30 Good evening. Just got in from seeing some high school basketball down in Neptune. There are five different fall basketball leagues taking place around Central Jersey this year. There was a time when fall leagues weren't even heard of. Anyway, it was quite a nice night to be outside. Temperatures were quite comfortable for this time of year. Skies were mostly clear and the moon came out. During the day, I managed to go out for a walk several times. I made it a point to get my walks in on Monday. It was a very nice day to be outside as well. Very little in the way of clouds while temperatures were in the mid 60s along with some light wind. The high in South Plainfield on Monday was 67 degrees after a low of 51 in the morning. The diurnal temperature range was 16 degrees. The dew point ranged between 36 and 52 degrees. Maximum wind gust was 9 miles per hour while the 10 minute average was one mile per hour. The barometric pressure ranged between 29.69 and 29.86 inches of Hg. Currently, the temperature in South Plainfield is 48 degrees with a humidity of 85 percent for a dew point of 44 degrees. Barometric pressure is at 29.77 inches of Hg while the winds are calm. Clouds are expected to build in on Tuesday ahead of a one two punch of storminess. We have an area of disturbed weather to our south in the Eastern Gulf that is dumping anywhere from 3 to 5 inches of rain in South Florida. Meanwhile, a powerful cold front is taking shape in the Midwest and Great Plains. Both of these storms will merge over our region to bring significant rainfall along with some wind on Wednesday. 16-Oct-2011, 22:15 Good evening everyone. Had another decent day here in Central Jersey even though there were some sprinkles that came through at about 8:00 PM. Some high cirrus clouds developed in the mid-afternoon, but the winds slackened, and conditions were comfortable overall. The high temperature on Sunday reached 67 degrees after a low of 49 earlier in the day. The dew point ranged between 41 and 52 degrees. Maximum wind gust peaked at 7 miles per hour while the 10 minute average wind was one mile per hour. The barometric pressure ranged between 29.62 and 29.91 inches of Hg. There was no measurable rainfall. I was only able to go outside once yesterday. I had a very tough day at work, and I didn't get a chance to take as many breaks as I did on Saturday. I did catch the sprinkle of rain on my way over to the Immaculata Fall League in Somerville. Currently, the temperature is 60 degrees with a humidity of 65 percent for a dew point of 49 degrees. Barometric pressure is 29.70 inches of Hg while the winds are calm. Clouds will linger heading into Monday morning for the rush hour commute to work. 15-Oct-2011, 22:45 Good evening. Went to work today. Watching some college football right now. Did manage to go outside today. Went for several walks. Made sure I got my break time in. Was quite a nice day. Temperatures were comfortable under nice sunny skies. The only problem was with the wind. Winds weren't too bad, but they were noticeable. In the Raritan Center section of Edison, the winds reached up to 25 miles per hour. They were much higher in other spots, especially along the coast. Forecasts indicated that the winds would be as high as 45 miles per hour. Don't think they reached that high in Edison or South Plainfield. Temperatures climbed into the mid to upper 60s for a high on Saturday after falling to 51 degrees. The diurnal temperature range was 15 degrees, which was more than it was on Friday. Maximum wind gust was 10 miles per hour while the 10 minute average was 2 miles per hour. Barometric pressure ranged between 29.58 and 29.89 inches of Hg. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature was 49.3 degrees while the humidity is at 82 percent for a dew point of 44 degrees. Barometric pressure is at 29.76 inches of Hg. Winds are calm. Forecast calls for the winds to die down while temperatures will be in the 60s again on Sunday. 14-Oct-2011, 22:00 Good evening. Just got in from watching a football game at Highland Park High School. I watched the Owls take on the Dunellen Destroyers. Dunellen won the game 27-6. It was a very nice night to watch football. A little warm despite the fact that a front came through earlier in the day. The moon emerged during halftime of the game. It was a nice full moon. Right over the 50 yard line behind the visitors bleachers. It was quite a day weather wise here in South Plainfield. We had a little spritz of rain in the late morning, and then the sun came out, which provided energy for a round of storms that came in during the mid to late afternoon. Got about 0.6 inches of rain from the cloudburst. Accompanying the rainfall were some wind gusts and loud rumbles of thunder. Nothing severe occurred. The temperature peaked at 74 degrees after a low of 65 at midnight. After the storms moved through, the temperature dropped into the upper 50s by game time at 7:00 PM. Barometric pressure bottomed out at 29.32 inches of Hg during the afternoon as storms approached. I have posted a video of the thunderstorms moving through, and will have time lapse video of the day's weather posted soon. I haven't posted much about the tropics in the past week, but have been monitoring things. The Eastern Pacific percolated with activity as powerful Hurricane Jova made landfall over the West Coast of Mexico earlier in the week while Tropical Storm Irwin meandered offshore. Another depression developed and made landfall further south and east in Mexico. The Atlantic Basin has been quiet although Phillippe became a hurricane before becoming extratropical. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 58.6 degrees with humidity of 85 percent for a dew point of 54 degrees. Barometric pressure is at 29.49 inches of Hg. Wind is gusting to 3 miles per hour. 13-Oct-2011, 22:20 Good evening everyone. Well, I had another appointment today. I was up for much of the day, but I didn't do a lot. The weather again was unsettled. Clouds dominated the afternoon when I went for my eye check-up. There was a bit of rain, but less than a tenth of an inch. The low temperature was 58 degrees while the high was near 66 degrees for a diurnal temperature range of 8 degrees. The maximum wind gust was only 4 miles per hour. The 10 minute average was just one mile per hour. Barometric pressure ranged between 29.63 and 29.89 inches of Hg. We are still dealing with a low pressure system that has been dragging its way up the Eastern Seaboard of the United States. It will push out, but another system will be moving in from the Midwest, and that will create a chance for thunderstorms on Friday. Some of the thunderstorms could be severe. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 65.2 degrees with a humidity of 98 percent for a dew point just under 65. Barometric pressure is at 29.67 inches of Hg. Wind is out of the SE at 2 miles per hour. 12-Oct-2011, 22:45 Good evening everyone. The nice stretch of weather is coming to an end here in New Jersey. Clouds and rain returned to Northwestern Middlesex County on Wednesday. Much of the rain held off to the late evening. There was 0.24 inches of rain in South Plainfield. I slept most of the day on Wednesday. I did take some time to go to a previously scheduled doctor's appointment. There were clouds in the morning when I went. Conditions remained unsettled during the rest of the day. The low temperature on Wednesday was 58 degrees while the high was 62 degrees. After having a diurnal temperature range of 25 to 33 degrees earlier in the week, it was only four degrees on Wednesday. The barometric pressure ranged between 29.88 and 30.07 inches of Hg (Mercury). Maximum wind gust was 5 miles per hour while the average wind speed was one mile per hour. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 59 degrees with a humidity of 97 percent for a dew point of 58 degrees. Barometric pressure is at 29.90 inches of Hg. Winds are calm. We have an area of low pressure moving through from the south. It will produce cloudy and rainy conditions over the next couple days. 11-Oct-2011, 08:16 Good morning. Getting ready to head out to work for my final day of the week, and of an 11 day stretch where I worked at least part of my day. Looking outside, I see that skies are partly cloudy. Clouds are going to become more and more of a factor as the day progresses. High pressure, which had dominated our weather for the past week, is pushing northward, which is allowing a northeast flow to come in off the Atlantic, which will bring clouds and cooler temperatures with it. Meanwhile, an area of low pressure is slowly spinning its way up north from Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida. The low will be on our doorstep by tomorrow morning, and a steadier rain will develop in the afternoon on Wednesday. The rain will persist into Thursday and part of Friday. Temperatures will hover in the upper 60s to low 70s during the period, and when the sun comes out on Saturday, the mercury will be back to more seasonable levels. We haven't had a day where the temperature was 80 degrees or higher no later than October 10th. So, we may have seen the last vestiges of summer. Currently, the temperature is 62 degrees with the humidity at 93 percent for a dew point of 60 and a heat index of 62 degrees. Barometric pressure is rising at 30.18 inches of Hg (Mercury) while winds are calm out of the ENE. High temperature on Monday was 80 degrees after a low of 52 degrees in the morning. So, the diurnal temperature range was a bit lower than it was on Sunday. The maximum wind gust yesterday was 3 miles per hour. Barometric pressure ranged between 30.15 and 30.26 inches of Hg. Heat index topped out near 81. Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for mostly clear skies with little temperature change. 10-Oct-2011, 07:09 Good morning everyone. I was up early this morning. So, I put together a video of football highlights from this past Thursday night. I also went out for a walk, and did some breathing exercises. Temperatures are a little warmer this morning than yesterday at this time. Speaking of yesterday, the conditions outside felt more like the calendar was in early August rather than early October. The high temperature on Sunday was just over 82 degrees after a low of 49 for a diurnal temperature range of 33 degrees. The high temperature in Newark reached 88 degrees as forecast. Expect more of the same for Monday with sunny skies again and temperatures climbing into the mid to upper 80s. However, the weather will begin to change come Tuesday, and go down hill by Wednesday. Down to the south of us, we have an upper level low that is spinning over the Southeastern United States. Combining with the strong high pressure to the north, we have a pressure gradient that is generating a strong onshore flow that is producing dangerous surf and rip currents. The low is also creating tremendous rainfall. Parts of Florida including Cocoa Beach have received 7 inches of rain in the past day or so. This low has the look of a tropical system, but it is a hybrid. This means that it has some tropical characteristics, but not enough to be classified as a tropical storm. Nevertheless, the low will be tracking up the East Coast of the United States, and by midweek, the system will be generating clouds, rain, wind, and heavy surf in coastal areas. Temperatures will also go down into the mid 60s to low 70s. Currently, in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 52 degrees with the humidity at 96 percent for a heat index of 53 degrees and a dew point of 51 degrees. Barometric pressure is steady at 30.24, but it has dropped a bit since the high on Saturday morning of 30.49 inches of Hg. Winds are calm out of south. There was obviously no measurable rain. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for partly cloudy skies with little temperature change. The actual forecast is calling for sunny skies with temps again climbing into the 80s. May see some afternoon clouds, but nothing more than that. 09-Oct-2011, 07:33 Good morning everyone. The sun is starting to come out finally. I'm still getting use to the fact that it is dark at 6:30 in the morning. As promised I went to another football game last night, and it was a very entertaining game. Most importantly, conditions were quite comfortable to watch the contest. The high temperature climbed to 76 degrees after dropping to 46 on Saturday morning. So, the diurnal temperature range was 30 degrees. There was plenty of sun even though I didn't get much of a chance to enjoy it at work today. I had a lot on my plate at the job, and I was a hamster in the wheel all day. More of the same is expected on Sunday with Indian summer continuing here in the Central Jersey region. More sunshine, and even warmer temperatures are expected on Sunday. Temps could reach as high as 80 degrees. Nice day to go to the beach. Take advantage of it since these days don't come that often in October. Currently, in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 49 degrees with the humidity at 96 percent for a dew point of 48 degrees and a heat index of 50 degrees. Barometric pressure is steady at 30.39 inches of Hg. Winds are calm out of the west. There was no measurable rainfall yesterday. Winds were actually very light yesterday with the peak gust only 2 miles per hour. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for partly cloudy skies again with little temperature change. The actual forecast is calling for sunny skies and temperatures getting into the 80s. The Weather Channel is calling for a high of 88 degrees in Newark this afternoon. The nice weather is expected to last into midweek. 08-Oct-2011, 07:56 Good morning everyone. Getting ready to go to work. I have a busy day ahead with a football game tonight at Perth Amboy High School after work. I have my regular work schedule now through Tuesday. Once I get through that, I'll have my weekend to catch up on things. It was quite a nice day and night here on Friday in Central Jersey. The temperature climbed up only into the mid 60s, but the mercury will be climbing farther over the next several days. The dew point ranged between 35 and 47 degrees. The heat index didn't get any higher than the afternoon high. Barometric pressure has climbed to its highest level since the week after Hurricane Irene. The pressure has risen to 30.47 inches of Hg this morning. High pressure continues to build in, and the nice stretch of weather is expected to continue into early next week. Maximum wind gust reached only 4 miles per hour while the ten minute average was one mile per hour. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 48 degrees after a low of 46 earlier today. Humidity is 97 percent for a heat index of 49 degrees and a dew point of 47 degrees. Barometric pressure is 30.47 inches of Hg, and rising. Winds are calm out of the NNW. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for partly cloudy skies with little temperature change. The actual forecast is calling for sunny skies and temperatures climbing into the upper 70s to near 80. Newark is expected to reach a high of 81 degrees. 07-Oct-2011, 08:17 Good morning. I'm a bit down this morning since the Yankees lost in Game 5 of its American League Division Series, but we have to move on. I'm also beginning the final stretch of a tough work period. Training is ending today, and my normal shift starts again tomorrow. After work, I went out to a football game between Monroe Township and Edison. Saw the entire second half of the contest, and I took video of it. It wasn't a high scoring game, but there were a number of good plays over the final two quarters. The weather was a bit chilly towards the end of the contest, but I was fine even without a hooded sweatshirt or sweater. Temperature reached a high of 67 degrees after a low of 42 in the morning. The dew point fluctuated between 34 and 48 degrees. The heat index and wind chill was 67 degrees. Maximum wind gust was 5 miles per hour while the 10 minute average was one mile per hour. Barometric pressure ranged between 30.25 and 30.43 inches of Hg (Mercury). Since the new weather station was installed in mid-June, there has been 27.20 inches of rain. The average temperature in August was 72.7 degrees while it was 68 in September. We have more great weather on tap for today. Temperatures are expected to climb into the low 70s, and that is only the beginning. As high pressure drifts offshore over the next few days, we will have a southerly flow, which will boost temperatures. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 46 degrees with a humidity of 86 percent for a dew point of 42 degrees, a heat index and wind chill of 46 degrees. Barometric pressure is rising at 30.43 inches while winds are calm out of the WNW. Low temperature this morning was again around 42 degrees. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for mostly clear skies with little temperature change. 06-Oct-2011, 08:12 Good morning again. Feeling a lot better today after doing some breathing exercises. Have been taking a look at some of the five day forecasts, and they are indicating that temperatures are going to be in the mid 80s by Sunday!!! I guess we're having a bout of Indian summer. Anyway, temperatures are quite chilly around the area this morning. When I first started putting my reports together, the temperature was 42 degrees here in Northwestern Middlesex County. Since then, it has climbed to 44 degrees. High is expected to get into the low 70s so the diurnal range of temperature will be much larger today than it has been all week. The low temperature actually bottomed out at 41.3 degrees, which is the lowest temperature in the past month, and perhaps the lowest since early May here. I'd have to check my records for that. Currently, in South Plainfield, the temperature is 44 degrees, and the humidity is 96 percent for a dew point of 43 degrees and a heat index and wind chill of 44 degrees. Barometric pressure continues to rise at 30.35 inches of Hg. Winds are calm out of the SSE. Very strong high pressure is moving over us, which is the basis for the really nice stretch of weather that we will be getting over the next five days. Sunny skies and moderating temperatures will be the theme through the weekend with a forecast high of 85 on Sunday. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for partly cloudy skies with little temperature change. 05-Oct-2011, 23:00 Good evening again. Well, we had a very nice day for a change here in Central Jersey. The best is yet to come though. Looking at the five day forecast we see an old friend, the sun not only returning, but staying for a while. After a low of 63 degrees early this morning, the mercury climbed into the low 70s. I managed to get out for a walk during my lunch break, and it was quite nice out. A bit cool, but I had a t-shirt on underneath my regular button down shirt so there was no need for a coat or sweater. High pressure will continue to build in on Thursday, and the moderate and migrate by the weekend. Temperatures are expected to gradually climb into the upper 70s to low 80s by the end of the five day forecast period. Hopefully on Friday, I will get a chance to take a step outside more often since training will be ending early that day. Currently, in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 53.5 degrees and the humidity is 71 percent for a dew point of 44.2 degrees. Barometric pressure continued to climb during the day, and is now at 30.24 inches of Hg. Winds are calm. 04-Oct-2011, 23:00 Good evening everyone. Today would usually be the last day of my work week, but I've been training this week so I will not have any weekend. My next day off won't be until next Wednesday. Anyway, I'm getting ready to go to bed so I'm going to post a little something on the weather. It was another gloomy day for the most part here in Central Jersey. Thankfully, there wasn't any rain. Temperatures were chilly in the morning, but they did manage to climb up into the mid 60s. The low in South Plainfield bottomed out at 46 degrees while the high was 65. The upper level low that had been dominating the weather here in the Northeast for the past two weeks or so, is pushing out to the east. Things are not only going to improve, but we are also in for a very good stretch of weather. Sunny skies will emerge again on Wednesday, and temperatures will gradually increase into the upper 70s to perhaps 80 by this weekend and early next week. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 56.2 degrees. The dew point is 52 thanks to a humidity of 86 percent. Barometric pressure is at 30.02 inches of Hg (Mercury) while the winds are calm. 03-Oct-2011, 23:30 Good evening everyone. I have training this week at my job so I was able to get out early. However, I spent the night watching some high school fall league basketball games. I had a good time, and a find that it helps put my mind at ease after a tough day at work. Anyway, it was a cloudy and cool day. No measurable rainfall, but temperatures were lower than anticipated. On Sunday, the high temperature for Monday was supposed to get up into the very low 60s. However, the actual highs on Monday were about what was forecasted earlier in the weekend or late last week. The high temperature in South Plainfield on Monday was 57.5 degrees. The dew point peaked at 49.7 degrees. The wind chill and heat index were also at 57.5 degrees. The peak wind gust was 3 miles per hour while the 10 minute average was one mile per hour. Barometric pressure ranged between 29.99 and 30.04 inches of Hg. Managed to get out for a walk at lunch time yesterday at work. It was cool, but still comfortable. I did wear a sweater to help keep me warm. We're still dealing with this upper level low, but it is spinning its way out into the Atlantic, but not before dumping rains in New England. 03-Oct-2011, 08:34 Good morning. I'm very short on time so I'm just going to put up a little something brief about the weather. It is very cold this morning. Temperatures dropped into the upper 40s last night, and to make matters worse, the heat wasn't on in the house. I was very reluctant to get out from under the covers. The weather will continue to be controlled by the upper level low that has gradually migrated eastward into our region since early last week. Conditions will remain cloudy and unsettled with a chance of rain for the next two days. Then, the sun will return for an extended stay starting on Wednesday. Temperature in South Plainfield right now is 49 degrees. I'll have a more detailed report later. 02-Oct-2011, 07:14 Good morning again. Got another half day ahead of me at work. Yesterday, I was only able to see two of the three football games that I had planned to go see. Still had a good time, and got a bit of video highlights from them. Dealt with a lot of weather too. Late Saturday afternoon and early evening saw a lot of rain come down across Middlesex County. Here in South Plainfield, there was about 0.9 inches of rain. At the first football game that I saw on Saturday afternoon, the rain held off. However, the second game was played under rough conditions. I got to the field at Carteret High School at a little bit after 6:00 PM, and the rain was already coming down pretty good. It let up for a little while, but then began falling in earnest some 15 minutes before the game started. By the time the North Brunswick fans came to sit down in the bleachers, I was already getting very soaked. The rain continued well beyond the start, but would eventually let up. Then, came the wind. A strong wind blew at my back, and I began having thoughts that I was going to come down with a cold. It was a cold wind. Fortunately this morning, I feel pretty good. Conditions are still unsettled outside though. The upper level low that had been spinning in the Midwest earlier last week has finally pushed eastward, and is over our area as I speak. The upper low is still spinning off clouds and showers. We had another 0.04 of an inch of rain here in Northwestern Middlesex County on Sunday morning. Temperatures have also tumbled. Lows have dropped into the upper 40s around the region. Currently in South Plainfield, the temperature is 49 degrees with the humidity at 97 percent for a dew point of 49 and a heat index of 50 degrees. Barometric pressure is rising at 29.74 inches of Hg (Mercury) and winds are calm out of the NW. High temperature on Saturday was 65 degrees. Dew point peaked at 60 degrees while the heat index was 65 degrees. Peak wind gust was 4 miles per hour, and the 10 minute average was one mile per hour. Barometric pressure dipped as low as 29.60 inches of Hg. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for a repeat of yesterday. Mostly cloudy skies and cooler with precipitation possible in the next 12 hours. Precipitation could be heavy at times with windy conditions. The actual forecast is calling for some early morning showers with cooler temperatures. 01-Oct-2011, 06:05 Good morning everyone. Well, I'm getting ready to go to work today. Fortunately, it is only a half day, and I'm getting overtime for it since I'll be training all week. Still wrestling with a pesky upper level low that is now sitting over the Eastern Great Lakes. Had some showers push through during the overnight. Got about two tenths of an inch of rain since midnight, and almost three tenths since yesterday. Heavier amounts are falling over the eastern half of Long Island. Temperatures are holding in the upper 50s to low 60s. Got out to the football game last night, and thankfully there wasn't a lot of rain that fell during the contest. There was some light rain in the second half of the contest, but nothing more than that. Bishop Ahr fell behind early, and almost gave up another touchdown before scoring 31 unanswered points and getting a 31-14 victory over J.F. Kennedy of Iselin. More football games are on tap, and I'm going to try and get out to see some of them this afternoon and evening after work. I plan to see three contests. It's a rare Saturday afternoon off so I have to take advantage of it. We have a Coastal Flood Advisory for the Jersey Shore. It is going to be a cloudy and showery day as we continue to deal with instability caused by the upper level low. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 58 degrees with the humidity at 97 percent for a dew point of 57 degrees and a heat index of 58 degrees. Barometric pressure is steady at 29.60 inches of Hg, and winds are calm out of the SE. Doppler radar shows a couple bands of showers that moved through the area earlier this morning. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for mostly cloudy skies and cooler temperatures. Precipitation is possible within 12 hours, and it could be heavy at times with windy conditions. The actual forecast is calling for showers, and a high in the mid to upper 60s. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent. Looking ahead, Sunday actually looks like the nicer day of the weekend, but we'll have a chance for more rain on Monday and Tuesday. 30-Sep-2011, 13:02 Good afternoon everyone. I have an interesting 11 days coming up. On Tuesday, I was asked to come in for training during a regular Monday through Friday schedule. I also was asked to work a bit on Saturday and Sunday. So, I'll be only working half days over the weekend. What that means is that I will be home for much of the day on Saturday and Sunday. I plan to see several high school football games on Saturday after seeing one on Friday night. There is some interesting weather set up for Friday night and Saturday. Speaking of the weather, we have quite a nice day shaping up. I got myself outside to go for a walk earlier in the day. My knee has felt much better over the past couple days. However, I didn't want to push it too hard at this point. The last time, I pushed it too hard was about two weeks ago at Belmar, and the knee didn't feel better until yesterday and today. Anyway, I walked several miles in town, and conditions couldn't have been nicer. The temperatures are in the mid 70s with humidity still high. Dew points are in the low 60s. Heat index is in the upper 70s. No measurable rainfall so far today, but that we'll change as we approach nightfall. We have a chance of thunderstorms by game time on Friday. Currently in South Plainfield, the temperature is 76 degrees with the humidity at 64 percent for a dew point of 63 degrees and a heat index of 78 degrees. Barometric pressure is falling at 29.64 inches of Hg. Winds are out of the NNW at 1 mile per hour. The forecast is calling for a high in the upper 70s. Skies should stay clear and dry until dusk. Looking at the tropics, Ophelia has not only become the season's fourth hurricane, but also the third major hurricane. It has a nice well defined eye and central dense overcast. Despite the rough shearing environment, Ophelia has managed to develop a very good outflow and atmosphere of its own. 29-Sep-2011, 23:30 Good evening everyone. Had quite an active day weatherwise here in South Plainfield. We had several waves of rain push through the area during the day. Once in the morning, again in the mid-afternoon, and a third time in the early evening. In total, there was only about 0.63 inches of rainfall with the bulk coming in the afternoon. There was some severe weather in Northeastern New Jersey. Places such as Leonia were hammered by a severe storm that uprooted trees and downed power lines. Here in Northwestern Middlesex County, the storms only brought some gusty winds, rumbles of thunder, flashes of lightning, and heavy rain. Prior to the thunderstorms in the afternoon, South Plainfield reached a high of 74 degrees. The temperature dropped about 10 degrees after the storms, but then climbed again into the mid 60s by nightfall. The low dropped to about 58 prior to midnight. So far this month, there has been 5.70 inches of rain here in Northwestern Middlesex County. A little more than 21 inches have fallen in the past two months. Since the new GWC weather station was installed in mid-June, there has been 26.21 inches of rain here in South Plainfield. We are fast approaching the normal amount of rainfall for the year. The dew point peaked at 71 degrees while the heat index topped out at 78.6 degrees. Maximum wind gust reached 6 miles per hour while the 10 minute average was 2 miles per hour. Barometric pressure ranged between 29.57 and 29.72 inches of Hg. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 58.4 degrees with a humidity of 97 percent for a dew point of 57.5 degrees. Barometric pressure is at 29.70 inches of Hg. Winds are calm. Looks like Ophelia is going to become the fourth hurricane of the 2011 Atlantic Season despite facing very difficult obstacles in the Western Atlantic. 28-Sep-2011, 23:30 Good evening everyone. Did a lot of sleeping again on Wednesday. I guess this stagnant weather pattern of the past week or so has made me very sleepy. Nothing much happened in the way of precipitation, and the temperatures didn't fluctuate much. A persistent upper level low in the Midwest continues to dominate weather in the eastern half of the United States. The low is dragging moisture northward into the already waterlogged Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, especially the Susquehanna Valley of Central Pennsylvania. Northwestern Middlesex County in New Jersey was cloudy and muggy for most of the day, but didn't receive much rain. Only 0.06 of rainfall here in South Plainfield. Points westward did receive more rainfall as there was flooding in parts of Morris, Warren, Sussex, and Hunterdon counties. Rainfall amounts are expected to increase as we move into Thursday and Friday here in the Garden State. High temperature on Wednesday was 72.4 degrees while the low was 68.4. So, the diurnal range of temperature was only 4 degrees. Barometric pressure ranged between 29.82 and 29.94 inches of Hg. Maximum wind gust on Wednesday was 5 miles per hour while the 10 minute average peaked at only one mile per hour. Temperatures are expected to stay in the 70s on Thursday and Friday before a significant cool down begins on Saturday. Currently, in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 70.3 degrees and the humidity is 96 percent for a dew point of 69.1 degrees. Barometric pressure is at 29.82 inches of Hg while the winds are calm. The tropics are showing signs of life again with Ophelia regenerating and forecast to become a hurricane on Thursday while Philippe has formed further to the east in the Atlantic. 27-Sep-2011, 08:14 Good morning everyone. Getting ready to head out to work for the final time this week. Things were getting slow at work yesterday, and will probably be slower today so I should be able to feel better. We are still dealing with a massive low pressure system in the middle of the country this morning that is just spinning away and not moving anywhere. As a result, we still going to be dealing with unsettled weather for today, and perhaps for the next several days. After reaching a high of 79.1 degrees on Sunday, the temperature climbed to 78.5 degrees for a high on Monday. The dew point was a bit higher yesterday at 72.4 degrees. The maximum wind gust was 2 miles per hour while the 10 minute average was actually calm. Barometric pressure was between 29.90 and 30.00 inches of Hg. Heat index was a bit lower yesterday, but still high for this time of year at 82.9 degrees. There was no measurable rainfall. Today, you can expect more of the same with the mercury possibly climbing to 80 degrees with a chance of a thunderstorm. Big changes are in store for later this week though as fall returns for good. Currently, in South Plainfield, the temperature is 69 degrees with 99 percent humidity for a dew point of 69 degrees and a heat index of 71 degrees. Barometric pressure is steady at 29.95 inches of Hg while winds are calm out of the NNW. No measurable rainfall so far on Tuesday. 26-Sep-2011, 08:12 Good morning everyone. Getting ready to go to work. I hope to have an easier day there. It has been a crazy two days in the office. I need to take some time out today, and go for a walk. Anyway, the sun is out right now with mostly blue skies. The local doppler radar courtesy of the Weather Channel is not showing any immediate threats at the moment. Satellite imagery is still showing clouds in the vicinity. The upper level low is still spinning over the Midwest, and that will continue to bring instability to the region. Currently, in South Plainfield, the temperature is 68 degrees. Humidity is 99 percent for a dew point of 68 degrees and a heat index of 70 degrees. Barometric pressure is steady at 29.98 inches of Hg while the winds are calm out of the east. There has been no measurable rainfall so far on Monday. Looking at the Vantage Pro 2 forecast, we are going to have increasing clouds with little temperature change. The actual forecast is calling for an increasing chance of a thunderstorm in the afternoon. Temperatures will be warm for this time of year, and possibly get into the low 80s. Tonight appears to be looking like more of the same with a chance of a thunderstorm and temperatures only dropping into the mid to upper 60s. Tuesday and Wednesday look to be the same with instability continuing to create a chance for an isolated thunderstorm in the afternoon. 25-Sep-2011, 23:30 Good evening everyone. The temperatures got up to near 80 on Sunday here in Northwestern Middlesex County. Unfortunately for me, I didn't get a chance to get outside and take advantage of the warm temperatures. Over the past two days at work, I haven't been able to take either my half hour lunch break, or my two 15 minute breaks. I've been so overwhelmed at work, and fighting an uphill battle in each of the past two days. I'm going to try and change that on Monday. The high temperature on Sunday here in South Plainfield reached 79.1 degrees after a low of 66.1 degrees in the morning. The dew point peaked at 72.2 degrees, and the heat index topped out at 83.1 degrees. Winds gusted to only 4 miles per hour with a 10 minute average of one mile per hour. Barometric pressure ranged between 29.96 and 30.09 inches of Hg. There was no measurable rainfall on Sunday. Since the weather station was installed in mid-June, there has been 25.52 inches. Currently, the temperature is 69 degrees. Humidity is at 97 percent for a dew point of 68.2 degrees. Barometric pressure is at 30.00 inches, and the winds are calm. 24-Sep-2011, 23:30 Good evening everyone. I had a busy day at work. I also had some computer problems. We had a power outage here in South Plainfield during the overnight on Friday. When power was restored on Saturday, I spent a good deal of time getting my hard drives running again. Well, it was another bleak day here in Northwestern Middlesex County. While there was very little in the way of measurable rainfall. Temperatures weren't incredibly high, but with the clouds and moisture, there was again a lot of humidity. We are still dealing with an upper low in the Midwest, which is spinning of a lot of instability to the region. The high temperature on Saturday reached 74 degrees, which was a couple degrees higher than it was on Friday. The low temperature on Saturday morning was 68 degrees. So, the diurnal range was double of what it was on Friday. There was just a trace of rain here in South Plainfield. Again winds were light while the barometer rose a bit to 30.05 inches of Hg. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is at 68 degrees with the humidity at 98 percent for a dew point of 67 degrees. Barometric pressure is at its high at 30.05 inches while winds are calm. More of the same weather with a threat of a brief shower is expected on Sunday. 23-Sep-2011, 23:30 Good evening everyone. Sorry for the delay in getting this journal entry out, but I am still battling some fatigue. Anyway, it was a gloomy day here in New Jersey. This time though there was some rain produced from the dreary conditions. On Friday, we had 0.84 inches of rain in South Plainfield. I went out to a football game at Perth Amboy High School in the evening, and there was a steady rain throughout the contest. I would say that more rain fell in Amboy than in Northwestern Middlesex County. We have an upper level low in the Midwestern portion of the country, and its counterclockwise flow has allowed moisture to flow up from the south. There is a trough of low pressure in the Western Atlantic that is helping to feed moisture up this alleyway. Both of these weather features will contribute to the unstable conditions for the next few days. There wasn't much of a diurnal range of temperature during the day on Friday. The cloud cover and rain helped to keep temps down. The low temperature was 69 while the high only got up to 72 degrees. Currently in South Plainfield, the temperature is 71 degrees with the dew point just under 71 degrees. Barometric pressure is down to 29.90 inches of Hg. Winds were calm out of the SW with a gust of one mile per hour. Conditions will be more of the same on Saturday, but with very little in the way of rain. 22-Sep-2011, 14:52 It has been a gloomy day for the most part here in Northwestern Middlesex County. The sun did try to come out at a couple points during the late morning and early afternoon. Humidity, dew point, and heat index levels are high for the time of day and year. A cold front is trying to push into the region, but it has been very sluggish in doing so. For the time being, it will mean clouds. However, on Friday, the slow motion is going to mean heavy rains and possible flash flooding for the area starting Friday and lasting until Saturday. The National Weather Service in Mount Holly has issued a Flash Flood watch for our neck of the woods starting Friday and lasting until Saturday afternoon. So far on Thursday, we have had only 0.06 inches of rain, but we could get more later today into tonight. In September, the total amount of rainfall here in South Plainfield is up to 4.17 inches. Currently, in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 78 degrees with the humidity at 86 percent for a heat index of 81 degrees and a dew point of 73 degrees. Barometric pressure is falling at 30.05 inches of Hg while the winds are calm out of the SSW. The high temperature on Thursday reached 79 degrees after a low of only 67 degrees. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for increasing clouds with little temperature change. Precipitation is possible over the next 24 to 48 hours. The actual forecast is calling for the chance of showers later today and tonight with heavier rain developing on Friday morning. 21-Sep-2011, 23:30 Good evening everyone. Sorry for the late report, but I slept most of the day on Wednesday. I was only outside for about an hour, and that was because I had an appointment in the late afternoon. It was a cloudy day for the most part though. There was a small amount of rain in Northwestern Middlesex County. However, heavier rain is in store for the latter portion of the week. Friday is looking like a complete wash out at this point. A slow moving cold front will be entering the area and Thursday, and hanging out there through Friday into early Saturday. Another front will be moving into the region later in the weekend into early next week. Currently, in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 67.4 degrees after a high of 72 at 1:14 PM this afternoon. The low temperature was 58 degrees at 4:24 AM. There was a lot of moisture in the air with the humidity level only getting as low as 80 percent in the mid-afternoon. There was about 0.01 inches of rain on Wednesday. Barometric pressure ranged between 30.13 and 30.21 inches of Hg. The tropics made a bit of a comeback on Wednesday with the formation of Tropical Storm Ophelia in the Atlantic. In the Eastern Pacific, Tropical Storm Hilary became the first storm in that region in almost six weeks. Finally, Typhoon Roke reeked havoc across Japan with 83 mile per hour wind gusts in Tokyo. 20-Sep-2011, 07:54 Good morning everyone. Getting ready to head out to work for my last day of the week. Can't wait for the weekend. Days continue to get shorter as we approach the first day of fall, which is on Friday. We have clouds and showers around the region this morning. The barometric pressure has been gradually declining since peaking over the weekend. A cold front is poised to move through the region today, and that will bring some showers to the area. Nothing much in the way of rain though. There could be more rain on Thursday and Friday as another storm system approaches from the Midwest. Temperatures will continue to climb into the upper 70s to near 80. On Tuesday, the mercury is expected to rise into the low 70s. Right now, the temperature in South Plainfield is 60 degrees with 93 percent humidity. The dew point is 58 degrees while the wind chill and the heat index are the same at 60 degrees. The barometric pressure is at 30.10 inches of Hg and rising while winds are calm out of the NNW. On Monday, the temperature reached a high of 67 degrees while the low was 51 degrees. The dew point ranged between 41 and 58 degrees. Maximum wind gust on Monday was 5 miles per hour while the 10 minute average wind was one mile per hour. Barometric pressure ranged between 30.07 and 30.29 inches of Hg in the past 24 hours. Went out for a walk a couple times during the day at work yesterday, and the sun was out early only to give way to some clouds later. 19-Sep-2011, 07:29 Good morning everyone. Getting ready to go to work this morning. Sorry for the lack of posts to the blog, but I've been very tired when I got home from my job. Looks like another fall like day here in South Plainfield. The sun is out along with blue skies in Northwestern Middlesex County. Currently, the temperature is at 52 degrees with the humidity at 87 percent for a heat index of 52 degrees and a dew point of 48 degrees. Wind chill is also at 52 degrees. Barometric pressure is still high at 30.29 inches of Hg, and it is also steady. However, the ridge of high pressure that has been controlling our weather since Friday, is beginning to moderate, and you will see a rise in temperatures. Winds are calm out of the NE. High temperature on Sunday was 67 degrees. The dew point ranged from the upper 40s to low 50s. The heat index topped out at 67 degrees. Maximum wind gust was 7 miles per hour while the ten minute average was one mile per hour. There was no measurable rainfall. Looking at the Vantage Pro 2 forecast, we can expect partly sunny skies with little temperature change. The actual forecast is calling for a mix of sun and clouds today with the temperature reaching 70 degrees. A large storm system in the midwest will begin to move in on Tuesday, and bring thundershowers. Wednesday and Thursday shows a chance for thunderstorms in the afternoon. Meanwhile, in the tropics, we have two disturbances in the Eastern Atlantic that are being watched. At this time, there is a low chance of tropical development over the next 48 hours. 18-Sep-2011, 08:27 Good morning everyone. Have to be a bit short this morning with my journal entry since I'm in a hurry to get to work. Things are a bit chilly on this early Sunday. Temperature fell into the upper 40s for lows earlier. After a low of just below 49 degrees, the temperature has climbed to 55 degrees here in South Plainfield, New Jersey. The humidity is still high at 81 percent for a dew point of 49 degrees and a heat index of 55 degrees. Wind chill is also at 55 degrees. Barometric pressure is still high at 30.39 inches after climbing to 30.43 on Saturday. Winds are calm out of the ESE. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for partly cloudy skies with little temperature change. The actual forecast is calling for temperatures to climb into the upper 60s. It should be milder than yesterday since there won't be as much cloud cover. The forecast for the next several days will have the temperatures moderating into the mid to upper 70s. May even reach 80 on Wednesday, but there is a chance of showers and storms on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Looking at the tropics, there are a couple waves in the Eastern Atlantic, but there are no threats right now. 17-Sep-2011, 08:09 Good morning. High pressure continues to build in. Temperatures bottomed out in the low 50s around the Central Jersey region. Going to have another nice fall like day today. Temperatures in the mid to upper 60s under sunny skies. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 52 degrees after a low of 50 earlier this morning. Humidity is 76 percent for a dew point of 45 degrees and a heat index of 52 degrees. Wind chill is 52 degrees. Barometric pressure is up to 30.41 inches, or about 1029 millibars. The pressure is the highest since the new weather station was installed back in mid-June. Peak wind gust yesterday was 8 miles per hour while the 10 minute average was 2 miles per hour. No measurable rainfall occurred on Friday, or so far this Saturday morning. Not expecting any for the rest of the day either. Temperatures will gradually begin to moderate with highs near 70 on Sunday, and reaching the mid-70s by mid-week. Next chance of rain is on Wednesday. 16-Sep-2011, 15:26 Good afternoon. Quite a bit of change took place on Thursday as a powerful cold front pushed through the Garden State as well as the rest of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. Temperatures dropped nearly 30 degrees in less than 24 hours here in South Plainfield. We woke up to the lowest temperatures in Northwestern Middlesex County since May 6th. The low dropped to 45.6 degrees on Friday morning. The barometric pressure rose to 30.29 inches of Hg after being as low as 29.84 inches on Thursday morning. After reaching a high of 85 degrees on Wednesday afternoon, the temperature has dramatically tumbled some 40 degrees in less than 48 hours. Not a lot of rain came out of the showers that came through with the front on Thursday. The timing of the front may have prevented a more widespread outbreak of severe weather. Temperatures were only in the low to mid 70s when the front moved through New Jersey on Thursday. The powerful storm system was already in western parts of the Garden State by 10:00 AM Thursday morning. So, without more sunlight and heating of the day to provide a spark, there was nothing to tap into the vast temperature difference. However, there was a good deal of wind. The anenometer in the GWC weather station lies close to the ground, and didn't feel the true effects of the wind. Nevertheless, there was a gust of up to 14 miles per hour, which is the second highest gust since the station was installed in mid-June. The highest gust was during Hurricane Irene on August 28th. It has been a nice fall-like day here in South Plainfield. After there has been nice moonlit nights here in Northwestern Middlesex County, there was blue skies and crisp temperatures. Currently in South Plainfield, the temperature is 66 degrees with the humidity at 45 percent for a heat index of 63 degrees and a dew point of 44 degrees. Wind chill is at 66 degrees. Barometric pressure is still high at 30.26 inches, and it is steady. Winds are calm out of the south while there has been no measurable rainfall on Friday. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for partly cloudy skies with little temperature change. Right now the temperature in Newark is 68 degrees, and the forecast is calling for mostly cloudy skies with a slightly cooler feel to the air. The cloud cover will keep temperatures in the mid 60s. Skies may become clearer by the late afternoon. Temperatures are expected to climb back into the low to mid 70s by Monday and Tuesday. Finally, Maria became a hurricane on Friday, and is moving through Newfoundland right now. The storm is expected to become extratropical and absorbed by a cold front within 24 hours. 15-Sep-2011, 16:53 Good afternoon. The cold front has come through. In the past hour and a half, the temperature has dropped about 9 degrees while the winds have picked up. Barometric pressure is rising at 29.91 inches. Temperature is down to 61 degrees with the humidity at 85 percent. Wind chill is at 61 degrees. Only about 0.10 inches of rain fell here in South Plainfield. 15-Sep-2011, 10:57 Good morning everyone. Changes are on the way here in Central Jersey. A powerful cold front is moving into the region as I write this journal entry. The leading edge of showers and storms have already moved into Northwestern Jersey. Winds have been gusting to 6 miles per hour here at the GWC Weather Station. Within the past few minutes winds have fluctuated between two and four miles per hour. Looking at the doppler radar and satellite imagery, you can see a rather definitive line of clouds, showers, and storms pushing northeastward. This front has been in the making for the past several days. On Wednesday, temperatures here in Jersey climbed into the mid to upper 80s. By Friday morning, we will wake up to lows in the low 40s while the high temperature on Friday afternoon will only make it into the mid to upper 60s. This dramatic temperature change might be accompanied by strong to severe storms. Besides the drop in temperature, the winds are expected to pick up. Some areas in Jersey could see gusts from 30 to 45 miles per hour. There may be some small hail as well. Temperature is only expected to reach the upper 70s on Thursday afternoon, but after the front passes through, it will begin to plummet. Currently in South Plainfield, the mercury is at 74 degrees with 78 percent humidity. Dew point is at 67 degrees with a heat index of 76 degrees. Starting tomorrow, we'll be talking about wind chills for the first time in a while. Barometric pressure is rising at 29.88 inches of Hg, and the winds are calm out of the SSE. 14-Sep-2011, 23:30 Good evening everyone. I had a full day on Wednesday. I went out for a walk at Roosevelt Park in Edison after having breakfast at McDonald's. Then, I took a trip to several Jersey Beaches to take in what may be the last really good day of summer weather this year. Finally, I ended the day with a trip to Monroe to watch some high school basketball. It was a really nice day if you are a beachgoer, and a lot of people were doing that. People packed the beaches at Belmar, where a surfing competition was taking place. There were also a number of people at Avon by the Sea and Spring Lake. The waves and surf were pretty good, but not as rough as they were last week when Hurricane Katia passed to the east. The sun was out along with plenty of blue skies. Temperatures climbed into the mid to upper 80s around the Garden State. Newark reached a high of 88 degrees while South Plainfield topped out at 85 degrees. The dew point ranged between 62 and 72 degrees on Wednesday while the heat index peaked at 90.5 degrees. Maximum wind gust was up to 3 miles per hour while the 10 minute average was only one mile per hour. Barometric pressure ranged between 29.84 and 29.92 inches of Hg. The average temperature so far in September has been 70.6 degrees after an average of 72.7 in August. The average temperature this month is expected to take a significant dip starting in the afternoon on Thursday. A powerful cold front is expected to move through the region by that time, and that is expected to bring much cooler and drier air to the region. Temperatures will drop into the low 40s on Thursday night into Friday morning, and only get up into the mid to upper 60s for highs on Friday afternoon. Temps are expected to only climb into the low 70s by early next week. Currently in South Plainfield, the temperature is 73.3 degrees with the humidity at 87 percent for a dew point at 69.2 degrees, and a heat index of 75 degrees. Barometric pressure is down to 29.91 inches of Hg while the winds are calm out of the South. We could have some strong to severe thunderstorms move through on Thursday. Tropical Storm Maria will move to the west of Bermuda, and produce some rough surf and rip currents along the East Coast. 13-Sep-2011, 07:32 Good morning everyone. I'm wrapping up my work week on Tuesday. So, I will be reporting more in earnest on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Taking a look outside, there are clear skies. The sun is coming up later. Fall starts in a week. The tropics are finally calming down. Tropical Storm Maria is the only threat in the Atlantic right now, and it doesn't appear to be on its way to the East Coast. A strong cold front is coming down from Canada, and will usher in cooler and drier air throughout much of the country. This will push Maria away from the U.S.. Going back to Monday, the high temperature was just under 80 degrees. The sun was out in full force. Dew point reached 68.4 degrees and the heat index reached 82.8 degrees. Maximum wind gust was only 3 miles per hour while the 10 minute average was one mile per hour. Barometric pressure ranged between 29.92 and 30.03 inches of Hg. Looking at the latest doppler radar, there are no threats at all on the map this morning. Currently in South Plainfield, the temperature is 62 degrees with the humidity at 98 percent for a heat index of 63 degrees, and a dew point of 62 degrees. Barometric pressure is holding steady at 29.94 inches of Hg, and the winds are calm out of the north. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for increasing clouds with little temperature change. The actual forecast is calling for mostly sunny skies, and temperatures climbing into the mid 80s. The next chance of rain is on Wednesday and Thursday with a chance of afternoon thunderstorms. 12-Sep-2011, 08:17 Good morning everyone. It was a gloomy day on Sunday. Overnight, there was a brief shower that produced a small amount of rain. Skies are still a bit overcast out, but the sun is trying to peak through. Went out for a walk several times at work on Sunday. It was a mostly cloudy and cool day, but there was no precipitation. Just a gloomy day overall. The weather was a bit nicer, especially at the beginning of the 9/11 ceremonies in New York City on Sunday. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 65 degrees with the humidity at 98 percent for a dew point of 65 degrees and a heat index of 67 degrees. Barometric pressure is rising at 30.01 inches of Hg. Winds are calm out of the NNW. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for increasing clouds with little temperature change. Precipitation possible in the next 24 to 48 hours. Meanwhile, the actual forecast is calling for partly sunny skies and temperatures in the low to mid 80s over the next couple of days. Next chance for rain looks to be Wednesday. Meanwhile, in the tropics, Tropical Storm Nate came ashore in Eastern Mexico while Tropical Storm Maria is still limping along in the Lesser Antilles. Katia is about to come ashore in the British Islands as a powerful extratropical system. 11-Sep-2011, 08:05 Good morning everyone. Again, I'm a bit short on time since I have to go in to work. There are some patchy clouds around this early Sunday morning. Currently in South Plainfield, the temperature is 66 degrees with the humidity at 87 percent for a heat index of 68 degrees and a dew point of 62 degrees. Barometric pressure is 30.07 inches of Hg and rising while winds are calm out of the NNW. I went out for a walk several times yesterday at work. The weather wasn't too bad. Had some late afternoon cloudiness, but there was no precipitation. Looking at the latest doppler radar, there are some stray showers about. Moving on to the forecast, there could be some scattered showers or thunderstorms this afternoon. Chance of rain is 30 percent. 10-Sep-2011, 08:31 Good morning. I'm a bit short on time this morning since I have to leave for work right now. We have clear blue skies. Temperature in South Plainfield, New Jersey is at 72 degrees with the humidity at 84 percent for a dew point of 67 degrees and a heat index of 73 degrees. Barometric pressure is rising at 29.87 inches of Hg while winds are calm out of the ENE. Forecast is calling for a nice day overall with temperatures in the upper 70s to low 80s. Conditions are expected to be actually dry for the next five days. 09-Sep-2011, 12:39 Good afternoon. Here's an update for you. Just went out for a walk. Skies are clearing. The sun is out. However, it is still very humid. My walk lasted for a little over an hour, and my clothes are soaked. The temperature is 77 degrees with the humidity still at 76 percent for a heat index of 79 degrees and a dew point of 69 degrees. Barometer falling at 29.81 inches of Hg, and winds are calm out of the south. 09-Sep-2011, 10:39 Good morning everyone. Today is the last day of my vacation. I'm hoping to head back out to the Jersey Shore to check out the wave action from Hurricane Katia. Wave heights are expected to reach 6 feet along the coast here in Jersey, but Katia is pulling away to the east. It is also the start of the high school football season here in New Jersey. A whole slate of games are on tap for both Friday night and Saturday afternoon around the Garden State. I plan to catch one of them tonight. Anyway, we finally get a break in the action from all the recent rains that we've had here in much of the Northeast. Record flooding occurred in the Susquehanna River Valley in Central Pennsylvania and upstate New York. Flooding is also occurring again in places along the flood prone Passaic River. Here in South Plainfield, we have received over 19 inches of rain since August. Right now, the sun is out, and flood waters are starting to recede. Currently, in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 74 degrees with the humidity at 83 percent for a dew point of 68 degrees and a heat index of 76 degrees. Barometric pressure is steady at 29.84 inches of Hg. Again, there has been no measurable rainfall in the past 24 hours. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for increasing clouds with little temperature change. However, the actual forecast is calling for mostly sunny skies for much of the day, but then turning overcast by the evening with the chance of scattered thunderstorms late. Chance of rain is 40 percent. Showers could also develop overnight. A chance for thunderstorms also exist on Saturday and Sunday. Finally, Katia is beginning to pull away from the East Coast, but the dangerous surf should linger around today. 08-Sep-2011, 12:09 Good afternoon everyone. Got up early this morning thanks to thunderstorms in the area. Went back to sleep at about 10:00 AM, and just got up a little while ago. Boy, do I feel much more energized. However, the big concern continues to be the rain. We are still dealing with the moisture from what's left of Tropical Storm Lee coupled with a cold front. So far, the storm rainfall total is almost four inches at 3.91 inches. Since my last report, we've had about another three quarters of an inch. Right now, we have a break in the action. Meanwhile, further off to the west in Central Pennsylvania and upstate New York, there are much bigger problems. In the Susquehanna River Valley region that includes cities and towns such as Binghamton, New York, Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, and Williamsport, Pennsylvania, are dealing with 12 to 15 inches of rain, and near record flooding. The flooding there has caused water levels to reach serious levels at Binghamton, which is in the process of evacuating. As of now, approximately 100,000 people are being forced to evacuate in the Susquehanna River Valley. Places further north such as Vermont are expecting even more rain. The Susquehanna River Valley is experiencing flooding as bad as 2006 and perhaps 1972 when what was left of Hurricane Agnes came through. Areas of Northern and Western Jersey have been hit hard by the flooding, especially towns such as Paterson and Wayne along the Passaic River. Believe it or not though, the Garden State is lucky once again. The bulk of the rainfall has stayed off to the west of our area thanks to the presence of Hurricane Katia in the Western Atlantic. While Katia is causing heavy surf along the Jersey Shore, it is also acting as a buffer by keeping all of the moisture from Lee and the front off to the west. If Katia had taken a track a bit more to the right, or east, we would be getting all the heavy rainfall that is now occurring in Central Pennsylvania. The sun is trying to come out right now, but skies are still fairly overcast in Northwestern Middlesex County. Looking at the latest doppler radar, we have a lot of moisture sliding mostly off to the west of us. However, there is still a scattered storm or shower moving through Somerset County at the moment. Currently, in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 74 degrees with the humidity at 89 percent for a dew point of 70 degrees and a heat index of 74 degrees. Barometric pressure is falling at 29.98 inches of Hg while the winds are calm out of the SW. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is still calling for increasing clouds with little temperature change. The actual forecast is calling for scattered showers and thunderstorms with a 60 percent chance of precipitation. Flooding could occur in flood prone areas. Temperatures will be in the upper 70s. Scattered showers and storms are also in the forecast for tonight. 07-Sep-2011, 23:50 Good evening everyone. Well, it continues to rain here in Central Jersey. We had received 1.94 inches of rain on Tuesday, and got another 0.50 inches of rain today including about a third of an inch in just the past 30 minutes. However, despite all of that recent rain, we've still had much less rainfall than the Susquehanna Valley region in Pennsylvania and New York. Anywhere from 12 to 15 inches of rain has fallen in Central Pennsylvania and upstate New York. A catastrophic flooding event could be developing there. All of this rain is from what is left of Tropical Storm Lee, and a cold front. Meanwhile, the circulation that is Hurricane Katia is preventing all of this from exiting out to the east. Speaking of Katia, the wave action and dangerous surf along the coast continues to build up as the storm makes its closest approach. There is more tropical trouble as well. Two new named storms developed today as Tropical Storm Maria emerged in the Central Atlantic and Tropical Storm Nate surfaced in the Bay of Campeche region in the Gulf of Mexico. Maria is probably going to be the biggest concern of the two storms over the next week or so. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 67 degrees with the humidity at 98 percent for a heat index of 69 degrees and a dew point of 66 degrees. Barometric pressure is falling at 29.99 inches of Hg while winds are calm out of the NNW. We have rain and thunder in the area. Total storm precipitation is 3.26 inches. The high temperature on Wednesday was 69 degrees. Dew point peaked at 68.1 degrees. The heat index topped out at 75.2 degrees. Maximum wind gust was 5 miles per hour while the 10 minute average was just one mile per hour. Barometric pressure ranged between 29.97 and 30.07 inches of Hg. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for increasing clouds with little temperature change. The actual forecast is calling for more rain by the morning, but then just cloudy skies with the sun beginning to appear in the afternoon. Heavy surf will be a problem along the coast as Katia continues to get closer to our area. Thankfully, the storm will be turning out to sea. 06-Sep-2011, 11:49 Good morning everyone. As forecast, the rain has been coming down here in Central Jersey this morning. Spring Lake is swelling up here in the middle of town. The remnants of Tropical Storm Lee are here! Rain began to fall late last night, and has continued into today. The rainfall has not been torrential, but it has been a steady rain. Since last night, there has been 0.82 inches of rain. This may be the tip of the iceberg as well since this rainy pattern is expected to stick around into the latter part of the week. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 61 degrees with the humidity at 96 percent for a dew point of 60 degrees and a heat index of 62 degrees. Barometric pressure is actually rising at 30.01 inches of Hg while the winds are calm out of the south. There have been gusts up to 2 miles per hour. This is the first day of measurable rain since Hurricane Irene made landfall in New Jersey back on August 28th. Conditions have been drying out, but the creeks nearby have still been swollen. The ground is still very saturated. A Flood Watch is in effect until Wednesday. Since the new weather station was installed back in mid-June, there has been 21.39 inches of rain here in town. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for cloudy skies and cooler temperatures. The actual forecast is calling for more in the way of rain. Further inland, in Central Pennsylvania, anywhere from 6 to 10 inches of rainfall is expected. Meanwhile, we could expect up to 3 inches of rain here in much of Jersey, which is not good for towns still trying to dry out after the recent flooding. 05-Sep-2011, 18:13 Good afternoon everyone. For the second straight day, the clouds held off here in Northwestern Middlesex County. South Plainfield was able to have its annual Labor Day Parade, but due to the threatening weather, the traditional evening fireworks were postponed with no rain date. A Flash Flood Watch has been in effect since 2:00 PM EDT, and is expected to last until Wednesday night. The moisture from downgraded Tropical Storm Lee is going to combine forces with an approaching cold front to bring a good deal of rain to the Northeast. At least 2 inches of rain are expected in Central Jersey over the next couple of days. We are also watching the track of Hurricane Katia, which strengthened to the second major hurricane of the 2011 Atlantic Hurricane Season. The storm is still pushing to the Northwest in the Western Atlantic. Winds are sustained at 115 miles per hour with higher gusts. The forecast track indicates that Katia will not impact the Eastern United States directly. However, the hurricane is expected to at least generate large swells resulting in dangerous surf and rip currents along much of the East Coast. It may also help keep much of the heavier rain off to the west over Central Pennsylvania. Katia is expected to move between 300 and 500 miles of the East Coast at its closest approach later this week. Currently in South Plainfield, the temperature is at 78 degrees with a humidity of 74 percent for a heat index of 81 degrees and a dew point of 70 degrees. Barometric pressure is steady at 29.73 inches of Hg while winds are calm out of the North-Northeast. High temperature reached 83.3 degrees with the dew point peaking at 72.9 degrees. The heat index climbed to 88.8 degrees. Barometric pressure ranged between 29.72 and 29.84 inches of Hg. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for mostly cloudy skies and cooler temperatures with a chance of precipitation within 12 hours. The precipitation could be heavy with gusty winds. The actual forecast is calling for showers and storms developing tonight with the bulk of the rainfall over the next couple of days happening this evening. 04-Sep-2011, 23:00 Good evening everyone. The showers and thunderstorms have held off for the time being. There is a steady stream of moisture, showers, and storms streaming up from the Gulf Coast as Tropical Storm Lee came ashore in South Central Louisiana earlier on Sunday. There are already some severe thunderstorm watches out for much of the Northeast. However, the strong to severe weather is rolling over Central and Eastern Pennsylvania. Nothing is expected to move into our neck of the woods until tomorrow according to the latest forecast. Perhaps some showers and storms will move into Western Jersey, but that is it. Overall, it was a nice day here in Northwestern Middlesex County. However, it was plenty humid. The high temperature here in South Plainfield was 86.4 degrees. Dew point climbed up to 73.4 degrees. Heat index reached 89 degrees. Maximum wind gust was 5 miles per hour while the barometric pressure ranged between 29.79 and 29.91 inches of Hg. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 75.3 degrees. The humidity is at 81 percent for a dew point of 69 degrees. The barometric pressure is at 29.82 inches, and the winds are calm. There was no measurable rainfall on Sunday. So far this month, it has been dry with no measurable rain. However, things are expected to change starting late on Labor day. 03-Sep-2011, 12:05 Good afternoon everyone. I'm still in the process of putting together a time lapse video of the weather conditions last Saturday when Hurricane Irene was approaching Northwestern Middlesex County from the south. I'm also getting caught up on my journal. One more thing to note before I get into the weather here, my web cam is currently offline. There has been a lot of work around the house, and the power cord connected to the camera was disconnected in the process. I'm hoping to get it back online later this afternoon before the rain is expected to come back in. It has been quite an experience for me with this storm, but things are getting better. I'm really happy with how everything worked out. It wasn't perfect, but in light of the situation, and the fact that I kind of did things by the seat of my pants with the computer equipment in the house, things turned out well. Skies are partly cloudy and hazy. There is a lot of moisture in the air. Good thing that the temperatures are in the upper 70s to low 80s around the area. We could be getting more rain though, which could make things very interesting around Jersey, especially inland areas still trying to recover from the river flooding. Looking at the latest doppler radar, there are some showers developing in Southern Pennsylvania. Nothing in the immediate area though. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is at 80 degrees with the humidity at 70 percent for a dew point of 70 degrees and a heat index of 83 degrees. Barometric pressure is on the decline at 29.92 inches of Hg. Winds are light at one mile per hour out of the west. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for mostly cloudy skies and cooler temperatures. Precipitation is likely though along with windy conditions. The actual forecast is calling for a chance of thunderstorms later this afternoon and evening. Chance of rain is 30 percent as of right now. The rest of the holiday weekend is expected to have a threat of rain clouding it. Moisture from Tropical Storm Lee could be arriving early next week, and that could put us into the soup again with the flooding. Here in South Plainfield, we had over 15 inches of rain in August, and 20.5 inches of rain this summer season. Lee is a slow mover, and expected to dump as much as 20 inches of rain in parts of Southern Louisiana, Southern Mississippi, and Southern Alabama. Another potential problem that we're watching is with Hurricane Katia, which is still holding on as a minimal hurricane. Wind shear has hindered its development over the past couple days. However, the forecast is calling for strengthening on Sunday into Monday. We could see this system become a Category Two storm by later in the week. The models are also not certain on how far west Katia will go before it recurves. Residents along the East Coast need to monitor the situation with this storm. 02-Sep-2011, 12:00 Good afternoon. Slowly getting back online here with the weather station. I've got all the weather data from the past couple days uploaded to the site. The video footage that I have from the effects of Hurricane Irene on Sunday is being posted to YouTube and my blog, and I'm in the process of putting together time lapse video from Saturday when the storm approached. My knee is hurting from all the walking I did yesterday. Between the walking I did in my tour of the area beaches on Thursday afternoon, and the trips back and forth to my car at the RAC from the Rutgers Football game, my knee is in some pain. I spent a good deal of the morning putting back and plugging in my computer equipment. Still have some bugs to work out. There is damage in the house. All of it is confined to the basement. The hot water heater, furnace, washing machine, and dryer all have to be replaced. Right now, we're working on getting someone down to replace the water heater. We've contacted the insurance company, and it looks like we'll be covered since this was an unprecedented flood event for the house. New threats are developing in the tropics, and we could get some impacts from them both. Hurricane Katia has been battling some wind shear in the Western Atlantic, but it is still expected to strengthen to a strong Category Two Hurricane over the next several days. Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Lee is churning toward the Louisiana coast, and is expected to become a big rainmaker for New Orleans as well as the rest of Southern Louisiana, Southern Mississippi, and Southern Alabama. Currently in South Plainfield, the temperature is at 74.7 degrees while the humidity is at 67 percent for a dew point of 63 degrees. Barometric pressure has been steady at just under 30.10 inches of Hg. Winds are light at 2 miles per hour. Low temperature this morning was 59.5 degrees. Another nice day is expected, but there is a chance for more rain over this Labor Day holiday weekend. 01-Sep-2011, 23:30 Good evening everyone. Just got in from the Rutgers football game, and I'm happy to report that the power has returned to my home here in South Plainfield. Came back to the house this morning after being in a hotel since Sunday afternoon. It was a very busy day for me. I made a trip to the house in the morning to bring back all of the stuff that I brought with me to the hotel. Then, after going out for breakfast and taking a walk around Roosevelt Park, I went back to the hotel to return my key. For the next several hours, I went on a tour of the coastal areas. I visited a number of locations including: South Amboy's Waterfront Park, Laurence Harbor, Cliffwood Beach, Union Beach, Keansburg, Sandy Hook, and Sea Bright. The Navesink River was rather swollen down by Sandy Hook and Sea Bright. Saw that the hurricane flags were still up at Sea Bright, but damage appeared to be minor. There was some overwash, especially at Sandy Hook. The ocean did bring up a lot of debris on to the beaches. Not a lot of damage as well at Cliffwood Beach, Union Beach and Keansburg. There was minor damage and plenty of debris at South Amboy and Laurence Harbor. The water from Raritan Bay drove the sand from the beach on to the walkways at Waterfront Park. There also appeared to be some erosion as well. Electricity and gas wasn't restored at the house until about 9:00 PM on Thursday night. Originally, it wasn't supposed to be restored until Sunday, but then it was rescheduled for Thursday afternoon between 12:00 and 4:00 PM. Nobody arrived though. When we called the utility company to find out what was going on, we were told that the workers wouldn't be out until Saturday. Fortunately, the utility did have someone at the house later on, and restored power and gas. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 65 degrees with the humidity at 90 percent for a dew point of 62 degrees. Barometric pressure is at 30.10 inches of Hg while winds are calm. The high temperature on Thursday was 81 degrees at 2:30 PM. Low temperature was 60.5 degrees. Barometric pressure topped out at 30.16 inches of Hg (Mercury) just after midnight. Peak wind gust was 5 miles per hour with the average wind of one mile per hour. 31-Aug-2011, 13:11 Good afternoon everybody. The good news continues to poor in. I was able to get back over to the house, and take my iMac mini, a hard drive, my mini card reader, and my weather station to bring over to the hotel. I actually had to make a second trip back to the house since I forgot the keyboard and mouse. Once I was able to get everything together and hooked up, I powered things on, and went to work. I was able to transfer the data from my weather logger connected to my weather station. At first, not all of the data went over. Eventually, the data did completely download to the computer including the record rainfall and pressure resulting from Hurricane Irene. The pressure actually dropped to 28.63 inches of Hg at 8:30 AM on Sunday morning in South Plainfield. I also was able to get all of the weather footage from Irene on Sunday morning and afternoon. There's about 33 minutes of raw video that I have from the storm on Sunday. Couple that with the 18 minutes of video from Saturday that's already posted to YouTube, I have nearly an hour of video from the storm. The only thing that I have to do now is get my weather data and journals published to the Greg's Weather Center web site. On the home front, we were able to pump out all of the water from the cellar, and the gas and electricity is expected to go online on Thursday. It had been originally scheduled for Sunday, but we were able to get the process going several days earlier. It will be interesting to see how things will be once the electric and gas comes back on. I've been driving around for the past couple days, and things are getting back to normal from a traffic standpoint. Trains on the Conrail line are slowly moving through town, which is causing traffic backups in spots. Weather continues to be helpful with clear and dry conditions. There is a SLIGHT chance of a shower on Thursday, but the weather is expected to remain nice into the weekend. Tropical Storm Katia continues to get stronger now in the Central Atlantic. Forecasts are calling for the storm to become a major hurricane by this weekend as it moves north of the Lesser Antilles. Meanwhile, another disturbance could be developing in the Gulf of Mexico. In the least, we could have torrential rains along the Gulf coast. Currently, at the Greg's Weather Center wx station in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 75 degrees with a dew point of 60 degrees. Barometric pressure is falling at 30.09 inches of Hg while winds are calm out of the West. 30-Aug-2011, 06:00 Good morning everyone. Things continue to improve for me and my family. I decided to go back to work today. Things have gotten better, and I wanted to return to work before vacation. I hope that I will be able to preserve whatever vacation time I have left this year. Last night, my brother and I decided to go out to eat. First, we tried to go to a nearby Outback in Edison. Too crowded. There was not even any room to park. So, we decided to try and go over to the Outback off Route 22 in Green Brook. The attempt to get there turned out to be quite an excursion. Roads were blocked off due to either downed trees, power lines, flooding, or traffic lights out. Plainfield appeared to be hit very hard by the storm. Street lights were out along much of Woodland Avenue. One tree by Hillside Cemetery was completely uprooted. Some homes in the area appeared to be running on backup power. Heading out to dinner at about 7:00 PM, we didn't arrive at the Outback in Green Brook until about 8:30 PM, and only to find out that the restaurant was closed. It was completely in the dark. More roads were blocked off along Route 22 including Washington Avenue in Green Brook. We finally managed to stop over at a Restaurant in South Plainfield at 9:00 PM to have dinner. It was quite an ordeal. The clean-up was picking up momentum at the house, but there is still a lot of things to do. Oh, by the way, we have another system to worry about as Tropical Storm Katia has formed in the Eastern Atlantic. Currently, at the Greg's Weather Center wx station in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is at 57 degrees with a dew point of 56 degrees. Barometric pressure is 30.07 inches of Hg while the winds have finally calmed down. 29-Aug-2011, 12:00 Good afternoon everyone. I have some good news. According to the Police Chief in town, the flood waters in the neighborhood have receded, and residents are now cleaning up. My brother was able to confirm this. Things are looking up. I've been constantly posting updates to the blog at hurricaneville.com as well as the Hurricaneville page feeds on both twitter and facebook. The weather has greatly improved, and it is the first step in getting things back to normal. Conditions should be nice the rest of the week as high pressure should control things for a while. The Garden State was hit hard by flooding, particularly in the flood prone regions of Northern and Central Jersey. The Raritan River at Bound Brook reached a record flood crest of 41.8 feet. The flooding has caused houses to explode and catch fire in Pompton Lakes. Plainfield is in the dark as downed trees have caused power outages there. South Plainfield is still under a state of emergency. Currently, at the Greg's Weather Center wx station in South Plainfield, the temperature is 71.3 degrees with a dew point of 53.8 degrees. Winds have been out of the north and NW at 3 miles per hour while the pressure continues to rise at 29.94 inches of Hg. In 28 hours, the barometer has risen 1.3 inches of Hg. Conditions are expected to continue here in South Plainfield. 28-Aug-2011, 15:00 Good afternoon everyone. I'm reporting to you from a hotel off Route 27 in Edison, New Jersey. Due to the tremendous flooding in South Plainfield, especially my neighborhood, my family was forced to evacuate. It was the first time that we had to evacuate in the 40 years we've lived in the house. Winds continue to be very strong in the wake of the storm's passage this morning. The difference in pressure between the low that is Irene and the high that is moving in has created a pressure gradient, which in turn has ramped up the winds. Trees that were weakened by the heavy rains and wind from Irene, have now been knocked down by this second round of winds. Traveling over to the hotel from my house was quite an experience thanks to remnant flooding from the storm as well as downed trees. Portions of Plainfield Avenue were closed in South Plainfield. Traffic lights are out, and Spring Lake went so far over its banks that the South Plainfield High School football team's practice field was underwater. At the hotel, there was a large tree that was down. Currently, at the Greg's Weather Center weather station in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 72.5 degrees with a dew point of 64.9 degrees. Winds are coming out of the NNW at 5 miles per hour. Gusts have been as high as 16 miles per hour. Keep in mind, these winds are measured only a few feet above the surface. So, the station didn't feel the full effect of the storm. Barometric pressure is on the rise at 29.21 inches of Hg, or 989 millibars. I'm hoping that the weather station will be able to hold up on battery power for a while. I don't know when I'll be able to get it connected to a power source to upload all the information. I'm hoping that when I do, I will be able to upload all of the data thanks to the historical importance. We'll see. 28-Aug-2011, 09:00 Good morning everyone. The center of Hurricane Irene is very close by. The sun appears to be trying to come out, and the pressure is now down to 28.64 inches of Hg, which is close to the pressure found by the Hurricane Hunter Aircraft in the vicinity of the storm. So far, we have received a good deal of rain from the system. Since yesterday afternoon, approximately 5.04 inches of rain has fallen here in Northwestern Middlesex County. For the month, we have had 15.34 inches of rain, and since the weather station was installed back in mid-June, there has been 20.51 inches of rainfall. According to the latest information, this has been the wettest August on record, and perhaps the wettest month of all time. In addition, the pressure recorded here at Greg's Weather Center broke a record. The previous mark was 28.80 inches. Winds have been quite strong, but could have been much worse. However, the big concern is the flooding and downed trees. In my neighborhood, the flood waters have advanced the farthest ever in the 40 years I've lived here. Moreover, we have an old mulberry tree in the backyard that has given way to the flooding there along with the high winds. I'm recording video of the effects of the storm here, and will be posting it when I get the chance. Unfortunately, the power went out here around 3:00 AM this morning, and that has left me in a difficult predicament. Conditions should start to improve as the eye passes. Usually with hurricanes, you have to deal with the second half of the storm, which can be as brutal as the first half. However, with Irene that is not the case. Currently, this storm does not have any southern half to its circulation. So, the worst is pretty much over. We could still see some lingering rain, and gusty winds. 28-Aug-2011, 01:46 Here's another update on the weather conditions in South Plainfield as Hurricane Irene approaches from the South. Rain has let up for a bit. Looking at the doppler radar, there is an area of clearing moving through the southern portion of Middlesex County. Barometric pressure continues to drop though. It is now down to 29.26 inches of Hg, or 991 millibars. Rainfall total has halted for the time being at 3.22 inches. With the latest rain, there has been 13.52 inches of rain here in South Plainfield so far this month. Rain bands will be moving in again soon though. 28-Aug-2011, 01:09 Here's an update on the weather conditions here in South Plainfield, New Jersey. The temperature is 73 degrees with 98 percent humidity for a dew point of 73 degrees, and a heat index of 77 degrees. Winds continue to pick up here in Northwestern Middlesex County. The barometer continues to fall steadily at 29.30 inches of Hg. Rainfall continues to increase with totals here in South Plainfield at 3.05 inches. Over an inch and a half of that has fallen in just the past hour and a half. Power has taken a hit several times during the night, but hasn't gone out for any significant period of time. 27-Aug-2011, 23:52 Good evening everyone. I must say that the overall forecast on Hurricane Irene to this point has been very good. The track has been right on, and while the storm's intensity has gone down, it is still packing a punch. We have a Tornado Watch out for much of New Jersey until 5:00 AM on Sunday morning. In addition, a Flash Flood Warning has been issued since rainfall amounts are already between two to five inches, and the storm is still some 12 or so hours away. Winds have begun to pick up in earnest here in Northwestern Middlesex County. Pressure has been steadily falling, and is approaching the lowest it has been since mid May. We officially past two inches of rain here in South Plainfield within the past half an hour. More is on the way. Hurricane Irene is currently moving through the Delmarva Peninsula region, and is less than 250 miles from New York City, or 225 miles from South Plainfield. The storm was still a Category One system on the Saffir-Simpson Scale. The path of the storm has it near New York City between 8:00 and 10:00 AM on Sunday morning. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is at 74 degrees with the humidity at 98 percent for a dew point of 74 degrees and a heat index of 78 degrees. The Barometric pressure is falling at 29.38 inches of Hg while winds are now sustained at 3 to 4 miles per hour. Total rainfall so far is up to 2.19 inches. The Vantage Pro Console is off its rocker! It keeps displaying the message that it is raining cats and dogs. The VP2 forecast is also going haywire. Increasing clouds and little temp change with precipitation possible in 6 hours? We will continue to have worsening weather conditions for the next 12 hours or so. 27-Aug-2011, 05:30 Good morning everyone. Just got up, and we'll be getting ready to go to work. Just checked the latest conditions with Irene and the weather here. Sun hasn't come up yet, and we've had no rain since my last report. Some good news with Irene. The storm has continued to weaken as it moves toward North Carolina. Maximum sustained winds have dropped to 90 miles per hour while the pressure has gone up to 952 millibars, or 28.11 inches of Hg. The storm has also gotten smaller with hurricane force winds still extending some 90 miles, but tropical storm force winds now only reach 260 miles from the center. The storm, now located some 35 miles South of Cape Lookout, North Carolina, or about 95 miles Southwest of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, is now moving to the North-Northeast at 14 miles per hour. Looking at the latest doppler radar out of Wrightstown, New Jersey, the outer bands of the hurricane are already approaching South Jersey. Currently, in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is at 73 degrees while the humidity is at 97 percent for a heat index of 76 degrees and a dew point of 72 degrees. Barometric pressure is falling at 29.84 inches of Hg and the winds are calm out of the West. Pressure has fallen 0.09 inches since 1:00 AM this morning. Much of New Jersey remains under a Hurricane Warning. Only the western counties of Hunterdon, Mercer, Morris, Passaic (western), Somerset, Sussex, and Warren are under either a Tropical Storm Warning or a Flood Watch. Eastern Passaic is also under a Hurricane Warning. Conditions have begun to go down hill with the rainfall earlier, the barometer falling, and clouds moving in. Those things will continue as we progress through the morning. There will still be a chance of scattered showers and storms throughout much of the morning. Then, before noon, the showers and storms will become more numerous, frequent, and widespread. Tonight is when tropical storm conditions are expected with winds sustained at 30 miles per hour initially going up to 45 miles per hour later in the evening. Gusts could be as high as 60 miles per hour. Sunday is where the brunt of the hurricane is expected to go through with sustained winds as high as 40 to 60 miles per hour, and gusts in upwards of 80 miles per hour. Rainfall amounts on Saturday night into Sunday are expected to be around 8 inches here in South Plainfield. This is a once in a lifetime event with Hurricane Irene following a track that is similar to the Great Hurricane of 1821. 27-Aug-2011, 00:41 Good morning everyone. It just started to rain here in Northwestern Middlesex County. Have a pretty good downpour coming down right now. This is associated with Hurricane Irene, but it is a feeder band that is well in advance of the core system, which remains to our south near the Outer Banks of North Carolina. In just the past few minutes, about 0.07 inches of rain occurred. There will be downpours like this throughout much of the day on Saturday as some of these stray feeder bands will be rotating into our region. Remember, Irene is a very large system. Almost as large as Hurricane Katrina back in 2005. So, it is not unusual to feel some of the effects from the storm even though it is still far away. 26-Aug-2011, 21:31 Good evening everyone. We have a muggy and calm night on tap in Central Jersey. It is the typical calm before the storm here in Northwestern Middlesex County. Hurricane Irene has weakened a bit more to have winds of 100 miles per hour. However, it is still a potent Category Two system on the Saffir-Simpson Scale, and it is still expected to hold together as a hurricane when it comes up the coast into Delaware Bay and Southern Jersey in 24 hours. A Hurricane Warning is now in effect for much of New Jersey including Middlesex County. New York City is under a Hurricane Warning for the first time since 1985 when Hurricane Gloria came a calling in late September that year. It is the fourth time since 1960 that NYC has been under a Hurricane Warning. Irene is a vast system with hurricane force winds extending some 90 miles from the eye while tropical storm force winds reach out some 290 miles from the center. Wind gusts with the storm are up to 120 miles per hour. Still moving to the North at 14 miles per hour, Irene is expected to come ashore in North Carolina by Saturday afternoon. The storm is expected to move up the coast, and still be a Category One storm with winds between 80 to 90 miles per hour when it moves across South Jersey on Sunday morning. Rainfall amounts are expected to be between 5 to 10 inches. Storm surge levels are forecast to be between 3 to 6 feet above normal, and could be accompanied by astronomical high tide, which could add an additional two feet. Mandatory evacuations were in effect for several coastal counties in North Carolina, but now residents in the Outer Banks have been advised to stay put. Similar evacuations were ordered across the Garden State from Keansburg in Northern Monmouth County to Asbury Park and Belmar to Long Beach Island in Ocean County and Atlantic City and Cape May in extreme South Jersey. Voluntary evacuations were being taken in South Amboy, Sayreville, Old Bridge, Perth Amboy, and Woodbridge. Currently, in South Plainfield, the temperature is at 76 degrees with 87 percent humidity for a dew point of 72 degrees and a heat index of 80 degrees. Barometric pressure has actually been on the rise over the past few hours to 29.94 inches of Hg. That's odd considering there is a major hurricane to the south. Winds are calm out of the West. High temperature on Friday was 83 degrees with the dew point peaking at 73.5 degrees. Heat index climbed to 89.2 degrees while the highest wind gust was 4 miles per hour, and the 10 minute average wind was one mile per hour. The barometric pressure fluctuated between 29.89 and 29.99 inches of Hg today. Conditions will begin to go down hill during the afternoon on Saturday, and the weather will become serious on Saturday night into Sunday. 26-Aug-2011, 12:49 Good afternoon everyone. Just have been checking out the National Weather Service and the National Hurricane Center, and there is now a Hurricane Watch issued for Middlesex County. Believe it or not, Middlesex County is a coastal county in New Jersey. It has Raritan Bay off to the east of it. Coastal Communities such as South Amboy, Sayreville, Old Bridge, and Perth Amboy could be impacted in some way by the storm. Right now, the Hurricane Watch issued by the NWS in Mount Holly does indicate the chance for at least tropical storm conditions in the area to be at 52 to 57 percent. Somerset, Morris, and Hunterdon counties are all under a Tropical Storm Watch. In the Northwestern corner of Middlesex County, South Plainfield is probably more likely to experience tropical storm force winds, but still that will not be a walk in the park, especially if the storm doesn't move up the coast in a typically fast fashion. With all the recent heavy rains, we could see a lot of flooding and downed trees. Taking a look outside, skies have become mostly cloudy, especially with cumulus clouds. Very humid feel to the air as well. Currently, the temperature in South Plainfield, New Jersey is 82 degrees with the humidity at 69 percent for a heat index of 87 degrees, and a dew point of 71 degrees. Barometric pressure is steady at 29.96 inches of Hg. Winds are calm out of the ESE. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is indicating only increasing cloudiness with little temperature change right now. The actual forecast indicates that clouds will start to develop around midnight with light rain developing early Saturday morning. Tropical storm conditions develop Saturday afternoon and evening with the brunt occurring on Sunday. Winds are estimated to be between 36 and 46 miles per hour with gusts up to 55 miles per hour while rainfall amounts could exceed at least 4 inches. The official forecast from the National Hurricane Center is calling for Irene to be off Atlantic City as a strong Category One to Category Two Hurricane by 8:00 AM EDT on Sunday morning. So, it appears that South Plainfield will be on the western side of the storm at this time. I'll continue to monitor developments with this storm as it continues to head northward. 26-Aug-2011, 07:41 Good morning everyone. Sorry for the delay in posts to the journal, but I had problems with the web site yesterday, and my internet service provider. However, we are back online for the time being. We are off to a clear start here in Northwestern Middlesex County this Friday morning. No clouds are around, but that should change as we progress into tonight and Saturday. On Thursday, we had a front go through, and bring us some rain. The big problem still lies to the south as Hurricane Irene moves toward the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 69 degrees with the humidity at 98 percent for a dew point of 69 degrees and a heat index of 72 degrees. Barometric pressure is actually rising at 29.97 inches, but expect that to start changing within the next 24 hours. Winds are calm out of the WNW. High temperature on Thursday was 77.1 degrees while the dew point peaked at 73.6 degrees and the heat index was as high as 81.4 degrees. Barometric pressure ranged from 29.84 to 29.97 inches of Hg. Winds peaked at 3 miles per hour while the 10 minute average was only one mile per hour. There was 0.28 inches of rain on Thursday. With the rainfall yesterday morning, we've had some measurable rain 15 days this month. It was the first time since Sunday that we had rain. Two more days of rain is expected as Hurricane Irene is expected to at least come very close to the Jersey Shore. The hurricane has been pulling away from the Bahamas, and now has its sights set on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. As of the 8:00 AM Advisory from the National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Irene was located some 375 miles South-Southwest of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Maximum sustained winds with the storm have weakened slightly to 110 miles per hour, but pressures are still low at 945 millibars, or 27.91 inches of Hg. Irene is a Category Two Hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale, but has a minimum central pressure of a Category Four storm. Some strengthening could occur. Irene appeared to have some dry air get entrenched within it during the overnight, and may have been going through an eyewall replacement cycle. Sea surface temperatures in the vicinity of Irene remain very warm, and the Gulf Stream did remains in front of the storm prior to landfall in the Carolinas within the next 24 hours. The forecast still has the Garden State well within the now narrowing cone of uncertainty. Irene is still expected to be a hurricane with 100 mile per hour winds in 48 hours. In addition, the storm is a very vast system with hurricane force winds extending some 90 miles from the center of circulation, and tropical storm force winds reaching out 290 miles from the eye. Bottom line, Irene could still be a hurricane into New England. Even if New Jersey happens to be on the western and more weaker side of the storm, Irene will be big enough to cause widespread wind damage and flooding across much of the Garden State. Residents should be prepared for power outages and flooding even in inland parts of the state. I will continue to monitor the progress of Irene as it heads northward. 25-Aug-2011, 08:42 Good morning everyone. The forecast continues to get more and more interesting. First, we have a cold front pushing in from the west, and we could see some severe weather during the day today, and Irene threatening to push up from the south this weekend. Skies are overcast at the moment. Looking at the latest doppler radar, we have storms approaching from the west in Eastern Pennsylvania. Many of these storms pushed through Michigan on Wednesday, and brought severe weather there. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 75 degrees with a humidity of 87 percent for a heat index of 78 degrees and a dew point of 71 degrees. Barometric pressure is steady at 29.87 inches of Hg, and winds are calm out of the WNW. On Wednesday, the high temperature reached 81.3 degrees after dipping down to 59.8 for a low. Much more comfortable yesterday, the dew point was down to 56.5 degrees for a low while the heat index was 83 degrees. The barometric pressure ranged between 29.84 and 30.09 inches of Hg while the highest wind gust was 5 miles per hour. The 10 minute average wind was two miles per hour. The average temperature continues to drop in August. With the recent rains, and less heat, the average is down to 73.42 degrees for the month. Yesterday, I went out and did some measuring of the wind at several locations with my hand held anemometer, and had sustained winds as high as 7 miles per hour with gusts over 13 miles per hour. It was a gorgeous day to be outside. In South Amboy, there was a concert going on in Waterfront Park while others played Tennis at Thomas Edison Park near Middlesex County College in Edison. Others went fishing at Waterfront Park in the Lawrence Harbor section of Old Bridge. I went out for a walk and run in the middle of the day, and then went on my excursion to measure the wind later in the day. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for increasing clouds with little temperature change. The actual forecast from the Weather Channel is calling for partly cloudy skies with afternoon and evening thunderstorms. Some of them could be severe. Now, here is the kicker. The front that is going to be bringing us all of the inclement weather today is expected to stall just to the east. The stalled front will create an alleyway for Irene to travel through as it moves up the Eastern Seaboard on Saturday and Sunday. The Weather Channel has put the Northeast and New England at an extreme threat risk from this approaching hurricane. The models have been projecting the same basic track paralleling the East Coast into New England for the past 24 hours. Hurricane Irene is a vast and powerful hurricane. It is currently a minimal major hurricane with 115 mile per hour winds, and a minimum pressure of 950 millibars or 28.05 inches of Hg. Hurricane force winds extend some 70 miles from the eye while tropical storm force winds extend 255 miles. While it has been looking ragged on the latest infrared satellite imagery, forecasts are still calling for it to become a Category Four Hurricane with 135 mile per hour winds. If things play out as predicted, Irene is expected to be making its first impacts on the Garden State on Saturday night with the worst weather expected on Sunday into Sunday night. Forecasts indicate that Irene could be packing 100 mile per hour winds as far north as Cape May. Even if the storm strikes to the east of New Jersey, the vast size of the storm will still cause plenty of wind and rain, and produce power outages as well as flooding. It is very important that you make preparations now while there is ample time. I will continue to track the storm has it continues to move closer and closer to our neck of the woods. 24-Aug-2011, 11:00 Good morning everyone. Sorry for the late start, but I overslept. It was a much needed rest. Anyway, we another nice day on tap, but there are some interesting things shaping up in the forecast. First, we may have some more severe weather on Thursday as a line of storms is expected to move through. Then, we'll be watching Hurricane Irene as it moves up the East Coast. Could be the first landfalling major hurricane in a long time for the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. Returning to today's weather, there are some cirrus and fair weather cumulus clouds overhead. Otherwise, we have blue skies. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 74 degrees with a humidity of 70 percent for a dew point of 63 degrees and a heat index of 76 degrees. Barometric pressure is on the decline at 30.06 inches of Hg while the winds are calm out of the NW. There was no measurable rainfall on Tuesday. High temperature reached 78.5 degrees on Tuesday afternoon with dew point dropping to as low as 49.7 degrees. Heat index was only 79.1 degrees. Maximum wind gust reached 7 miles per hour while the ten minute average was only one mile per hour. Barometric pressure ranged between 29.99 and 30.09 inches of Hg. We've had no measurable rainfall in the past two days after having rain for two-thirds of the month. Enjoy it while it lasts though since we could be seeing much more of it later in the week and this weekend. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for increasing clouds and little temperature change, but precipitation is possible in the next 24 to 48 hours. The actual forecast is calling for a nice day with temperatures climbing into the low to mid 80s before falling into the low 70s tonight. The VP2 forecast might be on to something as Thursday's forecast is calling for storms with highs reaching into the upper 80s. Friday, we will get a brief break before Irene begins to approach on Saturday. Irene is currently located in the Southeastern Bahamas. The Category Three storm is raking Crooked Island with its 115 mile per hour winds. The storm could strengthen some more. The latest forecast discussion from the National Hurricane Center calls for Irene to become a Category Four Hurricane with 135 mile per hour winds in 36 hours. Irene's forecast track still has it a hurricane off the Delmarva and South Jersey coast by 8:00 AM on Sunday morning. The cone of uncertainty also still has the Garden State in the mix at that time. Make preparations now. I will continue to track Irene as it comes up the East Coast. 23-Aug-2011, 08:11 Good morning everyone. Getting ready to head out to work for the final time this week. It was quite a day yesterday, and we're off to another fine start today. Nothing but blue skies, and cooler temperatures. Yesterday was a great day. Other than some puffy cumulus clouds in the afternoon, there were pleasant conditions. Temperatures and humidity levels were comfortable. The high only reached 78 degrees while the dew point and heat index peaked at 61.5 and 79 degrees respectively. Peak wind gust was 8 miles per hour while the 10 minute average was 2 miles per hour. The barometric pressure ranged between 29.83 and 30.03 inches. Went out for several walks during the day at work, and it felt great to be outside. The weather gave me a spring to my step. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is at 61 degrees with the humidity at 84 percent for a heat index of 61 degrees and a dew point of 56 degrees. Barometric pressure is rising at 30.03 inches of Hg. Winds are calm out of the SE. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for mostly clear conditions with very little in the way of temperature change. Looking at the tropics, Hurricane Irene became the Atlantic season's first hurricane in the past 36 hours, and is already at Category Two strength with 100 mile per hour winds at the last report. The storm may threaten the Southeast coast from Florida to the Carolinas later this week as a major hurricane of Category Three to Category Four strength. 22-Aug-2011, 08:04 Good morning. Getting ready to head out to work this morning. But, before I do, I have a few moments to put in this report to the journal. We had another round of severe weather roll through the Garden State on Sunday. Severe Thunderstorm Watches covered the entire Mid-Atlantic region while warnings were also issued. Torrential rains fell in parts of the state including Edison, New Jersey starting yesterday afternoon and continuing on into the early evening. The power went out in my office in Raritan Center. South Plainfield ended up with only 0.64 inches of rain on Sunday. Yesterday's rainfall marked the sixth time in the past eight days that there had been measurable precipitation in Northwestern Middlesex County. It was the 14th time in August that rain had fallen here. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 63 degrees with the humidity up to 92 percent for a dew point of 60 degrees and a heat index of 63 degrees. Barometric pressure is rising at 29.83 inches of Hg while winds are calm out of the SE. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for partly cloudy skies and cooler temperatures today. The actual forecast indicates possible morning showers, but then things are going to clear out with temperatures topping out in the mid 80s. 21-Aug-2011, 08:29 Good morning everyone. I'm a bit short on time since I spent time deleting files from my web site, and putting together some blog entries on Tropical Storm Harvey and Tropical Storm Irene. We are off to a cloudy start here in Northwestern Middlesex County. There is plenty of humidity as well. It is just the tip of the iceberg as severe weather is expected to develop later today. Currently, in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 72 degrees with a humidity of 95 percent for a dew point of 71 degrees and a heat index of 75 degrees. Barometric pressure is steady at 29.95 inches of Hg while winds are calm out of the WNW. On Saturday, things were somewhat tranquil as we got a much needed respite from the recent rains including those on Friday. Temperature reached a high just under 85 degrees while the heat index topped out at 89.3 degrees. Maximum wind gusts reached 5 miles per hour while the 10 minute average reached only one mile per hour. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for increasing clouds with little temperature change. However, the actual forecast is calling for strong to severe thunderstorms to develop this afternoon with some storms producing heavy rains, damaging hail, gusty winds, and possible tornadoes. A Flash Flood watch is already out for parts of the area. 20-Aug-2011, 07:59 Good morning everyone. Getting ready to head out to work, but before I do, I have a few minutes to put together another entry to the journal. Right now, we have mostly sunny skies, but there is a little bit of haze and fog. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 64 degrees with the humidity at 98 percent for a dew point of 64 degrees, and a heat index of 65 degrees. The barometric pressure is rising at 29.97 inches of Hg while the winds are calm out of the SSW. No measurable rainfall overnight, but we could have a scattered shower or storm later today. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent. High temperature expected to be in the mid 80s. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast calls for partly cloudy skies and cooler conditions. The actual forecast is calling for morning fog, but then sunny skies with a chance of a scattered thunderstorm. Sunday appears to be the better bet for precipitation as a front pushes through during the late morning and early afternoon. Temperatures again will be in the mid 80s. 19-Aug-2011, 23:25 Good evening everyone. We'll getting ready to go to bed. It's the end of my weekend, but what a three days it was. Lots of humidity, and some storminess. Friday was just the latest example. Earlier Friday evening, severe thunderstorms rolled through Northwestern Middlesex County, and dumped some 1.70 inches of rain over a span of two hours. Approximately 1.55 inches of rain fell in the first 30 minutes with rainfall rates as high as 7.2 inches per hour. The Vantage Pro 2 console actually said that it was raining cats and dogs. The storms produced a great deal of lightning as well. My lightning detector found 299 lightning strikes from 6:05 PM to 6:30 PM. There were 166 lightning strikes from 6 to 12 miles away, 50 lightning strikes from 24 to 40 miles away, 42 lightning strikes from 0 to 6 miles away, and 41 lightning strikes from 12 to 24 miles away. Prior to the rainfall, temperatures reached a high of 85.6 degrees with a dew point of 73.2 degrees and a heat index of 90.3 degrees, the highest that has been in a week. Maximum wind gust reached 8 miles per hour while the 10 minute average wind was two miles per hour. Barometric pressure ranged between 29.82 and 29.97 inches of Hg. Today's rain marked the fifth time in the past six days that there has been measurable rainfall in South Plainfield, and the 13th so far this month. There has been a total of 9.36 inches of rain so far in August 2011 with 7.06 inches coming in the last six days. Rainfall in the past two months has been 14.53 inches while rainfall for the year has reached 28.60 inches. 19-Aug-2011, 15:37 Good afternoon everyone. Right now, we have mostly cloudy skies just outside the house with some very large cumulus clouds off to the north and west. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 82 degrees with the humidity at 69 percent for a heat index of 86 degrees and a dew point of 71 degrees. Barometric pressure has fallen to 29.84 inches of Hg while the winds are calm out of the NW. There has been an occasional breeze of one to two miles per hour. Looking at the latest doppler radar, there are numerous clusters of showers and storms developing well out to the northwest over Northeastern Pennsylvania. With time these storms have grown in intensity. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast has updated to mostly cloudy skies with little temperature change and precipitation likely. With the abundance of moisture lingering along with the approach of a slow moving cold front, you can expect weather that we have had for much of this week with strong thunderstorms at least bringing torrential downpours. Some areas may get damaging hail and windy conditions. Meanwhile, in the tropics, Tropical Storm Harvey has developed in the Western Caribbean, and is expected to come ashore over Honduras later today. There are also a couple other disturbances in the Central and Eastern Atlantic while shower and thunderstorm activity is heating up across Africa. Cape Verde Season is officially underway. 19-Aug-2011, 09:37 Good morning everyone. Skies are overcast here in Northwestern Middlesex County. Thunderstorms were in the area last night, but South Plainfield was able to dodge them. A number of the storms were severe, especially in Northern New Jersey and Southeastern New York. It was quite amazing that despite the activity that developed in the late afternoon and evening, there was no measurable precipitation in South Plainfield during either round of thunderstorms. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 73 degrees with a humidity of 86 percent for a dew point of 68 degrees and a heat index of 75 degrees. The barometric pressure is steady at 29.92 inches of Hg while winds are calm out of the SSE. So far, we've had no rain today. However, that is expected to change. The latest doppler radar is showing storms along the Route 33 and Interstate 195 corridors in Monmouth County. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for increasing cloudiness with little temperature change, but doesn't indicate anything about precipitation. The actual forecast is calling for scattered showers and thunderstorms, particularly in the afternoon with temperatures getting into the mid to upper 80s. Things are expected to remain the same into Saturday and Sunday. Flash Flood Warning is currently in effect for portions of the Garden State. Meanwhile, in the tropics, things are heating up with the development of the eighth tropical depression of the season while two tropical waves including one just off the coast of Africa are drawing attention. More disturbed weather lurks farther east along the Sub-Sahara of Africa as well. 18-Aug-2011, 15:14 Good afternoon everyone. Just settling in after going out for a walk. Lasted for about an hour and a half. The sun has come back out, but there are clouds. Starting out with high cirrus clouds, the overcast became more prominent with altocumulus clouds. There is a slight breeze outside as well. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 82 degrees with a humidity of 69 percent for a heat index of 87 degrees and a dew point of 71 degrees. Barometric pressure has fallen to 29.93 inches of Hg, and the winds are steady of the NW at one mile per hour. Looking at the latest doppler radar courtesy of the Weather Channel's Weatherscan, there are some scattered showers and storms popping up in parts of Western Jersey. One is moving into Northern Sussex County while the other is moving to the Northeast of Philadelphia into Burlington County. The National Weather Service has issued a Flash Flood Watch for the region from Late Thursday night to Late Friday night. With grounds already saturated from recent rains and more showers and storms on the way over the next few days, there is a chance for flooding to develop especially in the Eastern Pennsylvania counties of Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Philadelphia and the New Jersey counties of Mercer, Monmouth, Ocean, Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, and Salem. 18-Aug-2011, 09:22 Good morning everyone. We're off to a cloudy and wet start here in Northwestern Middlesex County. This is the fourth day this week that we have had measurable rain here in South Plainfield. It is the 12th day this month that we have had measurable rain. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is at 69 degrees with a humidity at 97 percent for a heat index of 71 degrees and a dew point of 68 degrees. Barometric pressure is steady at 30.06 inches of Hg while winds are calm out of the SSE. We have had 0.12 inches of rain so far today. So far this month, we've had 7.64 inches of rain including 5.36 inches this week alone. Peak wind gust on Thursday has only reached two miles per hour while the 10 minute average is only one mile per hour. Looking at the latest doppler radar, there are clouds and showers moving across Central Jersey at the moment. Moving on to the Vantage Pro 2 forecast, it continues to call for increasing cloudiness with little temperature change along with possible precipitation in the next 24 to 48 hours. The actual forecast is calling for scattered thunderstorms during the day and into tonight. Temperatures are expected to get into the mid to upper 80s. Expect more of the same in the weather over the next several days as there is a chance for showers and storms all the way through Sunday. 17-Aug-2011, 20:49 Good evening everyone. I had quite a busy day, but I did get a chance to step outside, and go for a walk for about an hour and 45 minutes in the late morning and early afternoon. Temperatures were comfortable, but there was a lot of moisture in the air. The high temperature on Wednesday was just under 86 degrees. The maximum dew point was 68.7 degrees with the average at 64.1 degrees. Heat index peaked at 88.3 degrees and averaged 75.2 degrees today. Maximum wind gust reached 5 miles per hour while the 10 minute average wind was only one mile per hour. The barometric pressure ranged between 30.01 and 30.12 inches of Hg. There was no measurable precipitation. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 71 degrees with 79 percent humidity for a dew point of 64 degrees and a heat index of 72 degrees. Barometer is steady at 30.04 inches while winds are calm out of the ESE. Looking at the latest doppler radar, we have no threats of rain or storms in the vicinity. Temperature in Newark is at 80 degrees with the heat index at 82 degrees. Dew point there is also 64 degrees with the barometric pressure at 30.09 inches of Hg. Forecast for Thursday calls for thunderstorms to develop in the afternoon. Chance of rain is 40 percent. 17-Aug-2011, 08:47 Good morning everyone. Well, I have my three day weekend starting up today, and the summer league season is over. So, I should be able to post more often to the journal over the next several days. Anyway, conditions are quite nice outside. Not a cloud around. Just nothing but blue skies. A rare site after the clouds dominated the past couple days with a number of heavy downpours. Currently, in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is at 68 degrees with the humidity up to 98 percent for a heat index of 70 degrees and a dew point of 67 degrees. The barometric pressure is rising at 30.11 inches of Hg. Pressure has risen some 0.27 inches of Hg in the past 24 hours, and 0.5 inches in the past 48 hours. Winds are calm out of the ESE. There has been no measurable rainfall in the past 24 hours. On Tuesday, the high temperature was only 75.6 degrees while the heat index was at 79.3 degrees. The maximum wind gust was 5 miles per hour while the 10 minute average wind peaked at 2 miles per hour. As mentioned in the journal on Tuesday, the total rain so far this month has been 7.52 inches. Of that total monthly rainfall to date, 5.24 inches fell over the last three days, or 69.7 percent of this months rain. Since the weather station was installed in june, there has been 12.69 inches of rain. Over the next several days, we should be able to dry out with some nice weather. Perhaps the best weather in the past month could be on tap although scattered thunderstorms are possible on Thursday. Looking at the latest doppler radar, there are no threats of showers or storms in the region. Currently in Newark, the temperature is 78 degrees with humidity at 59 percent for a dew point of 63 degrees. Wind is calm. Barometric pressure is steady at 30.11 inches of Hg. High in Newark is expected to get up to 89 degrees with the low reaching 71 overnight tonight. Checking out the Vantage Pro 2 forecast, it looks like increasing clouds with little temperature change. Precipitation possible within the next 24 to 48 hours. The actual forecast is calling for sunny skies and temperatures in the upper 80s. Tomorrow and Friday indicates that there could be afternoon thunderstorms with temperatures in the mid to upper 80s. 16-Aug-2011, 08:06 Good morning again. Getting ready to go to work again. Last day of my work week. Skies are still cloudy after some more rain fell overnight. Expect some more rain today as the day progresses. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is at 65 degrees with the humidity at 98 percent for a dew point of 65 degrees, and a heat index of 67 degrees. The barometric pressure is rising at 29.76 inches of Hg while the winds are calm out of the SE. We've had 0.47 inches of rain so far today. On Monday, we had a downpour in the late afternoon that produced 0.62 inches of rain. The high temperature reached 75.2 degrees. The dew point peaked at 72.7 degrees while the heat index topped out at 79.6 degrees. The maximum wind gust was reaching 4 miles per hour. The 10 minute average wind peaked at one mile per hour. So far this month, we have received 7.52 inches of rain. Almost three times as much rain as in the month of July. Recently, portions of the Garden State had been experiencing drought conditions. Looking at the latest doppler radar, there are showers meandering through the northern part of the Garden State. The hot and dry summer had a lot to do with that. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for mostly cloudy conditions with cooler temperatures. Precipitation is expected to end within the next six hours according to the VP2 forecast. Wind shift is also expected. The actual forecast is calling for showers developing in the afternoon with temperatures in the mid to upper 70s. Things are expected to improve though, and Wednesday is expected to be very nice as well as the rest of the week. 15-Aug-2011, 08:08 Good morning everyone. The clouds still linger here in Central Jersey, and more rain is on the way. After a respite during the evening and overnight hours, the rain is making a comeback as it heads north from the Delmarva Peninsula into Southern Jersey. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 70 degrees with 99 percent humidity for a heat index of 73 degrees and a dew point of 70 degrees. Barometric pressure is steady at 29.67 inches of Hg while the winds are calm out of the WNW. As mentioned in the last journal entry on Sunday night, there was 4.15 inches of rain that fell in South Plainfield. Approximately 2.03 inches of rain fell in just the past 24 hours, and that is taking into consideration that the rain basically stopped in the late afternoon and early evening. There was 7.8 inches of rain at J.F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. Meanwhile, closer to home, there was 6.19 inches of rain in Carteret, New Jersey. There was about five inches of rain in Islip on Long Island in New York. Some locales in the metropolitan area received up to 10 inches. Looking at the latest doppler radar, we have strong showers and storms pushing northward into the southern part of our area from Southern Jersey. So, more downpours are on the way. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for mostly cloudy skies and cooler temperatures with a chance of more rain within the next 12 hours. The precipitation could be heavy at times with windy conditions. The actual forecast is calling for more rain. Showers and storms are expected to linger around until Wednesday before conditions finally start to clear and dry out. High temperature today is expected to climb into the lower 80s. 14-Aug-2011, 22:58 Good evening everyone. Just got back in from being at the Summer Prime Time Shootout in Allentown, New Jersey. Took a look at the rain amounts from today's torrential rains here in South Plainfield. There was 4.15 inches of rain here in Northwestern Middlesex County on Sunday. 14-Aug-2011, 07:47 Good morning again. Just an update to the journal entry from earlier this morning. The Vantage Pro 2 station indicated on its display that it was raining cats and dogs. As of now, we have received 2.08 inches of rain here in South Plainfield, New Jersey. 14-Aug-2011, 07:15 Good morning. Getting ready to head out to work. We have some heavy rain falling in the Central Jersey area. As a matter of fact, much of New Jersey is getting poured on. We have rainfall amounts in upwards of three to four inches in the past 12 hours. Northwestern Jersey has been hardest hit with over two and a half inches as of 11:15 PM on Saturday night. Models are indicating that we could get up to 6 to 7 inches of rain in some areas with 2 to 4 inches being the norm around the region. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is at 67 degrees with humidity up to 97 percent for a dew point of 67 degrees and a heat index of 69 degrees. Barometric pressure is steady at 29.89 inches of Hg while winds are calm out of the east. The high on Saturday reached just under 85 degrees. Clouds steadily built up during the day, but there wasn't any significant rain until the 11:00 PM hour. On my way down to Allentown, NJ, I did drive through a brief sprinkle of rain in Southern Middlesex County on the NJ Turnpike. Looking at the latest doppler radar, rain is still moving through the area, and that will remain the theme of the day. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for increasing clouds with little temperature change. The actual forecast is calling for rain to be heavy at times during the day, and continuing into the evening. Flash Flood Warnings are in effect. 13-Aug-2011, 07:17 Good morning everyone. I'm getting ready to head out to work in a little bit. High clouds are moving ahead of a weather system in the Great Lakes. Those clouds will thicken and lower as rain is expected to develop later tonight into the morning on Sunday. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 62 degrees with a humidity of 95 percent for a dew point of 61 degrees and a heat index of 63 degrees. Barometric pressure is actually on the rise at 30.06 inches of Hg while the winds are calm out of the East. Looking at the latest doppler radar, there are no showers or storms in the area right now. However, things will be changing as we progress during the day. Returning to yesterday, the temperature reached a high of 84 degrees. The dew point climbed to 62 degrees while the heat index matched 84 degrees as well. Highest wind gust reached six miles per hour while the ten minute average peaked at a mile per hour. The barometric pressure averaged 30.01 inches on Friday. The average temperature so far this month is 75.5 degrees while the average heat index reached 79 degrees. Checking out the Vantage Pro 2 forecast, increasing clouds with little temperature change is expected. Precipitation is possible within the next 24 to 48 hours. The actual forecast indicates that temperatures will climb at or near 90 degrees today with showers and storms moving in on Sunday. Temperatures will struggle to get out of the 70s, but humidity levels will be high. Turning to the tropics, we have our sixth tropical depression of the season. Moving into the open waters of the Atlantic, TD #6 had winds of 35 miles per hour as it was moving away from Bermuda. The depression may strengthen a bit before entering cooler waters. 12-Aug-2011, 10:49 Good morning everyone. Going to be heading out to Allentown High School in the Upper Freehold District of Monmouth County to see the Summer Prime Time Shootout, which is a huge high school hoops event that takes place around this time every year. It is the big finale to the summer hoops season. Anyway, things are starting to get interesting in the tropics with several tropical waves developing in the Western Atlantic. There are actually four areas of disturbed weather developing in the Atlantic, but only two of them appear to be on their way to becoming tropical cyclones by this weekend or early next week. Looking at the weather in Northwestern Middlesex County this morning, we have blue skies. As a matter of fact, there is not a cloud in the sky. We're on our way to having another splendid mid to late summer day here in Central Jersey. Taking a peak at the latest doppler radar, there are no threats of showers or storms at all this late Friday morning. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is at 76 degrees with the humidity at 51 percent for a heat index of 76 degrees and a dew point of only 56 degrees. Barometric pressure is on the rise at 30.02 inches of Hg while winds are calm out of the east. Since the weather station has been installed in mid-June, the total precipitation amount has been 7.45 inches. Meanwhile, over in Newark, the temperature is at 80 degrees with the humidity at 40 percent for a dew point of 54 degrees. Heat index is at 80 degrees. Winds are out of the WNW at 7 miles per hour with a barometric pressure of 30.03 inches. Visibility is perfect at 10 miles. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for mostly clear conditions with little temperature change. The actual forecast is calling for temperatures to reach the mid 80s under sunny skies. There will be a slight breeze out of the Northwest at 5 to 10 miles per hour. Next threat of rain will be Saturday night, and linger into early next week. 11-Aug-2011, 23:15 Good evening everyone. Sorry for the delay in getting a report out, but I took a break from working on the computer for a bit. It was quite a great day here in Central Jersey on Thursday. We had clear blue skies, lower temperatures and humidity, and a little bit of a breeze. Cooler and drier air finally pushed in on late Wednesday, and continued into Thursday. The temperature peaked at 82 degrees at 5:15 PM. The mercury had gone through a bit of a roller coaster ride in the afternoon. After rising to about 81 degrees earlier, the thermometer dipped to about 78 before reaching the high. During the heating of the day on Thursday, the dew point fluctuated between the low to mid 50s. The heat index peaked at 82 degrees. The highest wind gust was 5 miles per hour while the 10 minute average was only one mile per hour. The barometric pressure ranged between 29.81 and 30.02 inches. There was no measurable precipitation. Going back to Wednesday, the high temperature was 85.2 degrees, and that occurred at 2:42 PM. The dew point ranged between the mid 60s to low 70s. During the daytime hours, it peaked at 68 degrees before dropping off. The barometric pressure ranged between 29.52 and 29.71 inches of Hg. The maximum wind gust was 6 miles per hour while the 10 minute average peaked at only one mile per hour. I went out for a walk on Wednesday afternoon after posting my last journal entry. Walked for about two hours and worked up a good sweat. There was a lot of moisture in the air at the time, but it was much more comfortable on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. 10-Aug-2011, 13:21 Good afternoon everyone. Sorry for the delay in getting a journal out, but I slept late this morning and didn't get up until about 11:30 AM. Had quite a bit of rain on Tuesday. Heavy rains fell in Raritan Center in Edison, New Jersey while a little more than an inch fell in South Plainfield. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 83 degrees with a humidity of 55 percent for a dew point of 65 degrees and a heat index of 86 degrees. Winds are light out of the East at 1 mile per hour while the barometric pressure is steady at 29.60 inches of Hg. Max wind gust so far today is 5 miles per hour. So far today, there has been 0.07 inches of rain for a total of 7.29 inches since the weather station was installed back in mid-June. Looking at the latest radar, there are no real threats in the area right now, but there are some scattered showers off to the west in Western Pennsylvania and New York. Yesterday, the barometric pressure ranged between 29.48 and 29.62 inches of Hg. Probably the lowest the barometric pressure has been since mid May. The high temperature on Tuesday reached 83.3 degrees at 11:30 AM. Dew point peaked at 75 degrees in the mid-afternoon when the torrential rains roared through. Maximum wind gust was 4 miles per hours. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is a broken record calling for mostly cloudy skies and cooler temps with precipitation possible in the next 12 hours. Some of the precipitation could be heavy with windy conditions. Say what you want about the VP2 forecast, but depending on where you were the past couple days, it was correct, especially yesterday. The actual forecast is calling for mostly sunny skies with temperatures in the mid to upper 80s. Temperature in Newark is already up to 86 degrees. Humidity is at 45 percent for a dew point of 63 degrees. Heat index is 87 degrees. Barometric pressure is also steady at 29.60 inches of Hg. Real nice weather is on tap for both Thursday and Friday with sunny skies, temperatures in the mid to upper 80s, and more comfortable humidity levels. 09-Aug-2011, 08:07 Good morning everyone. Ready to head out to work for the final time this week. Got a bit of time to put together another journal entry. It was an interesting day weather wise around the Central Jersey region. Conditions were much more comfortable than it was on Sunday. Still warm, but less humid. Went out for a walk several times at work on Monday. Just before I went on my last break, there was a tremendous rumble of thunder. So, I grabbed my camera, and went outside. Right away, I saw a rainbow. There was a massive cumulonimbus cloud hovering to the north of where I was in Raritan Center in Edison, New Jersey. I would learn later that there was a severe thunderstorm that rolled through Linden, New Jersey. Trees were downed as winds reached 70 miles per hour in several neighborhoods. As of last night, the National Weather Service was investigating to see if it was a downburst or microburst. Speaking of which, the NWS reported recently that there was a Microburst that produced 90 mile per hour winds in Vernon, New Jersey back on Friday, July 29th. Returning to our weather, the high temperature in South Plainfield on Monday was 89.7 degrees. Dew point topped out at 71.7 degrees with a heat index of 95.4 degrees. Maximum wind gust was 7 miles per hour while the 10 minute average wind was 2 miles per hour. Barometric pressure ranged between 29.53 and 29.63 inches of Hg. Right now in Northwestern Middlesex County, conditions are partly cloudy with high clouds. Temperature is 73 degrees with a humidity of 86 percent for a heat index of 75 degrees and a dew point of 69 degrees. Barometric pressure is 29.62 inches of Hg, and steady. Winds are calm out of the East. Looking at the latest doppler radar, and there are no threats in the general vicinity. Vantage Pro forecast is calling for the same thing it has called the past two days. Mostly cloudy skies and cooler with precipitation possible in the next 12 hours. Precip could be heavy at times with windy conditions. The actual forecast is calling for temperatures in the upper 80s to low 90s with a chance for thunderstorms in the afternoon. 08-Aug-2011, 07:32 Good morning everyone. Getting ready to head back out to work again. What a day it was yesterday. Very humid. Very muggy. Went out for a walk several times during the day at work, and then went for a run after work. It was really tough to breathe outside. When I got home, I checked the temperature, humidity, dew point, and heat index. At about 9:00 PM, the temperature was 82 degrees, the humidity was 82 percent, the dew point was 76 degrees, and the heat index was 91 degrees. Probably the worst it has been outside since the major heat wave we had over two weeks ago. On Sunday, we didn't quite get up to 90 degrees, but it was close at 89.2 degrees for a high. The dew point peaked at 77 degrees, and the heat index reached 101 degrees. Maximum wind gust was 3 miles per hour while the 10 minute average peaked at only one mile per hour. Barometric pressure fluctuated between 29.50 and 29.71 inches of Hg. Currently in South Plainfield, we have sunny skies, but with some high cirrus clouds. Temperature is at 75 degrees, and the humidity is at 89 percent. The dew point is 72 degrees while the heat index is at 78 degrees. Barometric pressure is rising at 29.55 inches of Hg while the winds are calm out of the SSW. Looking at the latest doppler radar, there was a cluster of showers that zipped through the area earlier today, but it had pretty much dissipated by the time it had arrived here. We will be looking at this unsettled, hot, and humid weather for the next several days. Temperatures will be in the mid 80s to low 90s through Wednesday with plenty of humidity and a chance for thunderstorms each day. However, by Thursday and Friday, things will turn for the better as a relatively cooler and drier air mass will move in to make conditions much more comfortable and pleasant. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is still calling for mostly cloudy conditions and cooler with precipitation possible within the next 12 hours. The precipitation will be heavy at times with windy conditions. 07-Aug-2011, 08:02 Good morning everyone. Getting ready to head out to work again. Looking at the conditions outside, they are cloudy and humid. Had 0.22 inches of rain since the last journal entry yesterday morning. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is at 75 degrees with 97 percent humidity for a heat index of 79 degrees and a dew point of 74 degrees. There's a lot of moisture in the air. Barometric pressure is on the decline at 29.71 inches of Hg while the winds are calm from the south. Since midnight, we've had 0.17 inches of rainfall. Looking at the latest doppler radar, there are some showers that just pushed through the region. More is on the way though as clusters of showers and storms are developing in Central Pennsylvania. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for mostly cloudy conditions with cooler temperatures. The VP2 forecast also indicates that precipitation is likely over the next 12 hours. The precipitation could be heavy at times along with windy conditions. The actual forecast is indicating scattered thunderstorms are possible with some of them being severe. Temperatures are expected to be in the upper 80s to mid 90s. 06-Aug-2011, 08:11 Good morning everyone. Getting ready to head out to work, but I still have time to enter this entry into the journal. We are off to a cloudy start, and we are expecting rain, and a good deal of it. The latest doppler radar shows showers and storms off to the west in Western and Central Pennsylvania. Currently in South Plainfield, the temperature is at 72 degrees with a humidity of 91 percent for a dew point of 69 degrees and a heat index of 75 degrees. Barometric pressure is steady of 30.04 inches of Hg while winds are calm out of the SSW. Maximum wind gust so far today has only been one mile per hour. Clouds will be building during the day, and rain should develop sometime in the afternoon with heavier rainfall occurring tonight into Sunday. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for increasing clouds with little temperature change. Precipitation possible within the next 24 to 48 hours. The actual forecast is calling for temperatures to climb into the mid 80s with increasing clouds during the day. Rain should develop by about 8:00 PM. Showers and storms will continue through the overnight, and into the day on Sunday. A steady stream of moisture from the south including that from the remnants of Tropical Storm Emily will flow into our area. 05-Aug-2011, 23:35 Good evening everyone. I'm getting ready to go to bed, but I have time to put in this weather report. Went out for a walk and run this afternoon, and conditions were somewhat humid with scattered clouds. High temperature on Friday was 86 degrees with the dew point ranging between 65 and 69 degrees. The heat index reached 90 degrees. The diurnal temperature range was 19 degrees. The maximum wind gust was 3 miles per hour while the 10 minute average was just one mile per hour. The barometric pressure ranged between 30.01 and 30.08 inches of Hg. So far the average temperature in August is 75.8 degrees with the maximum reaching 94.5 degrees while the minimum is 64.6 degrees. There was no rainfall on Friday after 0.88 inches of rain earlier this week. Over the past 28 days, there has been 2.09 inches of rain. 04-Aug-2011, 15:54 Good afternoon. I'm ready to go out and see some summer league high school basketball games. I got off to a late start today. I had a headache last night, and it continued into this morning. I feel a little bit better though. Now to the weather. Skies have gotten more overcast in the past few hours. Currently in South Plainfield, the temperature is only 78 degrees with a humidity of 68 percent for a heat index of 80 degrees and a dew point of 67 degrees. Barometric pressure is rising at 29.91 inches of Hg while the winds are out of the west at 2 miles per hour. Yesterday, I traveled down to Belmar along the Jersey Shore, and on the way back, the skies opened up, and began pouring. Had to be the heaviest rainfall I've seen while driving on Route 18 ever. There were 0.75 inches of rain on Wednesday. So far Thursday, there has been another 0.08 inches of rainfall. The high temperature on Wednesday was 85 degrees at 12:54 PM EDT. The barometric pressure ranged between 29.69 and 29.74 inches of Hg. Maximum wind gust reached 5 miles per hour. The 10 minute average wind was one mile per hour. So far today, the highest wind gust has been 5 miles per hour with a ten minute average again at one mile per hour. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for increasing clouds with little temperature change. The actual forecast is calling for temperatures reaching into the low 80s under cloudy skies. There is also a chance for a stray shower or thunderstorm. 03-Aug-2011, 14:30 Good afternoon everyone. The clouds have been gradually moving in during the day. When I went out for my walk about an hour and a half ago, there were mostly altocumulus clouds in the sky. Now, there are also stratocumulus clouds. The moisture in the air is also on the increase. While the temperatures are down, the dew points are on the rise. Looking at the latest doppler radar, showers are moving in across the area from Eastern Pennsylvania. Currently, in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is at 84 degrees with the humidity at 53 percent for a dew point of 65 degrees and a heat index of 86 degrees. Barometric pressure is falling at 29.67 inches of Hg while winds are calm out of the WNW. Meanwhile, in Newark, conditions are fair with a temperature of 85 degrees and a dew point of 61 degrees. Winds are out of the SSE at 13 miles per hour. Barometric pressure is steady at 29.70 inches of Hg. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for mostly cloudy skies and cooler temperatures. There is also a chance of precipitation within the next 12 hours. Some of it could be heavy with windy conditions as well. On Tuesday, the temperature peaked at 91 degrees at about 5:30 PM in the afternoon. Winds gusted to 8 miles per hour while the 10 minute average was 2 miles per hour. The heat index peaked at 92 degrees yesterday while the dew point ranged between the upper 50s and mid 60s. 02-Aug-2011, 08:22 Good morning everyone. Getting ready to go to work, and I just finished doing some catching up on my journal. Just took a peek outside, and saw that it was sunny, but with some high clouds and haze. It felt somewhat comfortable out there. Taking a look at the latest doppler radar, there are no showers or storms in the vicinity. Currently in South Plainfield, the temperature is at 73 degrees with the humidity at 78 percent for a heat index of 74 degrees and a dew point of 66 degrees. The barometric pressure is steady at 29.76 inches of Hg. Winds are calm out of the SSE. The temperature in Newark is 78 degrees with a wind out of the WNW at 12 miles per hour. Humidity is at 56 percent under fair conditions. The Vantage Pro forecast is calling for mostly cloudy skies and cooler conditions. Precipitation is possible within the next 12 to 24 hours, and it could be heavy at times. The actual forecast is calling for sunny skies and temperatures to climb into the mid 90s. However, Wednesday looks like a wash out with rain along with some rumbles of thunder and temperatures only in the mid 70s. 01-Aug-2011, 23:15 Good evening everyone. Sorry for not posting in the morning, but I was in a rush to get to work. We had a bit hotter and more humid day with scattered storms throughout the area. Went outside for a walk a couple times during the day at work, and then traveled over to Hillsborough after work. There was a vast cumulonimbus cloud off to the north of where I was at work. Not surprisingly, Southeastern New York and Long Island were hit hard by thunderstorms. On Sunday, there was a similar situation towards evening. Again I was out several times during the day. I went for a walk a couple times at work, and went out for a run after work. Like Monday, there was a huge cumulonimbus cloud, but it was to the south of the area. The National Weather Service had issued a Special Weather Statement on Sunday afternoon for some thunderstorms to move through parts of Southern Jersey. The high temperature on Sunday was 92.4 degrees, and that didn't occur until 5:24 PM in the afternoon. The mercury had been in the low 90s for much of the afternoon, but had fluctuated between 90 and 91 degrees until late in the day. Despite the heat, it was very comfortable. Skies were blue, and the dew points in the afternoon were in the mid 50s to low 60s. The barometric pressure ranged between 29.95 and 30.05 inches of Hg. There was 0.7 inches of rain on Sunday here in Northwestern Middlesex County. The maximum wind gust reached 6 miles per hour. On Monday, the temperatures were a bit warmer with more humidity. The mercury reached 94.5 degrees, which was the highest it has been in a week. The dew point peaked at 72.9 degrees while the heat index was 102.2 degrees. The barometric pressure ranged between 29.73 inches of 29.91 inches of Hg. The maximum wind gust on Monday was 7 miles per hour with a 10 minute average speed of one mile per hour. Despite the threats of storms in the area, there was no measurable rainfall in South Plainfield on Monday. Oh, by the way, the average temperature for July was 78.42 degrees. The maximum temperature was 104 degrees while the minimum was down to 56 degrees. 31-Jul-2011, 08:05 Good morning everyone. Getting ready to go to work again, but I'm taking some time out to put together this latest journal entry. Just took a look outside, and skies are partly cloudy with altocumulus clouds. Currently in South Plainfield, the temperature is 72 degrees with a humidity of 77 percent for a dew point of 65 degrees and a heat index of 73 degrees. Barometric pressure is rising at 30.05 inches of Hg, and the winds are calm out of the east. On Saturday, the temperature climbed to 91.4 degrees with the dew point topping out at 69 degrees. The heat index reached 94.2 degrees. Maximum wind gust was 8 miles per hour while the ten minute average wind peaked at 2 miles per hour. Barometric pressure ranged between 29.89 and 30.05 inches. Looking at the doppler radar, there are no threats of clouds and showers around at the moment. Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for mostly clear conditions with little temperature change. The actual forecast is calling for mostly sunny skies with temperatures climbing into the lower 90s. On Monday, the humidity will be back as well as the threat of showers and storms. Some of the storms could be severe. Temperatures are expected to climb into the mid 90s. 30-Jul-2011, 08:02 Good morning everyone. Getting ready to head out to work. Just took a look outside, and saw nothing but blue skies overhead. It is going to be a very nice day although temperatures are expected to reach the low 90s. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 74 degrees. The humidity is 82 percent for a dew point of 69 degrees and a heat index of 77 degrees. Barometric pressure is rising at 29.91 inches of Hg while winds are calm out of the East. Looking at the latest doppler radar, there are no showers or storms in the region. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for partly cloudy skies and cooler conditions. The actual forecast is calling for temperatures reaching the mid 90s in Newark with a Northwest wind of 10 to 20 miles per hour. Temperatures will be slightly cooler tomorrow in Newark with the mercury climbing into the low 90s under sunny skies. 29-Jul-2011, 23:51 Good evening everyone. Getting ready to go to bed after a very busy day. We reached a high of 87.3 degrees on Friday here in South Plainfield. Dew point peaked at 78.7 degrees, which was only one degree lower than during last week's heatwave. Heat index reached 99.8 degrees. Good thing that we had some of the cloudiness during the mid-afternoon and evening because there was plenty of moisture in the air. Maximum wind gust was 3 miles per hour while the 10 minute average wind was only one mile per hour. Barometric pressure ranged between 29.76 and 29.99 inches of Hg. There were some showers and storms that pushed through the region as well as the rest of the Tri-State area late this afternoon into early this evening. Tornado Warnings were in effect for portions of Southeastern New York while Severe Thunderstorm Watches and Warnings were in effect for many parts of New Jersey. Some areas had trees down as well as some hail. Nothing really happened in South Plainfield. However, a bit farther north in Rahway in Union County, there was some rainfall at about 6:30 PM. Things have started to clear out with the last severe thunderstorm warning for East Central Burlington County and Ocean County was cancelled as the storms weakened and pushed offshore. Nice weather is on tap over the next several days. While temperatures will be in the 90s, there will not be as much humidity in the air. Looks like a great beach weekend along the Jersey Shore. 29-Jul-2011, 13:39 Good afternoon everyone. Been busy trying to keep up with all of the playoff action from the various summer leagues taking place this week. Thank goodness it is starting to wind down. Anyway, we did get some rain here in Northwestern Middlesex County this morning. In South Plainfield, approximately 0.65 inches of rain fell so far today. Skies have been overcast and cloudy for the most part on this Friday with even more noticeable humidity. Currently, skies remain overcast here in South Plainfield with the temperature at 83 degrees. Humidity is at 77 percent for a dew point of 75 degrees and a heat index of 91 degrees. Barometric pressure is at 29.89 inches of Hg while the wind is calm out of the NNW. Over in Newark, the temperature is at 85 degrees with a heat index of 90 degrees. High temperature there is expected to climb up to 89 degrees. Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for mostly cloudy conditions with little temperature change, and precipitation likely. Looking at the latest doppler radar, some showers and storms are starting to creep into Eastern Pennsylvania. We could see some storms move into the area by later this afternoon into early this evening. Some of the storms could be severe. 28-Jul-2011, 23:30 Good evening everyone. Well it was a warm humid day in South Plainfield as well as the rest of Northwestern Middlesex County and Central Jersey. Cloud cover during the mid-afternoon hours prevented temperatures from climbing over the 90 degree barrier. High temperature on Thursday reached 88.4 degrees in South Plainfield with the dew point topping out at 67 degrees. Heat index climbed into the low 90s. Maximum wind gust was 5 miles per hour while the 10 minute average wind peaked at one mile per hour. The barometric pressure ranged between 29.89 and 30.01 inches of Hg. Went out for a walk and run in the mid afternoon, and struggled in the increased humidity. Still managed to get a good workout in of over an hour and a half. Clouds built up in the mid-afternoon, and that thankfully kept temperatures down. 28-Jul-2011, 11:38 Good morning everyone. We have cloudy and hazy skies this late morning here in Northwestern Middlesex County. Conditions are beginning to become more warm and humid as the heat and humidity will be returning. A frontal boundary that pushed through earlier this week as a cold front is now moving back over us as a warm front. Temperatures are expected to reach 90 on Thursday, and that could be the kickoff of another heat wave. Currently in South Plainfield, the temperature is 82 degrees with the humidity at 59 percent for a heat index of 83 degrees and a dew point of 66 degrees. The barometric pressure is steady at 30.02 inches of Hg while the wind is coming out of the East-Northeast at 1 mile per hour. So far today, there has been no measurable rainfall. However, that could change today as we have a chance of a stray shower or thunderstorm later this afternoon. Looking at the latest doppler radar for the past three hours, there are some clusters of showers developing in Eastern Pennsylvania, and some of that has moved into Mercer County, Western Monmouth County, and Northern Burlington County. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for increasing cloudiness along with little temperature change. The forecast added that precipitation is possible within the next 24 to 48 hours. The actual forecast courtesy of Weatherscan by the Weather Channel is calling for partly cloudy skies as well as a chance for a stray shower or storm with the temperature reaching 90 degrees. Friday looks to be a repeat of Thursday with a great beach weekend on tap. Temperatures are expected to climb into the mid 90s under sunny skies on Saturday, and stay in the lower 90s under continued fair weather on Sunday and Monday. 27-Jul-2011, 23:45 Good evening everyone. Sorry for the delay in getting a report out for Wednesday, but I was busy with stuff for my high school basketball web site. Anyway, it was a comfortable summer day here in South Plainfield as well as the rest of New Jersey. Skies were mostly clear and sunny. There wasn't any haze in the air at all. Just nice blue skies. The high temperature on Wednesday was only 85 degrees with the dew point in the upper 50s to mid 60s. Heat index topped out at only 87 degrees. Maximum wind gust was up to 8 miles per hour while the 10 minute average was 2 miles per hour. The barometric pressure ranged between 29.87 and 30.04 inches of Hg. There was no measurable precipitation on Wednesday. The average temperature for the month of July is above 78 degrees now. Things are going to start warming up as we progress into the latter portion of the week, and this weekend. Humidity levels will be on the rise as well. Could have another heat wave in full gear by early next week. 26-Jul-2011, 07:51 Good morning everyone. We're off to a cloudy start here in Central Jersey. However, there is no threat of rain at the moment. We could get a little bit of rain though. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is at 71 degrees with a humidity of 97 percent, and a dew point of 71 degrees along with a heat index of 75 degrees. Barometric pressure is steady at 29.74 inches of Hg while the winds are calm out of the ENE. Looking back at the day on Monday, we had nearly a half inch of rain here in Northwestern Middlesex County while the heat wave that lasted for some nine days came to an end. High Temperature was just under 81 degrees while the dew point ranged between 69 and 72 degrees. Heat index fluctuated between 75 and 85 degrees. Maximum wind gust yesterday reached 5 miles per hour while the ten minute average was up to 2 miles per hour. Barometric pressure fluctuated between 29.71 and 29.89 inches of Hg. Looking at the latest doppler radar, there are no real threats at the moment, but there is a low ceiling. Things should clear out by later this morning into early this afternoon, and temperatures will climb into the upper 80s to low 90s depending on where you are located. 25-Jul-2011, 07:55 Good morning again everyone. We're off to a cloudy start, and we could see some showers or storms during the day today. Temperatures will be cooler though as we get a break from the humidity. Currently, in South Plainfield, the temperature is 76 degrees with the humidity up to 84 percent for a heat index of 79 degrees and a dew point of 71 degrees. Barometric pressure is 29.89 inches of Hg, and the wind is out of the West at 3 miles per hour. Looking back at yesterday, the mercury climbed into the 90s for the ninth straight day here in Northwestern Middlesex County. The high was actually 90.4, and it was much more comfortable yesterday, especially toward the evening when a sea breeze kicked in. The cloud cover also helped keep temperatures down. The dew point reached a high of just under 76 degrees on Sunday, and the heat index was just above 99 degrees. Maximum wind gust was 6 miles per hour while the highest 10 minute average wind was one mile per hour. Barometric pressure ranged between 29.85 and 29.91 inches of Hg. Looking at the latest doppler radar, there are some showers and storms moving through Northwestern New Jersey right now. A more significant batch is off to the west near Central Pennsylvania. Showers and thunderstorms are forecast to move across the area between 3:00 PM this afternoon, and 8:00 PM this evening. 24-Jul-2011, 08:22 Good morning everyone. Getting ready to head out to work, but before I do, I have another journal entry to report. I will be leaving the computer on today since things are going to cool off a bit. The heat wave is showing signs of breaking today as there will be a bit more cloud cover, and showers and storms developing in the afternoon. The storms will be hit or miss, and mostly impact Southern Central and South Jersey where Excessive Heat Warning, and Heat Advisories are still in effect. Currently, the temperature in South Plainfield is 83 degrees with the humidity at 73 percent for a dew point of 74 degrees and a heat index of 91 degrees. Barometric pressure is 29.88 inches of Hg while the winds remain calm out of the east. In the last hour, the mercury was already at 89 degrees in Newark, and 87 in Edison. Looking at the latest doppler radar, we have some scattered showers moving east through Eastern Pennsylvania. Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for increasing clouds with little temperature change. The actual forecast is calling for partly sunny skies with the chance of afternoon thunderstorms, and the temperature reaching a high of 96 degrees. 23-Jul-2011, 22:56 Good evening everyone. Well, as I promised, I have updated the latest data from today. I've also got some time to put in a journal entry. It was another hot scorcher of a day here in New Jersey. However, it wasn't as bad as yesterday, or Thursday for that matter. The high temperature on Saturday only reached 99 degrees with a heat index of 109 degrees, and a dew point that peaked at 78 and getting as low as the upper 60s. You could feel a slight difference in the air. While it still felt very hot outside, it was more tolerable than it had been the past couple days. I went out for several walks during the day, and a run after work. Originally, I thought that perhaps I should scale back my exercise routine to walks early and late in the day at work, and a short run afterward . However, I was convinced that conditions were comfortable enough to go ahead with a full day of exercise. Don't get me wrong, it was still rough. It felt like a blast furnace again today. There was some cloud cover that tempered the heat a bit. There were a lot of altocumulus and high cirrus clouds during the afternoon. However, no showers or storms developed. Things are expected to cool down a bit on Sunday, but still remain in the 90s. Currently, the temperature is at 83 degrees with a humidity of 74 percent for a heat index of 90 degrees. Dew point is at 74 degrees. Barometric pressure is rising at 29.86 inches of Hg while winds are calm out of the east. There are some showers and storms in Northeastern Pennsylvania in the vicinity of the Poconos, but they are expected to move across Southeastern New York. 23-Jul-2011, 07:35 Good morning everyone. I'm getting ready to go to work, and I won't be having the weather station on today so there won't be as many updates to the weather data on the site, or at Weather Underground and the Co-op page. It is just too hot to be running my computer all day like I have been. Anyway, I will be updating the site twice today with data from the weather station and the journal. We're in for yet another scorcher as temperatures will soar near 100 degrees or more. Right now, the temperature in South Plainfield is 81 degrees with 83 percent humidity for a heat index of 88 degrees and a dew point of 76 degrees. Barometric pressure is on the rise at 29.87 inches of Hg while the winds are calm out of the east. Just stepped outside for a bit, and the skies are hazy with some altocumulus clouds. The air is very humid. Taking a look at the doppler radar, there are showers and storms moving through Northeastern Pennsylvania at this hour. Clouds will be on the increase with little in the way of temperature change according to the Vantage Pro 2 forecast. The actual forecast is calling for scattered clouds with the possibility of an isolated thunderstorm. Temperatures again could match yesterday's highs. Newark is forecast to reach 104 degrees. The chance of thunderstorms will continue through Monday as the heat wave finally starts to break. Temperatures on Sunday are expected to be in the mid 90s while on Monday, they will finally fall into the mid to upper 80s. 22-Jul-2011, 23:17 Good evening everyone. Well, two days down and one more to go with the peaking heat wave...actually two if you count Sunday, but it should be more comfortable by then. High temperature reached 104 on Friday afternoon with a heat index of 121, and a dew point just under 80 degrees. Maximum wind gust was 8 miles per hour with a 10 minute average of two miles per hour. Barometric pressure ranged from 29.74 and 29.83 inches of Hg. With the recent heat wave, the average temperature so far in July has surged to 78 degrees. Meanwhile, Newark was the warmest spots in the nation with 108 degrees for a high. New York City reached 104 degrees while Belmar was 102 with a heat index of 115 degrees. Nearby Edison, New Jersey reached 106 degrees. Atlantic City had a heat index of 122 degrees on Friday. Some showers and storms developed over Eastern Burlington and Western Ocean County on Friday afternoon. Nothing occurred here. This was the seventh straight day of 90 degree plus weather, and it was the first time this year that the mercury climbed over the century mark in Northwestern Middlesex County. When I got home from seeing some basketball at Rahway High School, the heat index was still 101 degrees just before 10:00 PM. Currently, the temperature is at 86 degrees with a humidity of 74 percent for a dew point of 76 degrees and a heat index of 96 degrees. Barometric pressure is rising at 29.83 inches of Hg while the wind is calm out of the East. I'm going to rest my computer tomorrow so I will only be having weather data uploaded in the morning and evening due to the heat and humidity. The computer has been a workhorse through the heat, and has been up for much of this month. Gotta give it a rest. 22-Jul-2011, 13:08 Here's another update. The temperature has hit the century mark for the first time all year. We have 100 degrees here in South Plainfield with a heat index of 120 degrees. Dew point is at 78 degrees. 22-Jul-2011, 12:08 Good afternoon everyone. Just chilling here in my room and monitoring the weather conditions. The temperature continues to climb. The mercury is now up to 98 degrees with a humidity of 54 percent for a heat index of 118 degrees, two degrees higher than yesterday. Dew point is up there as well at 79 degrees. Barometer remains steady at 29.81 inches of Hg while the winds are out of the WSW at one mile per hour. Maximum wind gust so far today has been 4 miles per hour while the 10 minute average wind has been one mile per hour. The sun is blazing outside. It is very bright right now so it is at full power. The Vantage Pro 2 console has issued a Dangerously High Heat Index warning. The VP 2 forecast is calling for increasing clouds with little temperature change. Meanwhile, in Newark, the temperature continues to climb at 103 degrees with 38 percent humidity for a dew point of 73 degrees, and a heat index of 115 degrees. Surprisingly, the visibility at Newark Airport is 9 miles. Stay cool everyone. I think we're going to see the temperature get over 100 here in South Plainfield, and maybe over 105 in Newark today. 22-Jul-2011, 10:14 Good morning again. Just got in a little while ago after going out for a walk as well as a short run. When you go outside, the air hits you right away. It is stifling and suffocating at first, but after a while you get used to it. However, conditions are torrid outside. I was outside for about an hour, and when I was done, my shirt was soaked all over from top to bottom. I made sure that I had several glasses of lemonade along with some bottled water, and relaxed in an air conditioned room. The temperature has climbed up to over 92 degrees with a humidity of 63 percent for a heat index of 109 degrees and a dew point of 78 degrees. Barometric pressure is now steady at 29.82 inches of Hg, but that pressure did drop a couple hundredths of an inch from my last report. Winds are calm out of the East. Meanwhile, the temperature at Newark Airport has skyrocketed to 98 degrees with a humidity of 46 percent for a heat index of 109 degrees, and a dew point of 74 degrees. 22-Jul-2011, 08:14 Good morning everyone. Well, the heat wave continues into its seventh day here in the Garden State. Got through a rough night. Temperatures overnight ranged from 80.5 to 85.2 degrees. Just took a step outside, and it is worse than it was this time yesterday. It feels like a steambath or sauna outside. Skies are clear, but hazy. Currently, the temperature is 85 degrees here in South Plainfield with the humidity at 80 percent for a dew point of 79 degrees and a heat index of 97 degrees. Barometric pressure is on the rise at 29.83 inches of Hg while winds are calm out of the WNW. Looking at the latest doppler radar, there are now threats of showers or storms at this time. Just got the latest temperature out of Newark, and it is already up to 90 degrees. Dew point is 75 degrees with a heat index of 100 degrees. Forecast is calling for the mercury to climb to 102 degrees today in Newark. Saturday is looking for the same temperature before cooling off to 93 on Sunday with the threat of some storms. Relief from the heat will not come until Monday and Tuesday when temperatures will drop into the 80s. 21-Jul-2011, 22:26 Good evening everyone. Just got in after being at several different locations to see high school basketball summer league action, and boy it was tough. The worst was at the Physical Education Center at Middlesex County College, which was the site of the Championship Game of the 2011 Middlesex County College Summer League. The game was scheduled to start at 6:00 PM, but was delayed a bit due to a late arriving official, and the game couldn't start soon enough. I was soaked well before the game started. While there were fans positioned in several parts of the gym, it was still not enough. The gym was too large, and it was too hot and humid. I made sure that I had my Gatorade available, and refilled it with water. After managing to get through with that game, I traveled up Route 1 to Linden High School to take in a game from the summer league there. It was much more comfortable. Game started at 7:30 PM. Much smaller gym, and there were fans positioned in a number of spots, and it made it much more bearable. I still had a good deal of water, but I had a much better time focusing on the game. Finally, I headed over to Rahway High School for the final game of the night in the summer league there, and conditions there were much more uncomfortable, but not as bad as MCC. There weren't as many fans, and I was perspiring profusely. I did have some water, and managed to get through the game. Outside, a breeze had kicked in to make things much more comfortable when I left to go home. The high temperature on Thursday reached 99 degrees in South Plainfield. Heat index peaked before that at about 116 degrees. Currently, the temperature is at 88 degrees with a humidity of 70 percent for a dew point of 78 degrees, and a heat index still over the century mark at 101 degrees. Barometric pressure is on the rise at 29.74 inches of Hg while winds are calm out of the WNW. 21-Jul-2011, 16:02 Good afternoon again everyone. Welcome to the broiler, or if you are a Pittsburgh Steeler fan like I am, the Blast Furnace. The temperature has climbed up to just over 98 degrees here in South Plainfield while the humidity has gone down just a little bit to 49 or 50 percent. The heat index is currently at 113 degrees, but it was up to 116 degrees while the dew point is at 75 degrees after being up around 78 or 79 degrees earlier. Barometric pressure has dropped a bit more to 29.70 inches of Hg while the wind continues to blow lightly at the surface at 1 to 4 miles per hour out of the West to Southwest. For a while the Vantage Pro 2 console indicated a Dangerously High Heat Index Advisory. I guess it kicks in when it reaches 115 degrees or more. My mother was outside in the heat, and she said that it was unbelievable outside. Thankfully, the air conditioner and the ceiling fans are back up and running in the house. I've turned off the television as well as the lights in my room. The computer monitor is off, but the computer itself is still running in order to keep streaming data from the weather station. Just checked the latest conditions in Newark, and the temperature there at the airport is 101 degrees with a humidity of only 37 percent for a dew point of just 70, and a heat index of 109. 21-Jul-2011, 13:38 Good afternoon everyone. Well, the Vantage Pro 2 console is getting the sense that this weather is serious. It has kicked in a High Heat Index Advisory. Temperature in Newark is up to 100 degrees at the moment. Meanwhile, here in South Plainfield, the heat has put on such a strain that an electrical fuse blew in the house. So, right now the air conditioner and ceiling fan in the living room are both out. Not good. I do have the fan in my room going so that is holding up ok for now. Currently, the temperature is up to 96 here in Northwestern Middlesex County with a humidity of 58 percent for a heat index of 114 degrees. The dew point is a stifling 78 degrees outside. Barometric pressure continues to drop to 29.74 inches of Hg while the wind has basically come out of the West and South at one to two miles per hour. Maximum wind gust so far today has been 4 miles per hour while the ten minute average has peaked at only one mile per hour. We've had the warmest day so far this summer, or at least since the new weather station has been put in. We still have several more hours of peak daylight to go. So, it will be interesting to see how high the temperature, dew point, and heat index will climb to. Over the past several hours, the Weather Channel has revised its forecast somewhat. Originally, the temperature on Sunday was only going to reach a high of 88 degrees. Now, it is forecasted to climb to 93. So, the 90 degree plus weather is expected to continue into early next week. The heat wave here in Central Jersey has already reached its sixth day. 21-Jul-2011, 10:31 Good morning everyone. The heat is on here in New Jersey. While the temperature was only 92 degrees on Wednesday, the humidity was high enough to bring the heat index up to over 100 degrees. Winds gusted to 5 miles per hour and there was a 10 minute average of 2 miles per hour. Barometric pressure ranged between 29.78 and 29.89 inches of Hg. As of this morning, 22 people are dead in the wake of the heat, which is now pushing due eastward. An Excessive Heat Warning is in effect from noon on Thursday to 8:00 PM on Saturday. Temperatures over the next three days will be between 100 and 105 degrees with heat index values ranging between 110 and 115 degrees. This heat wave covers over a million square miles of United States territory. Currently in South Plainfield, the temperature is at 86 degrees with a humidity of 80 percent for a dew point of 79 degrees and a heat index of 99 degrees. Barometric pressure is falling at 29.78 inches of Hg while the wind is at one mile per hour out of the SSW. Took a look outside before entering this latest journal entry, and there is a lot more haze in the air this morning. Last night, when I was coming home from watching some basketball games, I noticed the sky had a strange look to it. I guess it was a harbinger of things to come today. Moving on to the latest radar, there are no threats of showers or storms at this time, and that will remain the case until Saturday. I think that the heat has gotten to the Vantage Pro 2 console here at the house. It has a forecast that calls for mostly cloudy skies, and cooler temps with a chance of precipitation in the next 12 hours. Don't quite think that is going to happen. The actual forecast is calling for plenty of sun with near record temperatures and dangerous heat indices. Stay cool. 20-Jul-2011, 13:11 Good afternoon. Went out for a walk earlier today. Walked for about two hours, and while there is more haze, heat, and humidity, there is a slight breeze that provides some comfort. Conditions outside are gradually getting worse. The humidity is definitely more noticeable. So, we are just at the beginning of this onslaught of heat. Currently, the temperature is up to 90 degrees here in Northwestern Middlesex County. The humidity is at 49 percent for a dew point of 69 degrees and a heat index of 96 degrees. Barometric pressure is on the decline at 29.86 inches of Hg while winds are out of the WNW at 3 miles per hour. Maximum wind gust has reached 4 miles per hour. Looking at the forecast for around the Garden State, temperatures aren't going to be much cooler here in Central Jersey. While the Weather Channel indicates that Newark will reach 101 degrees on Thursday and 104 degrees on Friday, Somerville will still bake at 100 and 103 those two days. Heat index values are expected to climb to near 110 on both Thursday and Friday. As of today, 141 million people across the United States are being affected by the heat. 20-Jul-2011, 09:02 Good morning everyone. Getting ready for another scorcher here in New Jersey. Heatwave is expected to reach its fifth straight day, and it is going to get much worse before it gets better. Just took a look outside, and there is more of a haze in the air along with some high cirrus clouds. Moving on to the latest doppler radar, there are no threats of showers or thunderstorms on the horizon. There are now 32 states under some form of heat advisory this morning as the major heatwave that is gripping the nation continues to grow and expand eastward. An Excessive Heat Watch has been issued for the Garden State on Thursday and Friday. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 80 degrees with a humidity of 77 percent for a dew point of 72 degrees and a heat index of 84 degrees. Barometric pressure is rising at 29.88 inches of Hg. Winds are calm out of the WNW. Returning to yesterday for a bit, the high temperature climbed further to 94.3 degrees while the dew point ranged between 66 and 73 degrees. Heat index reached 102.7 degrees. Barometric pressure ranged between 29.74 and 29.89 inches of Hg. Maximum wind gust reached 7 miles per hour while the 10 minute average wind was 2 miles per hour. The heat will be the story for the rest of the week. On Wednesday, temperatures are expected to reach 90 degrees or more in three quarters of the states in the U.S. Only the Northwestern United States will be able to escape the extreme heat. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for increasing cloudiness with little temperature change. The actual forecast is calling for a brief respite from the heat. However, the mercury will still climb into the lower 90s. Temperatures will then skyrocket to 101 and 104 degrees on Thursday and Friday in Newark. They will still be just a shade under the century mark on Saturday before thunderstorms move in to cool things off for Sunday. 19-Jul-2011, 07:27 Good morning. Getting ready to head out to work again. Here comes the heat. Just took a look outside, and the sun is out, but there is a bit of a haze in the air. Skies aren't as blue as they were a few days ago. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 76 degrees with a humidity of 85 percent for a dew point of 71 degrees and a heat index of 80 degrees. Barometric pressure is rising at 29.79 inches of Hg while winds are calm out of the SSE. Yesterday, the high temperature was just under 93 degrees at 92.8 degrees. With a dew point of 73.7 degrees and a heat index of 101.9 degrees. Maximum wind gust was only 5 miles per hour while the 10 minute average wind peaked at one mile per hour. We had some rain push through last night, but it was only 0.08 hundredths of an inch. Looking at the latest satellite and radar, there are some high clouds pushing out of the region this morning. No threats for showers or storms. Things are clearing out after a cold front came through last night, but there's still a chance of isolated storms on Tuesday. The heat is on the way. The rest of the week has temperatures in the 90s with highs on Thursday and Friday forecasted to reach over 100 degrees. 18-Jul-2011, 07:24 Good morning everyone. I'm a bit short on time since I'm heading to work early today. Just took a look outside, and skies are sunny, but with much more of a haze than yesterday. Speaking of yesterday, I took a couple walks during the day at work, and a run afterward. Conditions were warm, but again, a sea breeze kicked in late in the day, and made things much more comfortable. Clouds were more plentiful around lunchtime, and then dissipated by 4:00 PM. High temperature here in South Plainfield on Sunday was up a little more to 91 degrees. Dew point ranged between 65.8 and 71.5 degrees. Heat index was up to 94.5 degrees. Expect that to go up even further today as the mercury is again expected to climb into the low 90s. Meanwhile, Newark reached 95 degrees on Sunday, and is expected to get up to 97 degrees today. Yesterday the barometric pressure ranged between 29.98 inches and 30.17 inches of Hg. Maximum wind gust was 6 miles per hour with the 10 minute average max was one mile per hour. Currently, in South Plainfield, the temperature is 74 degrees with humidity at 87 percent for a dew point of 70 degrees and a heat index of 76 degrees. Barometric pressure is steady at 29.99 inches of Hg. Winds are calm out of the NE. Looking at the doppler radar, there are no showers or storms in the immediate area, but farther off to the North, there is a line of storms developing over upstate New York, and Western New England. This line, associated with a cold front will push southward and bring strong to severe storms into our area later this afternoon into this evening. 17-Jul-2011, 08:11 Good morning. Getting ready to head out to work, but I'm taking a bit of time out to put together this journal entry. The heat and humidity is gradually on the rise, and it will start to become more prominent this afternoon. Just took a look outside, and there's nothing but sun and clear blue sky. There are no clouds whatsoever at the moment. Glancing at the local doppler radar, there are no threats of showers or storms. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is at 72 degrees with a humidity of 80 percent for a heat index of 73 degrees, and a dew point of 66 degrees. Barometric pressure is on the rise at 30.17 inches of Hg while winds are calm out of the SE. On Saturday, the high temperature managed to reach 90 degrees. Dew point was high yesterday, but a sea breeze kicked in late in the afternoon and early evening to make conditions more comfortable. Maximum wind gust was at 4 miles per hour while the 10 minute average was at 1 mile per hour. Heat index was just shy of 92 degrees. Vantage Pro 2 forecast remains unchanged from yesterday while the actual forecast is calling for sunny skies and temperatures getting up into the lower 90s. Humidity will also be slightly higher today. It is only the beginning. After storms roll through on Monday afternoon and evening, conditions will be comfortable for a brief time before a more intense heat wave begins later in the week. Tremendous heat has developed in the mid-section of the country. Heat index values ranged between 106 in Pierre, South Dakota to 113 in Oklahoma City. Even parts of Minnesota had heat index values over 100 degrees. Over the course of this week, that heat will be pushing slowly eastward. High temperatures here in the Mid-Atlantic are forecast to be in the mid to upper 90s later in the week. 16-Jul-2011, 07:37 Good morning everyone. Conditions will be becoming more warm and humid this weekend as high pressure pushes off the east coast, and a more southwesterly flow develops behind it. Taking a look outside, skies are mostly clear, but high cirrus clouds are developing. The air is comfortable. A bit warmer, but still not that humid. Currently in South Plainfield, the temperature is 71 degrees with the humidity at 76 percent for a dew point of 63 degrees, and a heat index of 72 degrees. Barometric pressure is on the rise at 30.13 inches while the winds are calm. On Friday, the mercury climbed to 89 degrees for a high. The dew point peaked at 64 degrees after reaching a low of 51 degrees. The heat index was just a bit lower than the actual temperature at 88.6 degrees. Barometric pressure ranged between 29.99 and 30.13 inches of Hg while winds gusted to 6 miles per hour with a 10 minute average of one mile per hour. Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for increasing clouds with little temperature change. Precipitation is possible in 24 to 48 hours. Actual forecast is calling for temperatures to be warmer today, but still a bit more comfortable than it will be on Sunday. There is a chance of thunderstorms in the forecast now for Monday and Tuesday. Temperatures will range from the upper 80s to mid 90s through Tuesday. 15-Jul-2011, 14:42 Good afternoon everyone. While temperatures are higher than they were yesterday, the humidity levels are still low so conditions are still very comfortable. Just took a step outside, and skies are quite blue with plenty of sun as well as a few puffy fair weather cumulus clouds. Currently in South Plainfield, the temperature is up to 89 degrees, but the humidity is only at 36 percent for a heat index of 88 degrees and a dew point of 58 degrees. So, the air mass that is over us is beginning to moderate. Winds are steady at 1 to 2 miles per hour while barometric pressure is falling at 30.01 inches of Hg. Barometric pressure has fluctuated between 29.96 and 30.06 inches of Hg so far today. Maximum wind gust has gotten up to 6 miles per hour while the 10 minute average has peaked at only one mile per hour. Average temperature so far this month has been just under 76 degrees while in June it was just below 77 degrees. The average heat index in June was nearly 81 degrees while so far in July, it is a bit higher than 79 degrees. The Vantage Pro forecast is calling for increasing clouds with little temperature change. It added that precipitation is possible within the next 24 to 48 hours. The actual forecast is calling for partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the mid to upper 80s. Moving on to the weekend, the mercury will continue to be on a steady increase with temperatures climbing gradually into the low 90s on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Winds will begin to shift around to the Southwest tonight as the high continues to migrate offshore. Sunny skies will persist throughout this period with some clouds here and there. Oh, by the way, we had quite a full moon last night. Skies were nice and clear to get a good look at it. 14-Jul-2011, 15:52 Good afternoon everyone. Just got in from doing a few errands including a trip to South Amboy's Waterfront Park. Did some exercising for about an hour over there. Weather was very nice. Breezy, low humidity, sunny skies, comfortable temps. There were a good deal of fair weather cumulus clouds, but it is a great day to be outside. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 84 degrees with a humidity of 31 percent for a dew point of only 51 degrees, and a heat index of actually 82. Very rare to see a heat index lower than the actual temperature this time of year. We've had a fairly steady wind of 2 miles an hour while the barometric pressure is steady at 29.97 inches of Hg. Due to the steady wind, and tonight's high tide, there is a chance for minor coastal flooding along the Jersey Shore including Raritan Bay and Delaware Bay. High Tide at Raritan Bay is about 8:00 PM while high tide at Delaware Bay is between 8:30 and 10:30 PM. The National Weather Service in Mount Holly has issued a Coastal Flood Statement regarding this. 14-Jul-2011, 10:34 Good morning everyone. Looks like a great day on tap here in Central Jersey. Just took a look outside, and there's not a cloud in the sky. Nothing but bright sun, and deep blue sky. A rarity nowadays during the summer months. Currently, the temperature in South Plainfield is 75 degrees with a humidity of 50 percent for a dew point of 55 degrees. Heat index is also at 75 degrees. There is a steady breeze between 1 and 3 miles per hour while the barometric pressure is rising at 29.98 inches of Hg. So far today, winds have gusted to 9 miles per hour while having a ten minute average of 3 miles per hour. Looking at the latest satellite and radar of the Northeast courtesy of Weatherscan by the Weather Channel, there are no clouds or showers over much, if not all of the entire region. Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for partly cloudy skies and cooler conditions. Checking out the actual forecast, temperatures are expected to reach into the mid 80s under sunny skies. Today starts a good stretch of weather that is expected to last into early next week with sunny skies, and temperatures gradually moderating into the upper 80s to low 90s by the weekend. 13-Jul-2011, 23:51 Good evening everyone. It was a weird day weather wise in South Plainfield as well as the rest of the New York City Metropolitan area. If you recall, I had mentioned in my last journal entry that there was a threat of showers and thunderstorms this morning from a cluster moving rapidly through Pennsylvania. While the skies darkened about mid-morning, nothing happened. There was no measurable rainfall. The street outside my house didn't get wet. Conditions brightened as the sun appeared, and it was nice and comfortable out when I got into the car to take my trip out to several different high school summer basketball leagues. Finally, just after 7:00 PM, I stepped out of the Dunn Center in Elizabeth after watching a game, and the skies grew ominous again. I got into the car, and headed South on Route 1-9, and noticed skies dark with what appeared to be rain falling to the west of me. Listening to the radio, I heard that some showers and thunderstorms moved across Manhattan. There were even some sun showers. Arriving at Hillsborough, I noticed a much more significant cool down than earlier in the day. Conditions were much more breezier with much clearer skies. High temperature on Wednesday rose to 86.6 degrees. The dew point ranged between 54 and 70 degrees while the heat index climbed to 89.6 degrees. Winds gusted to 10 miles per hour while it averaged 3 miles per hour for a period of ten minutes. Barometric pressure ranged between 29.71 and 29.86 inches of Hg. 13-Jul-2011, 09:23 Good morning everyone. Off to a bit of a late start with the journal. I had hoped to post an entry to it last night, but I was too tired after seeing some basketball games. Anyway, I just took at the latest doppler radar, and there are some showers headed in our direction. Interesting since the forecast from yesterday didn't indicate anything, but sunny skies for Wednesday. Right now, there are mostly cloudy conditions with some patches of blue sky. Temperature is at 79 degrees with the humidity at 59 percent for a dew point of 64 degrees, and a heat index of 80 degrees. We have a light wind out of the SSE at 1 mile per hour while the barometric pressure is steady at 29.76 inches of Hg. Maximum wind gust so far today has been 5 miles per hour. Yesterday, the high temperature was 93 degrees here in South Plainfield while the dew point topped out at just under 74 degrees. The heat index climbed to 102.4 degrees on Tuesday. Maximum wind gust yesterday was 7 miles per hour. The barometric pressure ranged between 29.65 and 29.76 inches of Hg. There was no measurable rainfall. Average maximum temperature so far in July is up to 93.2 degrees. 12-Jul-2011, 07:07 Good morning. Another hazy start to the day here in Northwestern Middlesex County. The temperature bottomed out at only 68.6 earlier this morning, and has already climbed to 77 degrees after being near 81 at midnight. The doppler radar is not showing any threats in the region at this time. However, it is possible that we could see a stray shower or thunderstorm this afternoon and evening. Humidity is currently at 84 percent for a heat index of 80 degrees, and a dew point of 72 degrees. Winds are at 1 mile per hour, and have gusted to only 2 miles per hour while the dew point reached 29.71 inches of Hg. Despite the recent heat, the mean temperature has averaged lower than all of June. So far this month, the mercury has averaged 75.53 degrees while June was warmer at 76.96 degrees. Heat Advisory will be going into effect at noon time today. Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for rain in the next 12 hours, and it could be heavy at times along with windy conditions. Have to go to work now. I'll try to have a report later in the day. 11-Jul-2011, 23:54 Good evening everyone. Getting ready to hit the sack. We are now under the short grip of the heat and humidity. High pressure has moved offshore, and conditions are much more uncomfortable than they have been over the past few days. The high temperature reached 92.4 degrees here in South Plainfield on Tuesday. The dew point climbed into the mid 70s while the heat index topped the century mark at 101.5 degrees. Maximum wind gust was 4.0 miles per hour. Barometric pressure ranged between 29.71 and 29.99 inches of Hg. The average high temperature so far this month has been 92.5 degrees. Was outside several times today, and the heat and humidity was definitely more noticeable as well as the haze. Right now it is still quite balmy outside. Current temperature is at 81 degrees with the humidity at 77 percent for a dew point of 73 degrees and a heat index of 86 degrees. Barometric pressure is falling at 29.72 inches of Hg. Wind is calm out of the NW. A heat advisory is scheduled to go into effect at noon on Tuesday, and last until 8:00 PM. Heat index values is expected to rise between 100 and 105 degrees. Temperatures by themselves will be in the upper 90s. A stray thunderstorm could develop overnight, but is more likely during the afternoon on Tuesday. Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for mostly cloudy skies with little temperature change. Precipitation and windy conditions are likely. 11-Jul-2011, 07:55 Good morning everyone. The sun is out, but there is some haze and high clouds at the moment. Yesterday was a very nice day although it felt warmer than it did on Saturday, especially toward the end of the day. Went out for a walk several times during the day at work, and there was a good deal of blue sky and not much cloudiness until the afternoon. The high temperature on Sunday was 88 degrees with a dew point of 68 degrees, and a heat index of 90 degrees. The dew point didn't reach its high until later in the day on Sunday. Earlier in the day, the dew point mostly ranged from the upper 50s to low 60s so it was much more comfortable despite the heat. Things will be much more hot and humid on Monday. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 72 degrees. Humidity is at 89 percent for a dew point of 69 degrees, and a heat index of 75 degrees. Barometric pressure is holding steady at 29.97 inches of Hg while winds are calm out of the SSE. There has been no measurable rainfall. Over the next two days, temperatures will not only be in the low to mid 90s, but humidity levels will be on the increase. The National Weather Service in Mount Holly, New Jersey has already issued a Heat Advisory as heat index values will be on the rise. Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for increasing clouds with little temp change. Not much happening on the doppler radar at the moment. There will be a few clouds, but it will be mostly sunny and hot today with temperatures climbing into the low 90s under a SW wind of 10 to 20 miles per hour. 10-Jul-2011, 08:04 Good morning everyone. Just about ready to head out to work, but I have some time to put together another entry to the journal. I just took a look outside, and there's nothing but sun and blue sky. Couldn't find a cloud anywhere. It is the tip of the iceberg as high pressure continues to move in following the rain and storms on Friday. Currently in South Plainfield, the temperature is 70 degrees with 76 percent humidity for a dew point of 62 degrees and a heat index of 70 degrees. Barometric pressure continues to rise at 30.05 inches of Hg. Winds remain calm out of the ESE. Low temperature this morning was 60.6 degrees. Highest wind gust so far today is 2 miles per hour. So far this month, the average high temperature has reached 91.71 degrees. High temperature today is forecast to reach 88 degrees with low humidity, and sunny skies. However, the heat and humidity is going to make a comeback on Monday and Tuesday as the high pressure system moves offshore, and moderates. Vantage Pro forecast calls for increasing clouds, and a chance of rain in the next 24 to 48 hours. 09-Jul-2011, 22:05 Good evening everyone. Well, I had the opportunity to get out several times during the day at work and afterward. I went for three walks, and then a jog before coming home. The weather couldn't have been more cooperative. While it was warm, it was also quite comfortable. There was a bit of a breeze, and low humidity. No haze. Just blue skies along with some puffy clouds here and there. The high temperature on Saturday in South Plainfield was just over 88 degrees. Dew point was still high at 66.5, but that was earlier in the day. The heat index reached just short of 90 degrees at 89.7 degrees. Barometric pressure ranged from 29.72 to 29.97 inches of Hg while the maximum wind gust was 8 miles per hour, and the ten minute average wind was 2 miles per hour. There was a bit of precipitation this morning with 0.02 inches falling. Total since the Vantage Pro 2 weather station was installed is now 3.92 inches. Currently in Northwestern Middlesex County, the temperature is 72 degrees with a humidity of 68 percent for a dew point of 61 degrees and a heat index of 73 degrees. Barometric pressure is on the rise at 29.97 inches of Hg while winds are calm out of the ESE. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for partly cloudy skies and cooler temperatures. The actual forecast for Sunday is calling for partly cloudy skies and temperatures getting into the upper 80s. The mercury and humidity will be on the rise come Monday and Tuesday with temps in the low 90s on Monday, and storms on Tuesday. 09-Jul-2011, 08:14 Good morning everyone. Getting ready to go to work after my usual three day weekend. Saturday is off to a pretty good start with blue skies and plenty of sun. Yesterday's rain brought 0.63 inches of rainfall to South Plainfield. Despite the watches and warnings, conditions turned out fine for the most part. Just some rumbles of thunder, flashes of lightning, and some rain. The high temperature on Friday reached 84 degrees. The low this morning is 66.5 degrees. Winds gusted in the thunderstorms to 7 miles per hour at the Vantage Pro 2 Weather Station in the yard. We have a nice day on tap here in Northwestern Middlesex County. Currently in South Plainfield, the temperature is 72 degrees with the humidity at 91 percent for a dew point of 69 degrees. Heat index is at 74 degrees. Barometric pressure is rising at 29.79 inches of Hg while winds are out of the ESE at 1 mile per hour. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast indicates that there will be mostly cloudy skies and cooler temperatures with a wind shift to the W, NW, or N during the day on Saturday. However, the actual forecast is calling for sunny skies and temperatures in the low 90s. 08-Jul-2011, 17:54 Good late afternoon everyone. Well, a short time after my last journal entry, we did have a thunderstorm roll through here. Nothing too severe though. Just some rain and thunder with a bit of lightning sprinkled in. Only 0.41 inches of rain fell here in South Plainfield. However, the radar is still covered with a lot of greens, yellows and reds so we're not out of the woods yet. A Severe Thunderstorm Warning that had been in effect for Warren and Hunterdon counties has just been cancelled. However, there is a Tornado Warning in effect for portions of Burlington County going into Ocean County. A Severe Thunderstorm cell was detected with a tornadic signature heading toward Southwestern Ocean County. This storm had a history of producing hail, high winds, and lightning as well. Currently in South Plainfield, the temperature is down to 70 degrees, but the humidity is high at 96 degrees for a dew point of 69 degrees, and a heat index of 72 degrees. Barometric pressure is steady at 29.75 inches of Hg while winds have been shifting around a bit, and are now coming out of the south. 08-Jul-2011, 15:16 Good afternoon everyone. Just got a message on my iPad saying that there was a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for South Plainfield until 4:30 PM. Turned the channel to Weatherscan, and noticed the Doppler radar was lighting up, especially from the Southwest. Looking farther out into Eastern Pennsylvania, there are numerous showers and storms developing. Gradually moving eastward, these storms have damaging winds, destructive hail, and deadly cloud to ground lightning. One strong cell is moving over Southern Hunterdon, Southwestern Somerset, and Mercer County at the moment. A little more than five minutes ago, NWS doppler radar detected this thunderstorm cell near Mercerville-Hamilton Square or near Trenton, and moving to the Northeast at 15 miles per hour. This storm has had a history of producing hail and winds in excess of 60 miles per hour. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect for Northeastern Maryland, Northern Delaware, Eastern Pennsylvania, and New Jersey until 9:00 PM. Outside, the skies have gradually gotten grayer in the past few hours. Temperature is currently at 81 degrees with a humidity of 76 percent for a dew point of 73 degrees and a heat index of 87 degrees. Winds are calm out of the SSE while the barometric pressure has fallen to 29.74 inches of Hg. High temperature was just above 84 degrees earlier today after a low of just 71 this morning. Heat index was just above 91 degrees while the dew point was near 75 degrees. 08-Jul-2011, 10:40 Good morning everyone. Well, I just took a peek outside, and it is sunny, but there is a haze, and some overcast. Cirrocumulus clouds and altostratus clouds are hovering above. Currently, the temperature is 81 degrees in South Plainfield with a humidity of 73 percent for a dew point of 72 degrees and a heat index of 86 degrees. Wind is currently out of the NNE at 1 mile per hour while the barometric pressure is falling at 29.84 inches of Hg. There is a Flash Flood Advisory in effect for the area from noon to late tonight. Looking at the doppler radar, there are some scattered showers throughout the region this morning. However, a more significant threat is downstream in Ohio, Western Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. The forecast for Friday calls for thunderstorms developing in the afternoon, and becoming more prevalent in the evening. Chance of rain ranges from 60 to 80 percent. Temperatures will top out in the low 80s. Saturday will have a cloudy start, but will clear in the afternoon with temperatures reaching the mid 80s. Looking back at Thursday, the high temperature reached 92 degrees here in Northwestern Middlesex County. Dew point peaked at 72 degrees while the heat index reached to near 98 degrees. Barometric pressure ranged between 29.84 and 29.91 inches of Hg. Maximum wind gust was 5 miles per hour. 07-Jul-2011, 13:58 Good afternoon. I just took a step outside, and took a look at the conditions. We still have blue skies here in South Plainfield, but there is a bit of a haze along with some puffy cumulus clouds. Currently in South Plainfield, the temperature is up to 91 degrees with 47 percent humidity for a dew point of 67 degrees. Winds are calm out of the ESE while the barometric pressure is steady at 29.87 inches of Hg. The temperature has actually dropped to 90.6 degrees from a high of 91.1 degrees. Dew point reached a high of 71.2 degrees. The heat index is currently at 95 degrees, and it reached a high of 96.2 degrees. Maximum wind gust so far today is 4 miles per hour. Looking at the local doppler radar, there are some showers and storms developing to the west. In Northwestern Jersey, there are a couple pockets of showers while a couple of thunderstorm cells are developing over Southeastern Pennsylvania. The forecast is calling for scattered thunderstorms tonight. 07-Jul-2011, 10:04 Good morning everyone. Just stepped outside to take a look, and noticed that the skies are quite blue. Not as much haze in the air like there was yesterday. It is still pretty warm out. Yesterday was an interesting day weather wise. I went outside to walk over to the post office to send out some mail. When I got outside, I noticed that the sky was quite dark over to the south. So, I took out my camera, and took some video. As I had mentioned in my journal entry from yesterday, there was a thunderstorm cell moving through the southern portion of Middlesex County. There were a lot of cumulus clouds, and some rain drops did come down, but there was no measurable rainfall. Yesterday, the high temperature reached 90 degrees. The maximum dew point reached 74.7 degrees. Heat index rose to just over 98 degrees. It was a bit breezy when the clouds gathered. Maximum wind gust was 5 miles per hour. Barometric pressure ranged between 29.83 and 29.92 inches of Hg. Average high temperature so far in the month of July is exactly 90 degrees. So, it has been a warm start to the month. Right now in South Plainfield, the temperature is 83 degrees with humidity at 64 percent for a dew point of 69 degrees. Heat index is at 87 degrees. Barometric pressure is steady at 29.89 inches while winds are calm out of the ESE. Visibility at Newark Airport is 9 miles. Looking at the doppler radar, there are no threats of showers or thunderstorms around the Garden State as well as Eastern Pennsylvania, or extreme Southeastern New York. Forecast is calling for more sunny skies with the temperature again climbing into the low 90s. 06-Jul-2011, 12:39 Good afternoon everyone. Sorry for the delay in getting this report out to you, but I didn't wake up until 11:30 AM this morning. I worked overtime yesterday, and then went to see some basketball games. I didn't get home until 10:40 PM last night, and I was really tired. Anyway, it was another nice day in Central Jersey on Tuesday. I went out for several walks, and noticed that there was plenty of blue sky with very little in the way of haze or clouds despite the heat. Temperature got up to 89.5 degrees here in South Plainfield on Tuesday. Dew point levels ranged between the upper 50s to low 60s so conditions were quite comfortable. Maximum wind gust on Tuesday was only 5 miles per hour while the barometric pressure ranged between 29.85 to 29.92 inches of Hg. There was no precipitation. Today, conditions are much more humid and hazy. Just took a look outside, and noticed the haze is much more prominent. Very gray sky. The National Weather Service has issued an Air Quality Alert for the region. Right now, the temperature is 85 degrees with a humidity of 66 percent for a dew point of 73 degrees. The heat index is up to 92 degrees while the barometric pressure is falling at 29.90 inches of Hg. Winds are calm out of the SW. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is again calling for increasing cloudiness with little temperature change. Looking at the latest Doppler Radar, there are some showers moving into Central Jersey from the Southwest. These showers and isolated storms are moving across extreme Southern Middlesex County into Monmouth County. The Weather Channel forecast is calling cloudy skies and temperatures in the low 90s. Southwest wind at 10 to 15 miles per hour. As we head toward the end of the week, the risk of showers and storms increase. Temperatures are expected to climb to near or at 90 degrees on Thursday with a chance of thunderstorms. Friday will be a bit cooler with another risk of storms. 05-Jul-2011, 06:55 Good morning everyone. I'm getting ready to leave for work. Doing a bit of overtime today. Anyway, just took a look outside, and there is nothing but blue skies. Looking at the latest doppler radar, there are no threats from showers and storms. All those moved off shore well south of here in Maryland and Virginia. Currently in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 63 degrees. Humidity is at 96 percent for a dew point of 61 degrees, and a heat index of 64 degrees. Barometric pressure is rising at 29.91 inches of Hg. Winds are calm out of the Northeast. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is still calling for increasing clouds with little temperature change. However, the actual forecast is calling for temperatures to climb into the low to mid 90s today. However, it will be more comfortable with low humidity, dew point, and heat index levels. Tomorrow is supposed to be the same while clouds and humidity will begin to creep into the region on Thursday with the chance of showers and storms on Friday. 04-Jul-2011, 19:15 Good evening everyone. Well, the clouds have made somewhat of a comeback. Just took a look outside, and the sun is able to break through, but there are some high clouds that are obscuring it. Currently, the temperature is at 81 degrees with a humidity of 57 percent for a dew point of 64 degrees. The dew point has dropped nearly 10 degrees in six and a half hours. However, the moisture level in the air has been dropping, and while there is still going to be a good deal of heat, conditions will be more comfortable. Barometric pressure is steady at 29.80 inches. Heat index is at 82 degrees while the winds are calm out of the NE. While there are some clouds, the doppler radar is not detecting any showers or storms unless you go further south into Southeastern Pennsylvania. The fireworks displays scheduled for tonight, especially those along the Hudson River in New York are not expected to be affected by the clouds. 04-Jul-2011, 15:13 Good afternoon everyone. Well, I just took a look outside the house here in South Plainfield, and noticed that things have cleared out quite nicely. Although it is still fairly warm and humid, there are blue skies with some high cirrus clouds. The barbeque is going in the back, and you can see the haze and smoke coming from it in the front of the house, where I took the look outside. It's turning out to be a typical Fourth of July holiday here in my hometown. Not hearing a lot of firecrackers going off though. Just quiet. Currently in Northwestern Middlesex County, the temperature is at 87 degrees with humidity at 51 percent for a dew point of 66 degrees. Barometric pressure is at 29.81 inches of Hg, and falling. Winds are coming out of the Southeast at 2 miles per hour. 04-Jul-2011, 12:46 Good afternoon everyone. Got up about an hour and a half ago. Got the day off from work today for the holiday so I slept late. Anyway, conditions are much more cloudy, hotter, and humid outside this Fourth of July. While the sun is out, there aren't the blue skies that we had late last week, and on Saturday. Temperature outside is 81 degrees. Humidity is at 77 percent. Dew point is at 73 degrees along with a heat index is at 86 degrees. Winds again are relatively calm while the barometric pressure is at 29.84 inches of Hg, and steady. On Sunday, we had several waves of rain go through the area as showers and storms moved southward through much of the Garden State. Some of the storms were severe especially across Mercer, Southern Middlesex, and Northwestern Monmouth County. There were just downpours here in South Plainfield. Total rainfall was 0.92 inches. The high temperature on Sunday was only 73 degrees with all of the cloudiness. Meanwhile, the low temperature was 63 degrees, and that occurred just after midnight. Dew point was in the low 70s. Barometric pressure ranged from 29.81 to 29.95 inches of Hg. Maximum wind gust was 5 miles per hour. With yesterday's rain, there has been 3.29 inches of rain since the Vantage Pro 2 weather station was installed. Not much change in the Vantage Pro 2 forecast. Taking a look at the latest doppler radar, there are no showers and storms across the Garden State, and much of the Mid-Atlantic region. Forecast is calling for considerable cloudiness with a stray afternoon shower or storm. Temperature is expected to reach 90 degrees. Temps will remain in the 90s through Wednesday. 03-Jul-2011, 07:45 Good morning everyone. Getting ready to head out to work this morning. We just had some rain with a few rumbles of thunder earlier this morning. Rainfall amount from the outburst was 0.34 inches. Currently in South Plainfield, sky conditions are cloudy and overcast. The temperature is 69 degrees with the humidity at 97 percent for a dew point of 69 degrees. Heat index is at 72 degrees. Winds are calm out of the ENE while the barometric pressure has dipped to 29.89 inches of Hg. Looking at the latest doppler radar imagery, there are showers and thunderstorms around. There is a lot of moisture in the air, and conditions will remain cloudy throughout the day as a front tries to pass through. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for increasing clouds with little temperature change again. The Weather Channel forecast is calling for scattered thunderstorms today with some of them being severe. However, things should clear out by this evening just in time for the 4th of July holiday, which is expected to be a really nice day with temperatures in the upper 80s to low 90s. 02-Jul-2011, 23:05 Good evening everyone. About ready to go to bed, but I thought to add another entry to the journal. It was a nice summer day in Central Jersey. I had the chance to go out several times during the day, and it was a great day to be outside. There was a good deal of blue sky, and no haze. Some fair weather cumulus clouds developed in the afternoon, but there was no rain. The high temperature reached 88 degrees in Northwestern Middlesex County. The dew point was relatively comfortable in the upper 50s to low 60s. Maximum wind gust on Saturday was 5 miles per hour while the 10 minute average was 1 mile per hour. The highest heat index reached 89.6 degrees. Barometric pressure ranged between 29.87 and 30.08 inches of Hg. Looking at the Vantage Pro 2 forecast, there is going to be increasing clouds with little change in temperature. 02-Jul-2011, 08:01 Good morning. In a rush to get ready for work, but I wanted to spend a few minutes posting an entry to the journal. Skies are not as blue as they were yesterday thanks to the presence of high cirrus clouds. Temperature is at 68 degrees with the humidity at 85 percent for a dew point of 64 degrees. The heat index is at 70 degrees. Barometric pressure is 30.07 inches of Hg. High temperature on Friday was 84.5 degrees. Dew point was as low as 51.4 degrees. Maximum wind gust was at 7 miles per hour while the 10 minute average wind was 2 miles per hour. Barometric pressure ranged between 29.95 and 30.07 inches of Hg. Looking at the latest doppler radar, there are no showers or storms to be found across the Garden State, Eastern Pennsylvania, or Southeastern New York this morning. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast doesn't indicate much of a change in the immediate forecast, but suggest possible precipitation in the next 24 to 48 hours. The Weather Channel forecast calls for a nice day with sunny skies and temperatures in the mid 80s. Sunday looks like the best chance for rain this holiday weekend with a chance for thunderstorms in the afternoon. 01-Jul-2011, 12:52 Good afternoon everyone. Looks like an even better day than it was on Wednesday and Thursday. There are more blue skies and sun with the presence of an occasional cumulus cloud. There is also more of a breeze although the winds are still relatively calm. Currently, the temperature in South Plainfield is 82 degrees with 42 percent humidity for a dew point of 58 degrees. Heat index is at 82 degrees. Barometric pressure is on the decline at 29.96 inches of Hg. Winds are calm out of the ESE with gusts up to 2 miles per hour. Vantage Pro 2 forecast indicates increasing clouds with little temperature change. Looking at the latest doppler radar from the Weather Channel, there are no threats of showers or storms on the horizon. Visibility is 10 miles. Temperature is expected to climb into the mid 80s on Friday afternoon with sunny skies. There is a slight chance of a stray thunderstorm later in the day. Partly cloudy conditions are expected on Friday night with a low around 70 degrees. The weather looks good through Tuesday with temperatures in the mid to upper 80s, and only a chance of thunderstorms on Sunday. 30-Jun-2011, 23:45 Good evening everyone. It was another great day of weather here in the Central Jersey area. I went out to Waterfront Park in South Amboy again on Thursday afternoon. I jogged around the Park, and then ran up and down the bleachers at the football field. It was a bit warmer, and more humid, but I did get out to the park a bit later than I did yesterday. After getting my exercise routine in, I took out my video camera, and shot some video of the conditions at Waterfront Park. In total, I spent about two hours at the park. Had a great time. The skies were still blue, but there were some more cumulus clouds as well as some haze. Later, I went out to cover some high school basketball summer leagues, and conditions continued to be well. The high temperature today reached 83 degrees. Highest dew point on Thursday was 62.2 degrees. Heat index was not much higher than the temperature at 83.5 degrees. Maximum wind gust reached 7 miles per hour. Barometric pressure ranged from 29.89 inches to 29.99 inches of Hg. More nice weather is on tap for Friday, and could carry over through much of the weekend. 30-Jun-2011, 10:43 Good morning everyone. Well, another nice day is on tap here in Central Jersey. There are mostly blue skies outside here in South Plainfield with an occasional puffy cloud. Feels quite comfortable as well. Currently in Northwestern Middlesex County, the temperature is at 74 degrees with the humidity at 62 percent for a dew point of 60 degrees. The barometric pressure, which is a bit higher than it was yesterday, has been steady over the past few hours at 29.98 inches of Hg. Heat index is at 75 degrees. Winds are calm out of the SSE. The low temperature this morning was down to 60.6 degrees after a high of 83 degrees yesterday. Dew point topped out at 63.4 degrees on Wednesday before tumbling to 57.1 degrees this morning. Maximum wind gust was 7 miles per hour yesterday. Heat index maxed out at 84.1 degrees. Barometric pressure ranged between 29.85 and 29.99 inches of Hg. Average high temperature for the month since the Vantage Pro weather station has been installed is 84.51 degrees. Average low temp has been 60.6 degrees for a mean temperature of 76.95 degrees for the month. Heat index has reached a maximum of 92.69 degrees while averaging 80.8 degrees. In June, the barometric pressure ranged between 29.66 and 30.03 inches of Hg for an average of 29.82 inches of Hg. Total rainfall for the month is 2.37 inches. 29-Jun-2011, 13:45 Good afternoon everyone. Just was outside as I traveled over to Waterfront Park in South Amboy to go for a run. Ran around the park, and up and down the bleachers at the football field there. Conditions were quite nice at Waterfront Park this afternoon. Although there was a good deal of fair weather cumulus clouds that developed as the afternoon progressed, there was still a good deal of blue sky and sun along with breezy conditions off of Raritan Bay. The temperature rose from 78.6 degrees at 11:15 AM to 81.2 degrees at 1:44 PM. During that time, the dew point fluctuated between 59 and 63 degrees. Humidity levels were in the low to mid 50s. Barometric pressure remained fairly steady at 29.85 inches of Hg. Winds were light between 1 and 5 miles per hour. 29-Jun-2011, 10:43 Good morning. Just got up a little while ago. Took a look outside, and there is nothing but sun and blue skies this morning. Currently, in South Plainfield, New Jersey, the temperature is 78 degrees with a humidity of 55 percent for a dew point of 60 degrees. Heat index is at 78 degrees. Winds are again calm out of the ESE while the barometric pressure is steady at 29.86 inches of Hg. The high temperature yesterday was 83 degrees. Low temperature was 68 degrees. Dew point ranged between 66 and 73 degrees. It was more noticeably humid yesterday. There was more of a haze in the sky, and you could feel more moisture in the air. Heat index was just under 89 degrees. Maximum wind gust was only 5 miles per hour. Winds have been quite tranquil over the past week or two. Barometric pressure ranged between 29.79 and 29.89 inches of Hg. While there was a threat of rain yesterday, nothing materialized. There was no measurable rain. Doppler radar did show thunderstorms developing in Northeastern Pennsylvania last night, but they fizzled as they pressed eastward. We have three nice days ahead according to the Weather Channel forecast. Temperatures will be in the mid 80s through Friday under sunny skies. Conditions will become more hot and humid with an increased threat of showers and storms as we move into the weekend. 28-Jun-2011, 07:29 Good morning. There is a little bit more haze in the sky this morning. Currently, the temperature is at 69 degrees with humidity at 97 percent for a dew point of 69 degrees. Heat index is at 71 degrees. Barometric pressure is steady at 29.92 inches, but has dropped gradually since being at 30.03 inches of Hg yesterday. Looking at the latest doppler radar, things look fairly clear around the Garden State. However, there are some showers lingering off to the west in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The Vantage Pro 2forecast is still calling for increasing clouds with little temperature change. The actual forecast from the Weather Channel is calling for partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the mid 80s. There is a chance of thunderstorms, especially later in the day into tonight. Some of the storms could be severe. Yesterday, the National Weather Service indicated in its Hazardous Weather Outlook that while areas such as Central Jersey could see severe weather, the most likely target is areas further south and west in places such as Delaware, Maryland, and Southeastern Pennsylvania. 27-Jun-2011, 23:40 Good evening everyone. Well, it was quite a nice day in the books, but the humidity was on the rise, and that should continue into Tuesday with a chance of strong to severe storms late in the day. Currently in South Plainfield, the temperature is 73 degrees with humidity at 82 percent for a dew point of 67 degrees. Barometric pressure is down to 29.95 inches after being up to 30.03 inches this morning. However, it is presently steady. Heat index is at 75 degrees. The high temperature today was up to 83 degrees. Maximum wind gust was only 3 miles per hour out of the SE. Low temperature was down to 62 degrees this morning while the barometric pressure dipped down to 29.93 inches of Hg. There was no precipitation. Went out for a couple walks during the day at work. There were a good deal of clouds. Sunset was again dramatic with pinks, oranges, and blues. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for increasing clouds with little temperature change. 27-Jun-2011, 07:27 Good morning everyone. Getting ready for another day at work here. We have plenty of blue skies on this morning. Currently, the temperature is at 66 degrees and the humidity is at 90 percent for a dew point of 63 degrees. Winds remain calm, but the barometer continues to rise as high pressure continues to build in. Barometric pressure is at 30.02 inches of Hg, and rising. Heat index is at 67 degrees. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for increasing clouds and precipitation possible in the next 24 to 48 hours. The doppler radar is showing no threats whatsoever. The forecast is calling for a great day weather wise here in Central Jersey. Sunny skies and a high temperature in the mid 80s. During the day tomorrow we can expect the same before scattered thunderstorms move in for Tuesday night. Severe weather is possible on Tuesday night. Last night, the Weather Channel indicated at least strong thunderstorms for New Jersey while more severe weather including the possibility of hail, damaging winds, and even tornadoes just to the west in Pennsylvania. 26-Jun-2011, 23:04 Good evening everyone. Had the chance to catch a pretty nice sunset after work. Went for a run at Middlesex County College too. It was a nice night for a run. Went out for a walk a couple times today at work. It was a pleasant day. Lived up to the forecast with the exception of some late day clouds. Currently in South Plainfield, the temperature is at 68 degrees with a humidity of 84 percent for a dew point of 63 degrees. Barometric pressure has continued to climb. It is currently at 29.97 inches of Hg. Winds again remain calm out of the ESE. High temperature today topped out at only 78 degrees. Dew point topped out at 65 degrees. Maximum wind speed today was 5 miles per hour. Barometric pressure ranged between 29.86 and 29.97 inches of Hg. Heat index was just under 80 degrees. Low temperature was 61 degrees. Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for partly cloudy skies and cooler temperatures. Actual forecast for Monday is calling for sunnier skies with temperatures in the low to mid 80s. 26-Jun-2011, 07:46 Good morning everyone. We have a sunny start to the day here in South Plainfield, New Jersey. However, humidity levels are still high. Currently, the temperature is 65 degrees with a humidity of 90 percent and a dew point of 62 degrees. Winds are calm out of the SW while the barometric pressure is rising at 29.93 inches of Hg. Yesterday, we reached a high of 82.1 degrees with a dew point of 68.5, and a heat index of 85.1 degrees. Barometric pressure ranged from 29.77 to 29.93 inches of Hg. Highest wind gust was only 3 miles per hour. Took a walk outside several times yesterday, and actually had my camera handy to take some video. There were plenty of cumulus clouds yesterday afternoon, but no precipitation developed. Conditions were actually quite comfortable. Didn't feel as humid. We ended up getting 0.67 inches of rain on Friday. So far, we have had 2.05 inches of rain this month. Looking at the latest doppler radar, there are no threats of precipitation this morning around the region. A very nice day is expected with sunny skies, a WNW wind, and temperatures in the low 80s. Those nice conditions are expected to last into Monday with high temperatures getting into the mid 80s. 25-Jun-2011, 07:54 Good morning. I'm getting ready to go to work, but I'm taking time to post another entry for the journal. Just took a look outside, and the sun is out, but there are some clouds. Currently in South Plainfield, the temperature is 68 degrees while the humidity is at 98 percent for a dew point of 67 degrees. Winds are calm out of the ESE. Barometric pressure is rising at 29.80 inches. The pressure has gone up quite a bit in the last 10 hours or so. Taking a look at the doppler radar, there are no showers and thunderstorms anywhere at this time. However, a Dense Fog Advisory is in effect for portions of the Central Jersey region. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is still calling for mostly cloudy skies and cooler temperatures, but is indicating a shift in the wind direction to the N, NW, or W. Meanwhile, the actual forecast from the Weather Channel is calling for cloudy conditions with some showers and a rumble of thunder developing during the course of the day. High Temperature is expected to reach into the low to mid 80s. 24-Jun-2011, 22:40 Good evening everyone. Just got in from doing a bit of a run/walk. Still very humid outside. It is overcast and foggy outside, but cool. Current temperature here in South Plainfield is at 69 degrees with 97 percent humidity for a dew point of also 69 degrees. Barometric pressure is rising at 29.74 inches of Hg. Heat index is at 71 degrees. Winds remain calm, and there has been no additional rain since my last entry to the journal. The shower and thunderstorm activity that had dominated the late afternoon has pushed off shore. Took a couple trips out to Rutgers and then South Amboy to see some high school summer league basketball action. Around 8:30 PM, I traveled across the Edison Bridge on Route 9, and you can see the fog developing across South Amboy, Sayreville, and Old Bridge as well as points further south. The forecast remains the same for the next day although the shower and thunderstorm activity is not expected to be as widespread as it has been for the past several days. Things are expected to improve on Sunday and Monday with sunny skies and temperatures in the low to mid 80s. 24-Jun-2011, 18:11 Good afternoon again everyone. Well, we finally had a downpour here in South Plainfield. We received about 0.38 inches of rain over the past hour, and have 0.52 inches of rain for the day. There have been some severe thunderstorms that have moved through the southern portion of Middlesex County, are now going through Middlesex County. These storms contained quarter size hail, damaging winds, heavy rain, and dangerous lightning. The National Weather Service office in Mount Holly put much of the Garden State under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch until 8:00 PM. Within the past 30 minutes or so, the sun has come out, and the temperature has climbed to 70 degrees while humidity remains high at 97 percent for a dew point of 70 degrees. The heat index is a little higher at 73 degrees while the barometric pressure is steady at 29.68 inches. Winds are calm. Looking at the doppler radar courtesy of the Weather Channel's Weatherscan, the severe weather has pushed eastward toward the Jersey Shore in Northern Monmouth county. However, there is another severe storm just east of Interstate 476 in Eastern Pennsylvania. 24-Jun-2011, 12:40 Good afternoon everyone. Felt a little sluggish today, and that's why I didn't get around to posting to the journal until now. Again, we have another cloudy day with a chance of thunderstorms. Some of the storms may be severe. We already have a couple of thunderstorms in Monmouth and Ocean County that are bringing heavy rains to Lakewood, Collingwood, Farmingdale, Howell, Long Branch, and Rumson. It could be the tip of the iceberg as there are more showers and thunderstorms scattered across Eastern and Central Pennsylvania. Right now here in South Plainfield, the temperature is only at 68 degrees, but the humidity remains high at 97 percent for a dew point of 68 degrees. Winds remain calm while the barometric pressure has risen a bit since yesterday afternoon to 29.72 inches of Hg. So far today, we have received 0.09 inches of rain. The temperature hasn't moved much so far today. It has only ranged between 66 and 68 degrees. Highest wind gust has been only three miles per hour while the barometric pressure ranged from 29.69 inches to 29.76 inches. Last night, there was some more rain around the area. Was out in East Brunswick at around 8:30 PM when it began pouring rain. There were also some strong thunderstorms that rolled through Western New Jersey around Interstate 78. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for mostly cloudy skies with cooler temperatures and precipitation possible within the next 12 hours. Rain could be heavy at times with windy conditions as well. 23-Jun-2011, 17:26 Good afternoon again everyone. Skies are still cloudy, and we got another .01 inches of rainfall. Temperature remains steady at 73 degrees, but the humidity has dropped a bit to 90 percent for a dew point of 70 degrees. Took a walk of several laps around Roosevelt Park in Edison, and the skies were threatening. It seemed as if it was going to start pouring any minute. However, the rains held off. Nothing came out of the skies even after I got back to the car. Barometric pressure has dropped slightly to 29.69 inches of Hg. Winds remain calm out of the ESE. HIghest wind gust today was 4 miles per hour. High temperature today was 74 degrees while the low was 69. Humidity has been very high all day ranging between 90 and 98 percent. Barometric pressure has ranged between 29.69 and 29.78 inches while the dew point has ranged between 70 and 73 degrees. Heat index ranged between 75 and 77 degrees. Total rainfall for the day has been only 0.15 inches. 23-Jun-2011, 15:00 Good afternoon again everyone. Well, we had another brief shower come through town. This one was more significant than the previous one, but still minor with only 0.14 inches of Hg. There is still a lot of moisture in the air. Temperature has remained steady over the past few hours at 72 degrees with humidity staying the same at 95 percent for a dew point at 71 degrees. Barometric pressure also remains constant at 29.73 inches of Hg. Winds are calm out of the ESE. All of the watches and warnings that were in effect across the Garden State during my last journal entry have expired. However, we do still have some isolated showers and storms up and down the eastern portion of Pennsylvania. Expect a bit more rough weather this afternoon, Friday, and Saturday. 23-Jun-2011, 12:17 Good afternoon everyone. While the radar is lighting up with activity, nothing significant has happened yet here in Northwestern Middlesex County. We had a quick spritz of rain come down within the past few hours, but no measurable precipitation. Further north though, there is quite a bit of action as a Severe Thunderstorm has been rolling through Sussex County and Northern Morris County. Radar indicated that winds as high as 60 miles per hour were associated with this cell. A Flash Flood Warning is in effect for North Central Morris County as well as South Central Sussex County. Nearly two and a half inches of rain has been estimated to have fallen in these areas according to Doppler Radar. Currently in South Plainfield, the temperature is at 72 degrees with the humidity at 95 percent for a dew point of 71 degrees. Barometric pressure is at 29.72 inches of Hg and falling. Winds are calm out of the Southeast. Heat index is at 75 degrees. 23-Jun-2011, 09:17 Good morning everyone. We have a foggy start to the day as we continue to have plenty of moisture in the air. While the temperature here in South Plainfield is only 74 degrees, the humidity is at 93 percent, which means the dew point is at 72 degrees. The windows in my living room are all fogged up. Winds remain relatively calm while the barometric pressure is steady at 29.75 inches of Hg. The heat index is presently at 77 degrees. Looking at the latest doppler radar imagery, we have some clouds and showers developing over much of Eastern Pennsylvania, and they are heading to the Northeast. So, we could have some rain this morning. The Vantage 2 Pro forecast is indicating mostly cloudy conditions and cooler with a likely chance of precipitation within the next 12 hours. Precipitation could be heavy at times along with windy conditions. The NWS forecast is calling for scattered thunderstorms with some being severe. The likely time period for the storms is between 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM. 22-Jun-2011, 23:52 Good evening everyone. Well, it was quite an active late afternoon and early evening weather wise. It was then followed by a continuation of humid conditions across the Garden State. There were a couple of severe thunderstorm cells in New Jersey. One traversed Interstate 80 from Southern Sussex to Northern Warren County, and then penetrated Hunterdon, Somerset, and Morris counties. Another formed in Monmouth and Ocean counties. The northern cell was a potent one with rotation, and it produced hail and winds of up to 100 miles per hour. The southern cell produced a possible tornado in the area of Manchester Township and Toms River in Ocean County. While a funnel cloud was sighted, there was no official declaration of a twister yet. Here in South Plainfield as well as much of Middlesex County, things were quiet, but became quite humid. Dew points remained in the low 70s as humidity levels skyrocketed into the low 90s Skies got fairly dark to the north of South Plainfield around dinner time, and there was a great deal of haze in Sayreville and South Amboy that obscured the cumulus clouds producing the severe weather near the Jersey Shore. More of the same is expected for Thursday and Friday with more isolated thunderstorms on Saturday. Temperatures are expected to be in the low to mid 80s on Thursday, and into the upper 80s by Friday. Some of the storms on Thursday could be severe in nature. 22-Jun-2011, 16:38 Good afternoon everyone. Sorry for the delay in getting journal posts up today and even last night, but I was tired. Slept on and off all day today, and didn't really get out of bed until 3:00 PM. Anyway, things have become a bit overcast outside the house here in South Plainfield. Temperature is currently at 79 degrees with 79 percent humidity for a dew point of 72 degrees so there is plenty of moisture in the air. Winds have been calm for the most part today although there has been a bit of a light breeze at times. Barometric pressure is down to 29.79 inches of Hg, and has been falling over the past few hours. Heat index is up to 83 degrees. The high temperature today was 81 degrees with a heat index of 85 degrees. Dew point topped out at 73 degrees. The low temperature was 68 degrees this morning while the barometric pressure has ranged between 29.78 and 29.91 inches of Hg. There has been no measurable rain. Looking at the latest doppler radar imagery courtesy of Weatherscan from the Weather Channel, there are scattered showers and thundestorms moving eastward over parts of the Garden State. As a matter of fact, there is a Severe Thunderstorm Warning out for portions of Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, and Somerset counties. The thunderstorms in the warned area could produce damaging hail and gusty winds. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for increasing cloudiness along with some precipitation and windy conditions. 21-Jun-2011, 06:32 Good morning everyone. Well, we have a mixture of sun and clouds on this early Tuesday morning. Current temperature in South Plainfield is 68 degrees with a relative humidity of 83 percent for a dew point of 63 degrees. Winds are again calm while the barometric pressure is steady at 29.91 inches of Hg. There were more clouds and moisture in the air on Monday, but no rain thankfully. High Temperature on Monday was 82.1 degrees. after a low of 62.5. Dew point peaked at 64.4 after a low of 57.5. Heat index reached a high of 83.2 degrees. Winds were light on Monday with a maximum wind gust of only 3 miles per hour. Barometric pressure fluctuated between 29.84 inches of Hg and 29.91 inches of Hg. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast for Tuesday is calling for increasing clouds with little change in temperature. However, there is a chance of a few showers during the day on Tuesday. Looking at the latest doppler radar, there are some showers and even a few storms in Eastern Pennsylvania. Nothing has crossed over into Western Jersey as of yet. The forecast for the rest of the week looks gloomy at best with a chance for showers and storms through Saturday. 20-Jun-2011, 06:51 Good morning everyone. We have cloudy conditions outside here in Northwestern Middlesex County. Temperature is 64 degrees with humidity at 92 percent for a dew point of 61. Heat index is at 64 degrees as well. Winds are calm while the barometric pressure remains steady at 29.86 inches of Hg. Looking at the Doppler Radar, there are some scattered showers around the Garden State. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for increasing clouds. The actual forecast courtesy of the Weather Channel is calling for clouds to continue today, and remain for the rest of the week. Afternoon showers are expected on Tuesday. Then, there is a chance of thunderstorms on Tuesday night. The chance of storms continues for the rest of the week although there is a chance that the sun will return on Thursday and Friday. Yesterday was a nice day for the most part, but there was increasing humidity. The high temperature on Sunday was 84.4, which was just a tenth of a degree of the high temp for the past seven days. Dew point climbed up to 65.6 degrees while the heat index was at 84.3 degrees. Maximum wind gust on Sunday was 5 miles per hour while the barometric pressure was relatively steady as it ranged between 29.78 inches and 29.86 inches of Hg. Went out for a walk several times during the day while I was at work, and did notice the presence of some high cirrus clouds. Could have some strong to severe thunderstorms in the southern portion of the Mid-Atlantic region including the cities of Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. 19-Jun-2011, 07:09 Good morning everyone. We have partly cloudy and hazy conditions on this early Sunday morning. Temperature is currently at 65.7 degrees after reaching a low of 63.7. Dew point has been in the low to mid 60s with humidity at 95 percent. Winds are calm while the barometric pressure is steady at 29.80 inches of Hg. Heat index values this morning are ranging from the mid to upper 60s. The forecast is calling for partly cloudy to sunny skies with temperatures climbing into the mid to upper 80s. Monday looks good as well with a repeat of today's weather. Clouds are expected to move in for Tuesday, and there is a chance of rain on Wednesday and Thursday. 18-Jun-2011, 23:00 Good evening everybody. Sorry for the lack of posts to the journal today. I had completely forgotten about it until now. It was a largely uneventful day weather wise here in Central Jersey. There were a bit of clouds, especially of the cumulus nature, but no rain. On Saturday, we had a high of 84.5 degrees after reaching a low of 61.6 degrees in the morning. Had a light breeze with a wind gust of only 5 miles per hour. There was a bit of moisture in the air with the dew point topping out at 68.8 degrees while the heat index climbed to 87.6 degrees. The barometric pressure didn't fluctuate to much as it ranged from 29.77 inches to 29.87 inches of Hg. Went out for a walk a couple times during the day. It felt a bit more humid than it had been over the past several days. There was more of a haze in the sky as well. 17-Jun-2011, 14:42 Good afternoon everyone. While, I am off to a late start, but made up for it with some footage of what I call a sunderstorm. There was thunder, lightning, and dark clouds to the north of where I'm located in New Jersey, but there was plenty of sun here in town. It made for a nice clash. Anyway, earlier today, we had approximately 1.06 inches of rain here in South Plainfield. Clouds are still lingering around. The Vantage Pro forecast is calling for more clouds with a likely chance of precipitation. Currently, the temperature is at 74 degrees with 78 percent humidity for a dew point of 67 degrees. Barometric pressure is at 29.82 inches of Hg, and falling. Winds are calm out of the SSE. The High Temperature today was 79 degrees with a dew point of 69 degrees. Barometric pressure topped out at 29.91 inches. Maximum wind speed was only 3 miles per hour. Low temperature was 64 degrees with a minimum dew point of 62 degrees. The doppler radar is showing slow moving thunderstorms pushing into Northwestern New Jersey from Pennsylvania while another batch of showers and storms is moving north out of Middlesex County. 16-Jun-2011, 14:24 Good afternoon again. Well, you remember those clouds and showers in Eastern Pennsylvania and Western Jersey that I mentioned in my last journal entry? They have gradually moved slowly to the Northeast toward our neck of the woods. Skies have become more overcast in the past hour. Temperature remains steady at 80 degrees with humidity and dew point levels dropped off a bit to 44 percent and 56 degrees. Barometric pressure remains steady at 29.90 inches of Hg. Heat index is pleasant at 79 degrees. Winds remain calm. We could have some showers come through in the next hour or two thanks to the disturbed weather off to our south and west. We'll see how that works out. 16-Jun-2011, 13:11 Good afternoon everyone. Well, I have some good news. The new weather station is here. I had some struggles with getting it together, but it is online right now. The only thing that I need is the data logger to send the information to my computer. I'm also getting UV and solar radiation sensors for the station. It was a perfect day of weather yesterday, and it continues today. Yesterday, the temperature reached a high of 85 degrees with barometric pressure remaining steady at 29.85 inches of Hg. Dew point levels were comfortable in the low to mid 50s while the winds were relatively light. So far today, the temperatures have climbed into the low 80s while the barometric pressure has risen slightly to 29.90 inches of Hg despite showing a recent falling trend. Humidity is at 48 percent with the dew point at 59 degrees. So, there is a little bit more moisture in the air, and that is reflected in the more cloudy and hazy conditions. While there hasn't been any measurable rain so far today, doppler radar is indicating that there are some showers off to our west in Eastern Pennsylvania and Western Jersey. The Vantage Pro 2 forecast is calling for increasing clouds with little change in temperature. High temperature today was 81 degrees at 1:10 PM. Barometric pressure was up to 29.93 inches of Hg. Dew point climbed to 62 degrees while winds remained light with a gust of just 2 miles per hour. 15-Jun-2011, 10:06 Good morning again everyone. Took a couple looks outside earlier, and there's nothing but blue skies about. Could we be seeing a repeat of the nice weather we had two weeks ago? Possibly so. The temperature at Newark has jumped up 14 degrees in the past several hours to 72 degrees with a dew point remaining at 52 degrees, which is an indication that things are drying out. Humidity has dropped to 49 percent. Barometric pressure remains steady at 29.88 inches of Hg. Wind is now out of the NW at 11 miles per hour. Looking at the latest Doppler Radar loop from the past three hours, there are no threats. Satellite imagery also indicates this with only high clouds roaming about in the Lower Hudson Valley and Western Connecticut. I think it is going to be another spectacular two days coming up. We'll see. 15-Jun-2011, 06:56 Good morning everyone. Well, I have good news. My wireless Vantage Pro 2 weather station has arrived. I am planning to put it up soon. Looking forward to getting back to doing my regular weather reports and observations. Speaking of weather observations, there were some interesting cloud formations over the past few days. Whenever I was driving into work, or going out for a walk on break, I would look to the skies, and notice different types of clouds at different levels. Types included altostratus and stratocumulus. I wished that I had my HD camera with me to take some video or photos. Last night, we got a bit of rain. I was not really that surprised since the skies were quite ominous during the course of the day. Also had some drizzle in the afternoon. The cloud cover kept the temperatures down. Things are expected to be much nicer today. Right now, there is a bit of moisture, clouds, and haze in the air, but the sun is expected to burn through all that. Temperature at Newark airport is at 58 degrees with humidity at 80 percent for a dew point of 52 degrees. There is a light wind out of the west at 4 miles per hour. Barometric pressure is holding steady at 29.88 inches of Hg. It is going to be a great day to be outside with plenty of sun, and a high of 86 degrees. Carbon copy day is expected on Thursday as well. On a final note, a Coastal Flood Advisory is in effect for the Jersey Shore from 6:00 PM this evening to midnight. 14-Jun-2011, 07:02 Good morning. Just got in a little while ago from a run I took this morning. We have party cloudy skies right now, and the humidity is up. Was able to work up a good sweat. The National Weather Service in Mount Holly, New Jersey has issued a Coastal Flood Advisory for the Jersey Shore effective until 10:00 PM on Tuesday night. We have a full moon, and as you know, the gravitational pull from the moon results in higher than normal tides. Now, on to the weather. Went out for several walks yesterday. Saw basically the same type of cloud patterns as I did going for my run this morning. Lots of altostratus and stratocumulus clouds. Patchy cloudiness. Currently, the temperature in Newark is at 63 degrees. Humidity is at 73 percent, and the dew point is at 54. Temperatures aren't expected to get much higher. They are only expected to get into the mid to upper 60s with clouds and showers throughout the course of the day. Conditions are expected to improve for Wednesday and Thursday with highs in the low to mid 80s under sunny skies. Friday will be the next chance of rain after today with the possibility of thunderstorms, and a high temperature in the upper 70s. 13-Jun-2011, 07:57 Good morning again. I'm just about ready to head out to work, but I had a few minutes of spare time to put together another journal entry. I went out for a walk to deliver some mail earlier this morning, and when I stepped outside, I felt raindrops. There was a brief drizzle in South Plainfield just before 7:00 AM. There was also a pretty good low deck of clouds over the town's landscape. Right now, skies are still cloudy with temperatures still in the low 60s. Humidity and dew point levels are still quite high as there is a lot of moisture in the air. The morning clouds will stay in place for a few more hours, but then burn off by the afternoon. Temperatures are expected to rise to near 80 for a high. 13-Jun-2011, 04:47 Good morning everyone. Got up early this morning, and have not been able to fall back to sleep. We have a little fog around the region this morning. Temperatures are in the low to mid 60s this morning with dew points in the same range as humidity is between 85 and 100 percent around the Garden State. Winds are calm, and the barometric pressure is steady. Temperatures are expected to be in the mid to upper 70s today under cloudy skies with a chance of morning showers. The chance of rain even lingers into tonight with temps dropping into the low 60s On Tuesday, there will again be a chance of showers with a high temperature only getting into the upper 60s to perhaps the low 70s. We have a coastal flood advisory out for portions of New York including the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens as well as Nassau County. Things are expected to clear out for Wednesday with temperatures getting into the mid 70s. Temperatures will warm up on Thursday and Friday with a chance of thunderstorms on both days. 12-Jun-2011, 20:00 Good evening everyone. Just got in from work a little while ago. Took some time to put together a couple of photo albums in the Photo Gallery. They are all still images compiled from video I took of the recent heatwave and thunderstorms. Anyway, the day was mostly overcast with cooler conditions. Went out for a walk at about 3:00 PM, and it was comfortable. I would say that it was about the same as Saturday. High Temperatures around the Garden State were mostly in the upper 70s to low 80s. There wasn't anything in the way of precipitation was the day was just cloudy and uneventful. High pressure is expected to build in for tomorrow before a chance of thunderstorms increases for tomorrow night into Tuesday. Storms on Tuesday could be more widespread and severe. 11-Jun-2011, 21:21 Good evening everyone. Sorry that I didn't post to the journal this morning, but I got up a bit later than I planned to, and I had to get to work. Anyway, I'm in the process of posting the video of the severe weather that came through on Thursday. The video is a little more than 50 minutes long. It is the longest video that I've ever posted to YouTube. I hope you all enjoy it. Didn't get much of a chance to get outside today at work due to the rain. When I left work to go home at 7:30 PM, it was cloudy, and cool. There had been several downpours as showers and thunderstorms moved through the region on Saturday. There were also a couple loud rumbles of thunder. Right now, we have a break in the action. However, radar shows several more batches of showers and thunderstorms moving through Pennsylvania. We can expect some storms tomorrow while the temperatures will be a bit higher. Things are expected to gradually clear out for the early part of next week. Temperatures will be seasonable in the low 80s with plenty of sunshine. 10-Jun-2011, 15:48 Good afternoon everyone. Well, I've been relaxing for the past couple hours while I've been performing image stabilization on my videos. Went out to play basketball around noon time, and the weather was more comfortable, but it was still a bit humid. The skies were more blue, and there was a bit more of a breeze, but I still worked up a decent sweat shooting hoops. It was the fourth straight day that I had gone out to play basketball. I hadn't done that in a very long time. I should have several of the weather videos from yesterday online by the end of the day today. Now, back to the weather. Current temperatures are in the low 80s with dew points in the low to mid 60s. The breeze from the north earlier today has now shifted to out of the SSE. Forecast calls for lots of sunshine with highs getting into the mid to upper 80s. There is some disturbed weather moving into Western Pennsylvania. May have some rain later tonight. According to Weatherscan, the forecast is calling for a slight chance of thunderstorms tonight. Chance of rain 30 percent. Things will be more rainy with some thunder on both Saturday and Sunday, but they shouldn't be of the severe variety. Temperatures on Saturday will only be in the mid 70s while on Sunday, they're expected to be in the mid 80s. An early look at next week shows things might be pretty nice weather wise around here. We'll see. 10-Jun-2011, 09:33 Good morning everyone. Well, it was quite a storm last night, and I got video of most of it. I should have it posted soon along with video footage of yesterday's heat and humidity at several different locations in Central Jersey. Anyway, the mercury climbed up to 102 at Newark Airport after a high on Wednesday of 99. We had all kinds of severe weather across the region late Thursday afternoon into early Thursday evening. There were 58 mile per hour winds near Philadelphia while hail was reported in Bergen County and Long Island. The rough weather caused a 3 hour and 27 minute rain delay at Yankee Stadium during the Yankees vs. Red Sox game. The havoc started at about 5:00 PM when I was coming home from taking trips to Roosevelt Park, Waterfront Park in South Amboy, and Waterfront Park in Old Bridge. I noticed that the skies had become more overcast, and the winds had picked up. It didn't stop there as the skies would get progressively darker, and the winds continued to rev up over the next two hours. Watching the radar from Weatherscan by the Weather Channel, you could see a very impressive and cohesive line of thunderstorms developing over Southeastern New York and Pennsylvania. These storms were actually part of a very long line of storms stretching from New England down through the Mid-Atlantic ahead of a cold front trying to push through the regions. The storms appeared to lose some punch after rolling through Sussex, Warren, and Morris counties between 5:15 and 6:30 PM. However, the storms regained their energy as they approached Northwestern Middlesex County. What could have helped mitigate the severe weather in South Plainfield was a downpour that came through with the first wave of thunderstorms around 7:00 PM. The rainfall caused condensation to take place, which warmed the atmosphere, and took some of the bite out of the storms, but a second wave of thunderstorms moved through the area, and generated dangerous lightning along with strong winds. While there was no hail, there was still plenty of rain. Things began to quiet down, but anywhere from South Plainfield to South River back out to Reading, Pennsylvania to Wilmington Delaware was under the gun for a while on Thursday night. Temperatures have cooled somewhat with highs only expected to get into the mid to upper 80s around the region. Currently at Newark, the temperature is 83 degrees. Humidity is at 52 percent with a dew point at 64, but the winds are coming out of the North at 10 miles per hour. Humidity levels will still be a bit high, but things should be a bit more comfortable on Friday. There is still a chance for a stray or isolated shower or thunderstorm late into the afternoon into the early evening. 09-Jun-2011, 18:46 Good afternoon everyone. We may have a severe weather outbreak developing here in the Garden State. An impressive line extending from Connecticut and Southeastern New York including Long Island to Northeastern Pennsylvania is gradually moving southeastward toward the Central Jersey area. Clouds have developed here in Middlesex County, and the winds have picked up considerably over the past half an hour or so. Thunderstorms are already being reported at Newark Airport, and a Severe Thunderstorm Warning had been in effect for Sussex, Warren, and Morris counties as well as portions of Eastern Pennsylvania. The temperature rose to 98 degrees in Newark with a heat index of 107 before the line of storms moved through. The mercury has dropped to 88 degrees as of this report. These strong to severe storms are capable of producing damaging hail, deadly cloud to ground lightning, and strong winds. 09-Jun-2011, 12:29 Good afternoon everyone. Well, I went outside at about 10:30 AM, and shot baskets at the park for about 45 minutes. Thanks to the heat and humidity, I was able to work up a pretty good sweat. Air conditioners are cranked up again around Middlesex County as the mercury is already up into the mid 90s. Right now at Newark Airport, the temperature is 96 degrees with 45 percent humidity, and a dew point of 71. The heat index is 103 degrees while the barometric pressure has been dropping at 29.84 inches of Hg. Visibility is 8 miles despite the haze. We have a southwesterly flow in place as this second heatwave of the year has reached its fourth day. Temperatures are going to flirt with both records and the century mark around the Central Jersey area as well as the rest of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. A cold front is trying to push in from the west, and may cause some instability as early as late this afternoon with a stray shower or thunderstorm. Tonight, we could have scattered storms with some being severe. Hail and strong winds could occur in these severe storms. The same scenario that brought the strong storms to southern Middlesex County and Monmouth County as well as the tornadoes further north in Massachusetts last Wednesday are in place again today. 09-Jun-2011, 07:26 Good morning everyone. Well, I had hoped to have another post to the journal on Wednesday, but I didn't get around to it. However, it was quite a day on Wednesday. The mercury climbed up into the mid 90s here in Central Jersey with hazy sun, and high humidity. I went for a walk for about two hours in the late morning and early afternoon. I worked up quite a sweat. Drank plenty of fluids the rest of the day, but I still had a headache late in the evening. I went out and took video of the weather conditions on Wednesday afternoon at Washington Rock in Green Brook. It was quite a view from there, but the haze prevented it from even being better. There was a slight breeze, which felt especially good in the shade. The hazy, hot, and humid weather continues this morning. The sky is a white color this morning indicative of the haze. Temperature a little while ago was already 80 degrees with a dew point of 68. Right now the thermometer reads 83 degrees in Newark with a calm wind, humidity at 63 percent, and a dew point at 69. Heat index is at 87 degrees. The forecast is calling for a possible record breaker today in terms of temperature with the mercury reaching the upper 90s to near 100 degrees. Heat indices are expected to be much higher so the Heat Advisory lingers for another day. However, we do have a front approaching from the west that has had a history of producing severe weather in the upper Midwest. As the afternoon progresses, and we get closer to the evening, the chance of scattered thunderstorms will develop with some of them being severe. Large hail and strong winds could occur. More importantly though, the cold front will break the heatwave as temperatures will reach into the low to mid 80s on Friday. 08-Jun-2011, 11:02 Good morning everyone. Well, the journal is off to a late start because I went out to play basketball this morning. Got another decent workout in. It's definitely summer out there. The temperature has already climbed into the mid and upper 80s today, and it is only going to get hotter with the mercury forecasted to climb into the upper 90s. The skies aren't that blue today, and haven't been for the past several days, which is an indication that we have more heat and humidity in the air. Not a lot of wind to cool things down either. Dew point levels right now are in the mid to upper 60s around the area. Thursday is expected to be even hotter when it climbs to the century mark. Heat index values will be even higher prompting heat advisories to be issued. We could even see some records fall for this date. The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory until 8:00 PM on Thursday. The next chance for precipitation is going to be on Thursday night with the chance for thunderstorms. Some of them could be severe. The chance of rain continues into Friday and Saturday with temperatures cooling down into the upper 70s to mid 80s. I'm going to try to get a walk in before things really heat up. 07-Jun-2011, 06:46 Good morning everyone. Well, my new weather station is on the way. Bought it online Sunday night. Getting ready to go to work now. Just came in from outside, and got a good workout in playing some basketball at the local park. Temperature has held steady over the last hour in the mid to upper 60s. The sun is out, and there is a west-southwesterly wind at about 8 miles per hour. There is definitely a lot more moisture in the air today than the past few days. Humidity is in the upper 70s to low 80s with a dew point now in the low 60s. Yesterday afternoon, I went outside for a bit, and did notice that the sky was a bit more hazy than it had been. It was also a bit more warm and humid. The National Weather Service has the entire state of New Jersey under an Air Quality Alert for the next couple days while parts of Southern New Jersey as well as the Philadelphia metro area is under an Excessive Heat Watch. Looking at the latest forecast from Weatherscan courtesy of the Weather Channel. Temperatures are expected to climb into the upper 80s to low 90s today while Wednesday and Thursday look very hot with highs in the upper 90s along with heat indices over 100 degrees. Things will cool down by Friday and Saturday with temperatures in the mid 70s to mid 80s along with a chance of thunderstorms. 06-Jun-2011, 07:09 Good morning everyone. Well, I'm getting ready to go to work again. However, I have a few moments to take a look at what is going on outside with the weather, and jot something down about it. The sun is currently trying to break through some early morning cloudiness, and it should eventually win out. Temperatures right now are in the mid 60s around the area. We have a slight northwest breeze, and the barometer is rising at 30.00 inches. Humidity is at 78 percent with the dew point at 58 degrees. As mentioned earlier, the sun should emerge victorious from its latest battle with the clouds, and it looks to be a very good day around Central Jersey. Temperatures are expected to top out in the low 80s. The clouds should battle back tomorrow with the chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. The rest of the week will see temperatures on the rise with highs in the upper 80s to low 90s through Friday with a threat of isolated thunderstorms. Meanwhile, in the tropics, we have been watching a tropical disturbance in the Western Caribbean near Jamaica that is spreading torrential rains to that island as well as Haiti and the Dominican Republic. 05-Jun-2011, 07:15 Good morning everyone. Got a good night's sleep last night. Woke up this morning to some more clouds. However, there is no threat of rain on the local Doppler Radar. Temperatures are holding in the low 60s across the Garden State. Humidity is up a bit, but the dew points are still low in the upper 40s. Have winds coming out of the East-Northeast around 10 miles per hour. Barometer is steady at 30.10 inches of Hg. There is a 30 to 40 percent chance of scattered thunderstorms across the region today and tonight. There will be about the same chance on Monday, especially in the afternoon and evening. Temperatures will be in the mid to upper 70s. The sun will come back with a vengeance by mid-week with temperatures getting back into the mid 80s on Tuesday, and into the upper 80s to low 90s on Wednesday and Thursday. 04-Jun-2011, 21:53 Good evening everyone. Clouds dominated the entire day here in Central Jersey. Was outside on several occasions throughout the day, and the sun had a difficult time getting out all day. It did finally manage to get out some 30 minutes before sunset. Made for a nice sunset with the mid level cloudiness and the light of the fading sun. Went out for a jog after work, and conditions were just right. Very comfortable. Currently, we have mostly cloudy skies with temperatures in the mid to upper 60s. Wind is coming out of the Northwest at 7 miles per hour with the humidity at 46 percent, and the dew point at 47 degrees. Visibility is 9 miles. Looking at the latest Doppler Radar courtesy of Weatherscan from the Weather Channel, there were some rain showers that formed over the Hudson River, and traveled across Northeastern Jersey as well as New York City. Don't know if any precipitation reached the ground though. Still quite dry. We could get some rain on Sunday and Monday as the forecast is calling for isolated showers and thunderstorms on both days with temperatures getting into the upper 70s. 04-Jun-2011, 07:54 Good morning. Getting ready to go to work, but I have a bit of time to post an entry to the journal. We're off to a cloudy start here in Northwestern Middlesex County. Further to the north and west, we do have some activity showing up on the radar in Northwestern New Jersey. However, not much of it is reaching the ground since dew point levels are very low. The past couple days have been very dry. Right now, temperatures are in the low to mid 60s with cloudy skies. Calm winds and a barometric pressure above 30 inches of Hg. Humidity is below 40 percent. The sun should burn through the clouds, and provide another great day. Temperatures are expected to be in the upper 70s to 80 degrees. More clouds are expected to move in tonight as a system that had been in the Great Lakes comes in from the Northwest. On Sunday, there is a 30 percent chance of thunderstorms with highs in the mid 70s. 03-Jun-2011, 16:51 Good afternoon again. Well, we've had a carbon copy of yesterday's weather today. You know how weathermen on television talk about the three H's: Hazy, Hot, and Humid? Well, the past two days, we've had the three B's: Bright, Blue, and Breezy. Went out for another walk this afternoon, and took a trip out to Columbus Park in nearby Piscataway. Took some video of some of the sights and sounds, and just put it all together in another movie. Temperature climbed up to 78 degrees in Newark with humidity at 21 percent. Dew point is down to about 36 degrees. Winds are coming out of the West-Northwest at 23 miles per hour with gusts up to 29 miles per hour. Barometric pressure is holding steady at 29.99 inches while visibility is 8 miles. Yesterday, the visibility was 10 miles. Meanwhile, the water temperature in nearby New York Harbor is 64 degrees, and the pollen count is 233 after being up to 236 yesterday. However, that is still very high. I've been sneezing a lot over the past two days. Saturday is expected to be pretty much the same weather wise as it has been over the past couple days. Temperatures are again expected to get into the upper 70s under clear and sunny skies. Ultraviolet index is expected to be high again at 8. The sun has been strong over the past couple days. I've gotten a bit of sunburn from being out on my walks. The next chance of significant precipitation is Saturday night at the earliest with showers on Sunday and thunderstorms on Monday, but nothing widespread is expected. We should still have a good weekend weather wise. 02-Jun-2011, 17:00 Good afternoon. What a day we are having weather wise here in Northwestern Middlesex County. There is plenty of sun, blue sky, and a nice breeze to make things comfortable. I just finished going for a walk and taking some video from around town. It is amazing how blue the sky is. Temperatures were a little above average for this time of year. I actually went for several walks yesterday since I had to send out a couple bills as well as take a trip to the bank. It was just a super day to be outside. Perhaps one of the best weather days of the year. High temperature in South Plainfield reached 78 degrees. Humidity levels and dew points were much lower than they had been over the previous few days. The cold front that generated severe weather in parts of Middlesex and Monmouth County as well as Massachusetts, ushered in much cooler and drier air. 02-Jun-2011, 09:57 Good morning everyone. Sorry that I didn't post anymore entires to the journal yesterday, but I was tired and had a headache. Anyway, the front has pulled through, and it looks like a glorious day outside. There is plenty of sun with clear blue skies this morning. Got quite a breeze kicking up outside as well. Temperature at Newark Airport is at 76 degrees with 30 percent humidity for a dew point of 42, which is 30 degrees lower than it was on Wednesday afternoon. Speaking of Wednesday, we did have some strong storms roll through parts of Middlesex County. Twice there was a thunderstorm cell that moved through the southern part of the county at 5:30 PM and 9:00 PM. Towns such as South Brunswick, Helmetta, Dayton, East Brunswick, and Old Bridge saw hail and winds of 40 miles per hour. The real action was much farther north in Massachusetts. The central part of the state saw two tornadoes that left at least four people dead, hundreds of homes damaged, and thousands of trees down. The twisters affected some 19 communities from Springfield to Sturbridge to Oxford. The next two days should be very nice weather wise here in Central Jersey. Temperatures will be in the upper 70s for highs while dipping down into the 40s for lows. The next chance for storms will be on Saturday and Sunday. 01-Jun-2011, 15:23 Good afternoon everyone. Skies have gotten a bit darker here in Northwestern Middlesex County over the past hour. Took a look outside, and clouds have definitely begun to build up and lower. Temperature at Newark Airport has climbed a bit higher to 95 degrees with a heat index of 101 degrees. Dew point is 70 when you factor in a relative humidity of 44 percent. One thing that I forgot to mention in my last journal entry is that I noticed the winds were picking up towards the end of my walk. Winds at Newark were sustained at 21 miles per hour with gusts up to 26 miles per hour. So, conditions are becoming more and more unstable. The National Weather Service in Mount Holly, New Jersey has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Lehigh and Northampton counties in Pennsylvania. A severe thunderstorm was pushing eastward at 30 miles per hour along the Route 22 and Interstate 78 corridor, and should be moving into the Garden State near Alpha and Bloomsbury within the next few minutes. More thunderstorms are developing in Eastern Pennsylvania as well. 01-Jun-2011, 14:10 Good afternoon. Just got in from a long walk, and it is sweltering outside. Temperature at Newark Airport is 93 degrees after forecasts indicated that there would be a high of only 89 or 90. Humidity is about at 50 percent so the dew points around the region are in the upper 60s to low 70s. Heat index values are at least heading toward the triple digits if not well over it. There is hazy sunshine around the region with some cumulus clouds starting to bubble up. Just a little while ago, the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma put the Garden State as well as much of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic under a Tornado Watch until 8:00 PM. Interior portions of Pennsylvania and New York as well as parts of Vermont are under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch. We have a cold front moving into the region. Ahead of it is the warm and sticky air that we've been dealing with for the past several days. In addition, there is an upper level low pushing eastward through Canada that is providing some jet stream support. In the least, we could have strong winds and hail. Dr. Greg Forbes of the Weather Channel upgraded his TORCON index for the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic to 4 out of 10 today. Looking at the latest satellite imagery, the storm clouds are developing over Northeastern Pennsylvania towards Northwest Jersey. Doppler Radar indicates a good cluster of thunderstorms north of Allentown. Keep a look to the skies this afternoon. 01-Jun-2011, 10:06 Good morning everyone. Sorry that I didn't have any extra posts last night. I was looking to do one, but I was too tired after work, and going to see some high school basketball action. Anyway, today's weather should be interesting. We are currently in a sultry weather pattern with hazy, hot, and humid conditions over the Garden State. Temperatures have been ranging from the upper 80s to low 90s around the region over the past couple days. Right now, we have hazy sun here in South Plainfield. However, there is a cold front off to our west spun off from an upper level low situated in Canada. It will knife into the warm, humid air mass over our region, and bring with it the possibility of severe weather in the form of thunderstorms with large hail and damaging winds. There is also the possibility of a tornado. The rough weather is expected to strike sometime in the afternoon. There has already been a line of storms that moved through upstate New York, Vermont, and Massachusetts this morning. Another line is starting to form in Western Pennsylvania and Southwestern New York. I expect this line to move through our area later today. High temperature is expected to reach near 90 degrees today before the storms hit. Things will cool down a bit, and be much more comfortable with temperatures reaching the upper 70s for highs on Thursday and Friday. On another note, the 2011 Atlantic Hurricane Season begins today. Forecasters are anticipating another above average season. 31-May-2011, 08:15 Good morning. About to leave for work this morning. This is the Friday of my work week so I will have more time to post journals over the next few days. The day is off to a hazy start with sunshine. Temperatures are expected to get into the upper 80s to low 90s. There is an Air Quality Warning out for the Central Jersey region this morning. Hot temperatures along with high humidity levels are going to raise heat indices to uncomfortable levels. The mid-summer type weather is expected to continue into tomorrow before a cold front that is currently bringing rough weather again to the Midwest will barrel in. There is a chance of severe weather on Wednesday. Weatherscan on the Weather Channel has been indicating that for the past day and a half. We'll see if that comes to fruition. The heat has had a big impact on a large part of the country from Chicago, where eight people in a suburb had to be treated for heat related illnesses to Baltimore, where the mercury climbed to 98 degrees, and Washington D.C. where another 14 or so people had to be treated for heat related illnesses. I went out for a run after work last night, and worked up a good sweat in the muggy conditions. I also went for a walk at work yesterday morning, and took some photos during my lunch break. I've posted them to the clip gallery. Before I go, just wanted to give you all an update on the weather station. Still haven't been able to get a new temperature/humidity sensor. Haven't been able to sit down, and take a look around. Same goes for the situation with the new wireless weather station. 30-May-2011, 08:05 Good morning everyone. Getting ready to head out to work again. Yes, I am working on this Memorial Day. Been doing it for the past three years. Anyway, we just had some strong to severe thunderstorms roll through South Plainfield. The storms were part of a line of storms that caused severe weather in the Midwest including Kalamazoo, Michigan. The severe weather left some 100,000 people without power. Things are beginning to clear out although places along the Jersey Shore as well as Long Island are getting clocked right now. Currently, temperatures are in the upper 60s to low 70s across the Garden State under cloudy skies with some areas of rain thanks to the thunderstorms moving through. Winds are 10 to 15 miles per hour with higher gusts in the storms. With the sun re-emerging this morning, temperatures are expected to get up into the low 90s with higher heat indices. An Air Quality alert has been issued for portions of Northeastern New Jersey as well as New York City. It will be hot for the next couple of days before a cold front pushes into the region on Wednesday, which will be our next chance of severe weather. 29-May-2011, 08:18 Good morning everyone. Well, we are off to a cloudy start here in Northwestern Middlesex County. Temperatures around the Garden State are ranging from the mid to upper 60s and low 70s. The sun should break through though, and we are expected to have the best day of this three day weekend on Sunday. High temperatures are expected to reach the mid 80s this afternoon. Perfect beach weather. Looking at the latest Doppler Radar, we have some pockets of shower activity over in Pennsylvania. Another area of showers is much farther north near Albany, New York and the Berkshires. On Monday, the threat of thunderstorms return in the late afternoon with highs getting into the upper 80s to low 90s. Speaking of thunderstorms, yesterday a small thunderstorm moved northward right over South Plainfield late Saturday afternoon. I was at work at the time, but my mother told me that it rained really hard. Over in Edison, the skies got very dark, but no rain fell. Returning to the weather forecast, we can expect another chance of thunderstorms on Wednesday when a cold front moves through. 28-May-2011, 07:56 Good morning everyone. Well, I'm about ready to head out to work. Yes, I have to work on this Memorial Day Weekend. We are off to a cloudy start here in Northwestern Middlesex County in Central Jersey. We have some low level clouds hanging over the region. Of the three days this holiday weekend, Saturday looks to be the worst. The sun should be able to come out from time to time, but there will be clouds along with the chance of a stray afternoon or evening thunderstorm. Sunday and Monday look to be better with the mercury actually getting into the lower 90s on Memorial Day. Right now, the temperature is hovering in the low to mid 70s around the region. Barometric pressure is around 30.00 inches of Hg. Winds are calm with no wind gusts. There has been no precipitation. 27-May-2011, 23:38 Good evening everyone. I'm still working on getting a new temperature/humidity sensor for my weather station, but I'm also going to get a brand new setup. It is time to get with the times, and get a wireless weather station. I have wireless computers and network here at home, and there should be no reason why I can have the same for my weather station. Anyway, it was a nice start to the Memorial Day Holiday Weekend with the temperatures in the 80s under sunny skies. It was a great reward for all those around the Central Jersey region as well as the rest of the Garden State, and New York Metropolitan area that struggled through a brutal winter and a rough spring. Many were already at local beaches such as Coney Island in Brooklyn, and Seaside Park in Ocean County. There has been some strong to severe thunderstorms in the Northeast from the Mid-Atlantic to New England, but much of that has avoided our area to this point in the evening. The National Weather Service did issue Severe Thunderstorm Watches for portions of Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, and Vermont. Up to this point in the year, the mercury has struggled to get into the 80s let alone 90 degrees. However, high pressure is expected to build over the eastern half of the country, and the mercury as well as the heat indices are expected to climb into the 90s and upper 90s respectively over the next week. Be watchful of the heat advisories. 26-May-2011, 19:39 Good evening everyone. As we slowly descend toward nightfall here in Northwestern Middlesex County in Central New Jersey, there has been a bit more in the way of clouds and haze in the region. The marine air from the Atlantic has kept temperatures cooler in the Eastern half of the Garden State while the Western half has been baking in temperatures well into the 80s. Trenton and Camden actually reached 90 degrees as well as locations in New York The dividing line between the warm and steamy air that is dominating much, if not all of Pennsylvania as well as Western New Jersey, and the cooler air along the Jersey Shore, New York City, and Long Island has created some instability, which has resulted in some severe thunderstorms. As of late this afternoon, 26 counties in Pennsylvania were under a Tornado Watch, and some of those were under a tornado warning. Potent showers and storms are streaming north and northeastward from Virginia and Maryland into portions of Eastern Pennsylvania. There is a 20 percent chance of thunderstorms in Western Jersey tonight, and a 30 percent chance tomorrow. The National Weather Service office in Mount Holly has issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook for portions of West Jersey for the possibility of thunderstorms producing gusty winds and hail Friday afternoon and evening. 26-May-2011, 10:21 Good morning everyone. I gave the weather station another shot last night, but the temperature/humidity sensor is still not working right. To make matters worse, Davis has discontinued the item, and I'm struggling to find a replacement for it. Anyway, we have a nice day on tap again as the sun is shining brightly this morning. There is a bit of haze in the air, but that is expected to burn off as we progress through the morning, and into the afternoon. Currently, the temperature is 74 degrees here in South Plainfield with the humidity at 72 percent, and a dew point at 64 degrees. The barometric pressure is steady at 29.79 inches of Hg, and the wind is out of the South-Southeast at 1 mile per hour with a gust to 3 miles per hour. The forecast high today is expected to be in the low to mid 80s while the low is expected to drop to the upper 60s tonight. Could have out second 90 degree day this week tomorrow when the mercury is expected to rise into the low 90s. There is a storm system moving through the Great Lakes region, and bringing some severe weather there. Right now, we have strong high pressure in place that is acting like a shield, and keeping the low at bay for the time being. Some areas may see some thunderstorms in the afternoon on Friday though. Places such as Philadelphia, and some parts of Central and South Jersey. We'll see. 25-May-2011, 14:48 Good afternoon again everyone. I think I may have fixed the problem with the temperature sensor on my weather station for at least the time being. The current temperature now is 84.6 degrees with a dew point at 59.6 degrees. Humidity is 42 percent. Barometric pressure is at 29.78 inches of Hg and steady. Wind is relatively calm although there was a slight wind of 2 miles per hour just a few minutes ago. Temperatures around the area are ranging from the low to mid 80s including 82 degrees in nearby Bound Brook and Berkeley Heights. We have bright sunshine in the area. There is a little bit of moisture in the air. I took a walk to and from the bank this afternoon, and it was mostly comfortable outside. Well, I guess the issue with the temperature sensor was short lived. The mercury dramatically jumped to over 100 degrees just a few moments ago. I guess that my temperature sensor is going bad. May have to go offline for a bit. Sorry for the inconvenience. 25-May-2011, 12:14 Good afternoon everyone. Having a bit of trouble with my weather station this morning. The temperature sensor appears to be not reading correctly. Anyway, the show must go on. It is a beautiful day outside. Sunshine, Blue Skies, and very little in the way of clouds. Temperatures around the region are in the upper 70s to low 80s. Bound Brook and Berkeley Heights as well as Newark are at 78 degrees. The barometer here in Northwestern Middlesex County is at 29.80 inches of Hg while the humidity is at 54 percent. Winds remain calm with gusts up to 4 miles per hour. The ten minute average is 3 miles per hour. The forecast for today calls for mostly sunny skies, and the high reaching about 82 degrees with a northwest flow bringing in drier air. These conditions are now expected to last through Friday with the temperature climbing into the upper 80s by Friday. Showers and storms could pop up on both Saturday and Sundy. 24-May-2011, 22:54 Good evening everyone. So much for the possibility of severe weather earlier today. Besides the strong thunderstorm that rolled through portions of South Jersey late this afternoon, there has only been isolated showers in Eastern Pennsylvania and Western New Jersey. The sun won the battle by the late afternoon, and there was no thunderstorm development at all in the rest of the Garden State. Currently, the temperature is 79 degrees here in South Plainfield with humidity up to 84 percent for a dew point of 74 degrees. The barometric pressure has risen slightly from this afternoon to 29.68 inches of Hg. We had a wind gust of 5 miles per hour late this afternoon. Winds are presently calm. We're in for some pleasant weather over the next couple days. Temperatures will be in the low 80s under sunny skies. Next chance for storms will be on Friday. The Memorial Day Weekend looks like it will be warmer with the possibility of thunderstorms. 24-May-2011, 16:30 Well, just got our first Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued here in New Jersey courtesy of the NWS office in Mount Holly. The warning has been issued for parts of South Jersey including North Central Atlantic County, Southern Burlington County, East Central Camden County, and Central Ocean County. This thunderstorm has the capability of producing quarter size hail, winds in excess of 60 miles per hour, and deadly cloud to ground lightning as it races off to the east at 35 miles per hour. Didn't have a chance to check the temperatures out of South Jersey until now. The thermometer has ranged between 82 degrees in Mount Holly located in Burlington County to 88 in Pomona just outside of Atlantic City where Stockton State College is located. Temperatures around the Garden State have been in the upper 70s to upper 80s today. Newark was at 86 degrees not too long ago. Dew points are in the 60s across the Garden State. South Plainfield seems to be the only exception to the rule with temperatures reaching into the low 90s earlier this afternoon, and dew points in the high 70s before dropping into the low 70s. 24-May-2011, 15:12 Good afternoon. The clouds have been beginning to roll in here in Central Jersey. I've been watching the radar courtesy of the Weather Channel, and there are some showers and storms starting to fire up in the central portion of Pennsylvania. There is much more severe weather activity to the south and west in Kentucky, West Virginia, and Virginia. The temperature jumped up again over the past few hours to 93.3 degrees for a high as of 1:18 PM. It has dropped a bit to 88.3 degrees. The dew point is still in the lower 70s at about 72 to 73 degrees. For the first time this year, we have a heat index worth talking about. It skied up to about 106.4 degrees! It jumped up nearly seven degrees from the 99.7 degrees at around noon time. The barometric pressure is currently at 29.64 inches of Hg, and it has been ranging between 29.62 and 29.71 inches. The diurnal temperature range jumped up to nearly 50 degrees today. It was actually 47.5 degrees! It has been a bit more breezy today. After having relatively calm winds for the pas week or so, we've had a steady breeze of up to 3 miles per hour with a gust up to 4 miles per hour. A hazardous weather outlook was issued by the National Weather Service office in Mount Holly, New Jersey for the possibility of severe thunderstorms with hail and gusty winds this afternoon into this evening. Meanwhile, a special weather statement has been issued by the NWS in Baltimore and Washington D.C. for a strong thunderstorm moving through Montgomery and Loudon counties in Northern Virginia with penny to nickel size hail, and 40 to 50 mile per hour winds. 24-May-2011, 11:35 Good morning everyone. Sorry that I didn't post anything to the journal page, or issue a weather report last night, but I was very tired. Anyway, the day got off to a cloudy and foggy start. Thunderstorms had pushed through the area last night causing Tornado Warnings to be issued in Warren and Hunterdon counties. A twister struck near Allentown, Pennsylvania on Monday evening. I did see some lightning on the way home last night. Just a few flashes in the distance, but we didn't get any rain until after I went to sleep at about 11:30 PM. However, the fog has burned off, and the temperature has skyrocketed to 90.5 degrees, which is the highest it has been all year. Prior to today, we hadn't even had a day where the mercury climbed into the 80s in May. Last year, there had been at least eight 80 degree plus days by this time in the month of May. The low this morning got down to just under 46 degrees. We've had a diurnal temperature range of 44.7 degrees already today. The reason for this dramatic jump in temperature is because a warm front came through overnight with the thunderstorms. Along with the high jump in temperature, we've had a huge climb in dew point. Last week through yesterday, dew points have topped out somewhere in the 60s. Today, the dew point maxed out at 80 degrees, and is currently sitting at 77 degrees. So, we have a lot of moisture in addition to the warmth in the air. This could set the stage for some very severe weather this afternoon.. They are trying to pick up the pieces in Joplin, Missouri, which had an EF4 tornado strike there on Sunday night. Winds were estimated at 190 to 198 miles per hour. It left at least 116 people dead, which makes it the deadliest tornado on record since they began taking them at NOAA in 1950. The storm carved a path of six miles by a mile and a half wide. It destroyed some 2,000 homes in its path. The cleanup as well as search and rescue efforts were hampered yesterday by more severe weather although there weren't any twisters in the area. Joplin is again under the bullseye today for another round of severe weather. Over the past three days, there have been a total of 78 twisters recorded after what had been a dormant month by May standards. The weather system that roared through Joplin is headed toward our area today. The forecast from the Weather Channel's Weatherscan indicates that the temperature is only expected to get up to 82 degrees in Newark this afternoon, which a chance of thunderstorms lasting into the early evening. Judging from the data that I'm getting here, I think the chance of severe weather could be more widespread. We'll see. 23-May-2011, 07:33 Good morning everyone. Getting ready to head out to work again. Just checked the conditions outside. Right now it is cloudy. Temperature is 61 degrees with the humidity at 100 percent. Barometer is steady at 29.93 inches of Hg. The radar showed a cluster of showers and thunderstorms moving through the Southern part of Middlesex County earlier today. The forecast indicates that we'll have to deal with scattered thunderstorms with the temperature only climbing into the low 70s, which is down a bit from yesterday's outlook. More cloud cover would be the reason for that. Now, we are looking at the possibility of severe weather on Tuesday. Weatherscan courtesy of the Weather Channel indicates a chance for storms to produce large hail and gusty winds. The severe weather is finally picking up in the month of May. What is usually the most active month of the severe storms season, there have been more tornadoes in the past two days across the United States than there have been in the entire month. There were 20 twisters and Saturday, and another 48 on Sunday including a devastating tornado in Joplin, Missouri. Approximately 30 percent of the city is damaged, and 89 people so far are dead. If that wasn't enough, radar on CNN indicated another severe thunderstorm rolling toward Joplin this morning. May hit there in the next hour. 22-May-2011, 22:50 Good evening everyone. Just added some more photos to the Picture Gallery. Hope you enjoy. It has some kinks, but the gallery is coming along very well. Moving over to the weather. It was an uneventful day across the Garden State. Despite the fact that there were a good deal of clouds during the course of the day on Sunday, there was no measurable precipitation for the first time in a few days. The high temperature only managed to get into the low 60s after a low of 42 this morning. Looking at the latest radar courtesy of Weatherscan by The Weather Channel, there are some scattered showers around, but nothing significant to worry about at the moment. There is a 40 percent chance that there could be some rain though. We'll have a warmer day on Monday with the temperature getting up into the mid 70s with a chance for a thunderstorm. We'll have to keep an eye on the weather heading downstream from the Midwest and Great Plains. A powerful tornado ripped through the town of Joplin, Missouri early Sunday evening, and there are at least 24 dead according to CNN. This storm system has created tornado and severe thunderstorm watches and warnings from Wisconsin to Southern Texas. 22-May-2011, 08:01 Good morning everyone. I'm getting ready to head to work. Anyway, we have some low level clouds and fog around the Tri-State area this morning. Looking at the radar, there were some light rain showers in Eastern Pennsylvania, but they don't have the starch to make it here. Skies are going to be mostly cloudy today with cooler temperatures. After a high of over 79 degrees on Saturday, the mercury is only expected to climb into the mid to upper 60s on Sunday. The low temperature dropped to 42.5 degrees overnight and this morning. Pressure has been rising over the past 12 hours or so. The barometer is currently at 30.01, which is the highest it has been in the past couple weeks. We could have some drizzle early on, and some showers late on Sunday. The mercury will start to make a comeback on Monday with temperatures getting into the mid 70s, and then reaching the mid 80s by next week. However, the forecast is not as enthusiastic about the temps as it was a day or two ago. 21-May-2011, 23:39 Good evening everyone. Sorry that I didn't post anything earlier tonight, but I was busy doing more work on the Picture Gallery that I've created for the site. I've took some pictures of the sky, clouds, and sunset this evening after I got out of work. In addition, I've put more web cam pics up, and have added stills from some of the HD movies that I've created. Back to the weather. As I had mentioned in an article in my blog, the clouds battled the sun from the late morning on, and there were actually some showers and storms in the area. Rain was pouring out at Yankee Stadium prior to the start of the second game of the annual Subway Series between the Yankees and Mets. Showers developed in Warren, Hunterdon, and Somerset counties earlier in the day, and although not a lot of rain fell in either South Plainfield (home) or Edison (work), there were some interesting clouds around sunset. We had the highest temperature this month when the mercury climbed to 79.3 degrees at 2:42 PM this afternoon. We had a diurnal temperature range of 31.4 degrees after having a low in the upper 40s this morning. Dew point reached a high of 64.1 degrees. Had a little bit more of a breeze today with winds reaching close to 5 miles per hour in gusts while the pressure was relatively steady between 29.78 and 29.89 inches of Hg. Currently, the temperature is at 61 degrees with the barometer on the rise at 29.89 inches of Hg. Still a lot of moisture in the air with the dew point at 60 degrees while the winds are calm. 21-May-2011, 08:07 Good morning everyone. Things are drying out here in Central Jersey after some rain yesterday. Streets are a little damp, but are getting drier. The sun is out along with clear blue skies. The radar shows no threats for the time being, but that is expected to change as a cold front moves in later this afternoon. Isolated showers and thunderstorms are expected with the passage of the cold front. Temperatures are again expected to get into the upper 70s, and perhaps reach 80 degrees. Current temperature right now is 59 degrees after a low of 47.9 degrees earlier. Humidity is at 100 percent while the barometer remains steady at 29.81 inches of Hg. Winds are also calm. Temperatures are expected to cool down somewhat following the frontal passage. High temperature on Sunday is expected to only reach 65 degrees here in Central Jersey while it is forecast to be in the low 60s along the coast. Temperatures will climb back up into the 70s on Monday, and reach the low to mid 80s on Tuesday and Wednesday. I'll be back later tonight with another journal entry. I have to go to work today. 20-May-2011, 22:44 Temperatures are ranging from the upper 50s to low 60s across the Tri-State area. The pesky low pressure system that has been making things soggy around here is right over the Garden State, but looking at the latest radar imagery, you can see that the precipitation it has been generating is fizzling out. Nevertheless, conditions are damp and foggy outside in Middlesex County. The current temperature in Northwestern Middlesex County is 58.1 degrees with a humidity of 100 percent. Barometric pressure is still steady at 29.81 inches of Hg. Winds remain calm. The low appears to be finally on its way out, but a cold front will be battling high pressure for control of Saturday's weather. Temperatures are still expected to reach close to 80 degrees. However, when the cold front moves through, it will bring temperatures down into the mid 60s on Sunday before heading back into the low 80s by mid-week. 20-May-2011, 17:38 Good afternoon everyone. I've been busy doing work on another site, but I decided to take some time away to work on another journal entry. There was some more heavy rain in Central Jersey including here in Middlesex County. I have to admit that I wasn't paying much attention to the rain since I was listening to some music in my room. However, my mother, who works over in nearby Edison, stated that the rain was pouring where she was. Again there wasn't much fluctuation in the temperature. The mercury climbed to 64.4 degrees for a high after a low of 59.2 degrees. The diurnal temperature range was only 5.2 degrees with an average of 61.8 degrees. With the nearly 100 percent humidity, the dew point climbed up into the 60s again on Friday. The barometric pressure moved between 29.76 and 29.83 inches of Hg while the winds continue to be light. Showers and thunderstorms have continued to pinwheel over the Garden State, but they are losing their punch. There could be some rain heading into early Friday night, but things should clear out somewhat by early Saturday morning. Temperature is expected to approach 80 degrees on Saturday, but under some cloudy skies and another chance for showers. 20-May-2011, 11:50 Good morning, or almost afternoon. We are still dealing with some stray clouds and showers rotating into the Garden State from Pennsylvania. Looking at the latest radar courtesy of the Weather Channel's weatherscan, rain is filling in over Middlesex County as well as much of Central Jersey. While there is no rainfall occurring right now, there is plenty of evidence that there was some rain earlier today. We are still going to deal with some scattered showers and thunderstorms today into early tonight. Temperatures are expected to get into the low 70s. The current temperature here in South Plainfield is 63 degrees. There hasn't been much fluctuation in temperature with the diurnal temperature range only 3.5 degrees so far today. Humidity is nearly 100 percent with the dew point at 63 as well. The pressure and winds have been relatively steady and calm. The National Weather Service office in Mount Holly, New Jersey has issued a special weather statement indicating showers with heavy rainfall will affect much of New Jersey and Delaware as well as portions of Eastern Pennsylvania over the next few hours. Be patient everyone. Good weather is on the way. While Saturday and Sunday looked better earlier in the week, temperatures will be on the rise with a high of near 80 on Saturday, and highs in the low 80s to start the work week. 19-May-2011, 21:55 While the watches and warnings have been discontinued, we still have some storminess headed this way from the South and Southwest according to the latest Doppler Radar imagery. The real severe weather with heavy precipitation rolled through portions of West Jersey earlier this evening. Conditions have been dry all day here in Northwestern Middlesex County. Skies looked a bit threatening around dinner time, but the sun won out, and the day went into night peacefully. However, there are still some pockets of storminess heading northward through Middlesex and Somerset County. The current temperature is 63 degrees with the barometric pressure holding steady at 29.84 inches of Hg. Humidity is fluctuating between 89 and 90 percent with a dew point at 60 degrees. Winds remain calm. 19-May-2011, 17:25 Good late afternoon everyone. I've been continuing to monitor the weather situation here in New Jersey. The sun has been in and out all day, and there have been some showers and thunderstorms off to the west in Hunterdon and Warren counties here in Jersey, but nothing here yet. The National Weather Service issued a Flood Warning as well as a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for parts of Western Jersey as well as Eastern Pennsylvania until 6:15 PM. There are some slow moving thunderstorms capable of producing small hail, dangerous lightning, and heavy downpours. There may be a stray thundersorm that moves into our neck of the woods tonight, but I'm not really confident that it will be severe. Temperature has dropped to 69.5 degrees after a high of 73.3 degrees today. The humidity remains at 100 percent, which is causing the heat index to go up to nearly 76 degrees here in Northwest Middlesex County. Pressure is steady at 29.81 inches of Hg, and there has been relatively light winds. Skies are cloudy. We'll continue to monitor conditions as they develop here. 19-May-2011, 13:35 Good afternoon everyone. Sorry for the delay in journal entries, but I gave the computer a few hours off this morning since it had been on non-stop for the past several days. The webcam is also back online after being down since late last night. Anyway, the sun did come out again earlier today, but the clouds continue to dominate the story. In response to the sun's emergence, the temperature climbed to 72.2 degrees, but has dropped slightly since then to 71.9 degrees. Been watching the radar throughout the day, and there are some clouds with showers and storms in Eastern Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware. There is still a great deal of moisture in the air, which has laid the groundwork for instability and potential severe weather. The dew point remains in the mid to upper 60s. The highest dew point level today has been 66.8 degrees. Barometric pressure has ranged between 29.78 inches and 29.94 inches of Hg. While the pesky low we have been dealing with for the past several days has weakened somewhat, and is centered further west, it still has the ability to create some havoc. As a result, the National Weather Service office in Mount Holly, New Jersey has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch until 8:00 PM EDT for the following areas: Central Jersey, Northern New Jersey, Northwestern New Jersey, East Central Pennsylvania, Northeast Pennsylvania, and Southeast Pennsylvania. 18-May-2011, 23:36 Good evening everyone. Well, I'm about to go to sleep after a busy day. I was in Union Township, New Jersey this evening to see some high school basketball action at Kean University, and during the 8:00 PM round of games, the skies opened up again for another downpour. The rain caused more ponding of the roadways. Even the Garden State Parkway had portions of it underwater. Took a look at the forecast courtesy of the Weather Channel's Weatherscan, and it mentioned that there will be a chance of some sun tomorrow along with the possibility of thunderstorms. Some of the storms may be severe. We'll see. No significant changes in terms of temperature, dew point, pressure, and wind to report. 18-May-2011, 17:05 The National Weather Service in Upton, New York issued a Flash Food Warning for Union, Essex, Passaic, Hudson, and Southern Bergen county as well as portions of Staten Island this afternoon after another wave of rain came through. There were several downpours here in Northwestern Middlesex County from about lunch time to about an hour ago. Took some video of it. We've had about an inch to an inch and a half of rain. Temperature didn't get any higher than the 72.4 degrees that occurred at about lunch time after the sun had come out. Doppler radar had a large swath of moisture spreading in over Northern New Jersey and Staten Island from the Atlantic Ocean. Pressure hasn't changed much since the early afternoon, and there is a break in the shower activity, but the forecast indicates that more rain is expected. 18-May-2011, 13:27 Good afternoon everyone. Well, the sun peaked out about an hour ago, but the clouds have come back, and there are showers and thunderstorms still lingering about across the Garden State. We are still looking at a considerable amount of rain today and tonight, but Thursday and Friday are looking a bit more promising than they did earlier this week. In addition, the weekend is sounding very optimistic according to the forecasters. We'll see. Anyway, with the sun coming out for that little bit, the mercury shot up to 72.4 degrees, which was much higher than expected. The dew point is well into the uncomfortable range of the mid to upper 60s. Heat index increased to 76.5 degrees. So, there is still plenty of moisture and instability about, which could breed some more showers and thunderstorms. Barometric pressure has fluctuated between 29.76 and 29.84 inches of Hg. Highest wind gust so far has been up to 5 miles per hour so there is not a lot in the way of wind outside. 18-May-2011, 07:40 Good morning everyone. The ground and roads are damp, but no rain is falling at the moment. However, expect that to change over the course of the day as waves of rain will spread over the area as they pinwheel around the stubborn low over the Eastern United States. High temperatures are expected to climb into the mid 60s today. Flood watch is still in effect through tonight. We could see another couple inches from these waves, and even heavier amounts locally according to Weatherscan courtesy of the Weather Channel. Accu-Weather is calling for 2 to 4 inches. Right now the temperature is 61 degrees with cloudy skies, and humidity at 100 percent. Barometric pressure is holding steady at 29.81 inches. Winds are calm with the highest gust so far today of 3 miles per hour. Latest Doppler radar is showing showers and storms moving through Northern New Jersey while some scattered showers are located near Mercer County. 17-May-2011, 22:17 Good evening everyone. Well, we've had a break in the action in terms of the rain over the past several hours. There were some dark and ominous clouds, but no precipitation. Did have some rain earlier in the day. Rainfall is supposed to pick up again during the overnight, and continue on Wednesday. Temperature climbed to a high of 64.2 degrees with a low of 54.9 degrees for a diurnal temperature range of 9.3 degrees, and an average of 58.8 degrees. The dew point didn't get to equal the temperature at 62.7 degrees. We had only a wind gust of 7.0 miles per hour with an average wind of 1.9 miles per hour. Barometric pressure climbed to 29.79 inches of Hg from a minimum of 29.69 inches of Hg for an average of 29.74 inches of Hg. Looking at the latest radar courtesy of Weatherscan from The Weather Channel some heavy rain is just to the south and east of the area, and headed up this way. So, the rain is expected to resume. Flood watch is still in effect through late Wednesday night with rainfall amounts of up to 2 inches expected. 17-May-2011, 07:42 Good morning everyone. Well, the rain has kicked into gear across the Garden State with a swath of moisture feeding off an easterly flow from the ocean. A nice steady rain is falling along with a decent breeze outside this morning. The National Weather Service office in Mount Holly, New Jersey has issued a Flood Watch for portions of the Garden State starting this morning at 8:00 AM, and lasting until Wednesday night. According to the forecast on Weatherscan courtesy of The Weather Channel, one to two inches of rain is expected during the day today, and another inch is possible this evening. Due to the cloud cover, the temperatures are lower this morning than they were 24 hours ago. The thermometer dropped to 54.9 degrees while the current temperature is 56.6. We have also had a breeze of 5 miles per hour while the barometric pressure has not moved much. It has fluctuated between 29.69 and 29.73 inches of Hg. Looks like a good deal of rain over the next two days with the chance of thunderstorms on both Thursday and Friday. Sun may come out on Saturday, but there is still a chance of a thunderstorm. Temperatures will gradually get warmer going from the mid 60s today and tomorrow to the mid to upper 70s on Saturday. Well, it is off to work. See you later. 16-May-2011, 22:10 Good evening everyone. Well, finally got myself to get to the computer, and put together this entry. There is a flood watch out for portions of the Garden State. We've had some rain during the day, but as we got into the evening, the weather was dominated mostly by fog. After work, I took a drive down to Neptune in Monmouth County, and the ride down Route 18 South was characterized by a very thick fog that reduced visibility a great deal. Everything worked out ok though. There was some light rain, but mostly fog. The high temperature got up to only 62.4 degrees today. Only two tenths of a degree higher than it was when I gave me weather report to WEATHERFUN this morning. The diurnal temperature range for today was just 5.9 degrees. With all the moisture, the dew point reached a high of 62.4 degrees as well. The barometric pressure ranged between 29.54 inches and 29.69 inches. Looking at the latest radar, there are showers with some thunderstorms moving northward through eastern Pennsylvania and Western Jersey, but nothing threatening Middlesex County yet. Looks like we are going to be dealing with rain for the rest of the week. Heaviest rain is expected on Tuesday and Wednesday with at least an inch falling on Tuesday, and perhaps higher amounts locally according to The Weather Channel's Weatherscan. 16-May-2011, 07:51 Good morning everyone. Sorry that I didn't post to the journal last night, but I was very tired when I got home. Plus I wanted to give the computer a break after being on non-stop for a few days. Anyway, conditions are damp this morning. While there isn't much rain falling at the moment, the streets are damp, and the skies over overcast. After reaching a high of 68 degrees with a ton of humidity yesterday, the mercury dropped to only 60.5 degrees overnight, and has only moved a little since then to 62.1 degrees. With the abundance of moisture, the dew points have soared into the upper 60s. Managed to get outside a couple times while at work on Sunday. The first time was about 2:00 PM, and there was a break in the rain at that time. The second time was during my lunch break, and the heaviest rain held off just so that I could get a walk/run in. Towards the end of my second break, there were some rumbles of thunder, which preceded a downpour. With the arrival of the storm system, the barometric pressure dropped to 29.38 inches of Hg at 4:49 PM on Sunday afternoon. The pressure has since fluctuated between 29.41 inches and 29.48 inches. I have to get ready for work now. I hope to have another journal entry when I get home tonight. 15-May-2011, 06:59 Good morning. The rain has been falling in Central Jersey. Nothing too heavy, but it has been a steady rain. The temperature didn't drop much. Only had a low of 58.7 degrees with the current temperature was 59.7 degrees. The barometer dropped to 29.46 inches of Hg just before 6:00 PM this morning. Looking at the latest radar courtesy of Accu-Weather, we just had a widespread batch of showers and storms move through here in Central Jersey. All of that rain is now in flood ravaged Northern New Jersey. The break here is not expected to last long. More showers and storms are expected to move in during the day today. This is a start of a period of several days of rain. We could end up with a total of 3 inches of rain by Wednesday. 14-May-2011, 21:21 Good evening everyone. Got home from work about an hour and a half ago. Finally got myself around to doing an update to the journal. Well, the day was dominated by clouds here in Central Jersey. There was no rain though. I went out for a walk around the building at work around 2:00 PM. It would be the only one on the day for me since there was a great deal of work to do. Anyway, the sky consisted of altostratus clouds. It was a grey day, but comfortable to be outside. Right now, the temperature is at 60.5 degrees here in Northwest Middlesex County. The high temperature climbed to 66.1 degrees while the low was 55 degrees. The maximum wind speed was only 3 miles per hour. The barometric pressure bottomed out at 29.60 inches after being up at 29.73 inches this morning. Looking at the latest radar courtesy of Weatherscan from the Weather Channel, and there are some showers popping up around the Garden State. They should become more plentiful and widespread on Sunday. Chance of thunderstorms exists for both Sunday and Monday with temperatures climbing into the low 70s. 14-May-2011, 07:10 Good morning everyone. Getting ready to go to work this morning. Took a look outside, and the skies are overcast at the moment. Looking like we'll get a little bit of rain, but the heavier stuff will hold off for tomorrow. Beyond Sunday, the rains are expected to continue through Wednesday as another slow moving low pressure system is churning eastward. Flooding problems could return for Jersey residents by the middle of next week. Not too much fluctuation in temperature so far today. The low got down to just 55 degrees while the current temperature is 57. The high so far was just under 58 degrees. Not much change in the wind or pressure. Winds remain calm while pressure has ranged between 29.68 and 29.73 inches of Hg. 13-May-2011, 21:18 Good evening everyone. Just happened to notice the moonlight shining through the dining room windows in my house. I then took a look out the window, and noticed that the moon was up, and while it was not a full moon, it was shining brightly. There were some high clouds, however, that obscured the view. The sun had a tough fight today, but when it did come out, the mercury was able to climb into the upper 60s. High temperature here in South Plainfield, New Jersey was 67.3 degrees late this afternoon. As a result, the diurnal temperature range was 16.5 degrees. The dew point peaked at 55.1 degrees while the maximum wind gust was only 3 miles per hour. Meanwhile, the barometric pressure fell a bit more this afternoon to a low of 29.67 inches of Hg. Since then, it has climbed a bit to 29.72 inches of Hg. Right now, the temperature in Northwest Middlesex County is 59 degrees with the humidity at 75 percent for a dew point of 52 degrees. Looking at the latest radar from the Weather Channel, there is not much in the way of organized precipitation at the moment, but that will begin to gradually change over the next 24 to 36 hours. 13-May-2011, 15:30 Good afternoon everyone. Well, the sun did come out for a while about an hour ago, but it has since gone back into hiding amongst the clouds. Temperature has risen some thanks to the brief appearance of the sun. The mercury is currently at 66 degrees after reaching a high of 66.4 degrees. Dew Point is at 54 degrees thanks to a humidity level of 65 percent. Barometric pressure has been dropping over the past few hours. The barometer is now reading 29.72 inches of Hg, which is a drop of about 0.11 inches since this morning, and nearly a quarter of an inch since yesterday. Diurnal temperature range for today has been 15.6 degrees. Winds have been relatively calm throughout the day. The clouds have been a more uniform and persistent overcast today as supposed to those of the past two mornings. 13-May-2011, 11:29 Good morning again. Well, the clouds persist here in Central Jersey. The forecast is still calling for the sun to come out, and the temperatures are still expected to be at our near 70. The current temperature in Newark is 61 degrees under cloudy skies. Here in South Plainfield, skies are also overcast, and the temperature is slightly cooler at 59 degrees. The barometric pressure remains somewhat steady at 29.82 inches of Hg, but it has fallen about a tenth of an inch since yesterday afternoon. Looking back on yesterday, the highest temperature in the last week occurred at 2:15 PM on Thursday. The mercury climbed to 75 degrees. The diurnal temperature range was just under 23 degrees. The average temperature for the past week was 60.3 degrees. It wasn't as windy on Thursday with the maximum wind gust only reaching 4 miles per hour. Average wind speed for the day was just 0.3 miles per hour. 13-May-2011, 08:38 Good morning. Day is getting off to more of a cloudy start than even yesterday or Wednesday. The low temperature overnight was just under 51 degrees. Forecast is calling for the sun to eventually break through, and the mercury to climb into the 70s again. Looked at the radar just a little while ago, and there are small pockets of shower activity in Northwestern New Jersey as well as Eastern Pennsylvania, but nothing too threatening. This will be the last day of really good weather. Conditions have already shown signs of going downhill, and will do so in earnest starting on Saturday as a vast storm off the East Coast begins to move away, and another storm system pushes in from the Midwest. Heavier rains will follow on Sunday. 12-May-2011, 08:34 Good morning everyone. I was hoping to put up another journal entry last night, but I fell asleep. I also shut down the computer for a few hours to give it a little break. Anyway, looks like its going to be another great day here in Central Jersey. The low only got down to 52.9 degrees this morning, so I think once the sun comes out, we could come close to the high on Tuesday of around 75 degrees. Yesterday's diurnal temperature range was almost 23 degrees. The average temperatures was about 60 degrees. Barometric pressure was a bit higher yesterday, but it remained relatively steady as it fluctuated from 29.90 to 29.95. Looking at the sky conditions outside right now, there are some scattered clouds, but the sun is shining, and the skies couldn't be more blue. We are still dealing with a large storm system off of New England, which has been pinwheeling some stray clouds over the region the past few days. One benefit to this storm system is the fact that it has acted as a barrier to other storm systems trying to approach from the west, which is why we've had such a nice stretch of weather. The protective shield should remain for the next 36 to 48 hours before it erodes, and a low pressure system in the middle of the country spreads eastward. 11-May-2011, 15:37 Good afternoon everyone. Well, I'm finished with work for the week, and will be putting entries in the journal a bit more often. Anyway, another nice day shaping up here in Central Jersey. Went out for a walk just before noon time, and there were some patchy clouds outside. It almost looked like it wasn't going to be a nice day at all outside. However, the sun started to take control as it has been for the past five days. Whatever clouds there were in the late morning where mostly burned off by the mid-afternoon. All that remained were puffy cumulus clouds. This is by far the best stretch of weather we've had in Central Jersey in quite some time. The high temperature so far today is just under 70 degrees. Thought that it might be a bit cooler than yesterday since the morning temperature was four degrees cooler than it was yesterday. The barometric pressure has fluctuated between 29.88 and 29.93 inches of Hg. Maximum wind gust so far today has been 9 miles per hour. 11-May-2011, 07:10 Good morning. Just got up a little while ago. It is a bit cooler outside. About this time yesterday, the temperature was about four degrees warmer. The mercury dipped to about 46 degrees for a low this morning, and is currently at 48.3 degrees. Took a quick look outside, and the skies are clearer. Yesterday, there was some high cirrus. Today, there is nothing but blue skies. The radar shows no trouble on the horizon as it looks like another great spring day here in the Central Jersey area. High temperature is expected to get up to about 72 degrees. The barometer has climbed a bit from yesterday. It is now up to 29.92 inches of Hg, which is the highest it has been over the last five days. Well, gotta go. Working again today. Getting some more overtime in. 10-May-2011, 21:14 Good evening everyone. Finally getting settled in after another long day at work. It was another great day weather wise here in Northwestern Middlesex County in Central Jersey. The temperature climbed to a high of just under 75 degrees here in South Plainfield. It was the fourth consecutive day that temperatures reached 70 or higher. There were blue skies with plenty of sun, and not too much wind. I went out for a walk at about 4:15 PM EDT while on break at work, and it was a great time to enjoy the fine weather. The highest wind gust recorded here in South Plainfield reached 9.0 miles per hour while the average wind speed was 0.4 miles per hour. Pressure remained steady at 29.80 to 29.85 inches of Hg. The nice conditions are expected to continue on Wednesday with at or above temperatures under more sunny skies. 10-May-2011, 06:29 Good morning everyone. Just got up a few minutes ago, and getting ready for work. I did take a quick look outside, and at the latest radar and conditions. Looks like we are in for a repeat of the weather that we have had for the past several days. The sun is up, and there is mostly blue skies with the exception of the high cirrus clouds. Temperature is currently at 52 degrees while the winds are calm, and pressure remains steady. The forecast is calling for the mercury to climb to 73 degrees under sunny skies and a slight breeze. These conditions are expected to continue for much of the week. Friday will be our first chance at rain in about a week. 09-May-2011, 23:25 Good evening everyone. Well, again, I'm ready to go to bed after another long day at work. I also went down to Monmouth County to watch some high school basketball action in a spring league there. Anyway, it was another nice day in Central Jersey. I had gone out for a walk in the middle of the afternoon while on break at work, and once more, the conditions were pleasant. Sunshine, blue skies, warm temperatures, and a slight breeze. The mercury climbed to about the same temperature it has been for the past several days. The high temperature was 72.2 degrees, which was 0.2 degrees warmer than it was on Sunday, and about a degree milder than it was on Saturday. The diurnal temperature range for today was 24.1 degrees. Again, the barometric pressure remained steady for the most part while winds again gusted to 12 miles per hour. The average wind speed was a bit higher than it had been for the past two days. 09-May-2011, 07:08 Good morning. Getting ready to go to work again. Went out for a run, and conditions are very nice outside. Sunny skies, very little wind, and comfortable temperatures. Just a bit on the cool side, but it was perfect for a run. The low fell to about 48.1 degrees at 5:48 AM while it has climbed to 52.1 degrees. Barometric pressure has risen a bit to 29.83 inches of Hg. Forecast calls for the mercury to climb to about 70 degrees today again under relatively sunny skies. Much of the week looks good with nice weather stretching into Thursday. Temperatures will be in the low to mid 70s until Friday when the next threat of rain is expected. 08-May-2011, 20:31 Good evening everyone. Well just got back from work a little while ago, and had some supper. Today was another fine day weather wise around Central Jersey. Here at GWC, the mercury climbed to 72 degrees for a high, just a bit higher than it was yesterday. The diurnal temperature range for today was 26.9 degrees. The average temperature for the past 24 hours was 58.8 degrees. Pressure again remained relatively steady. As of the time of this journal entry, it was at 29.75 inches of Hg. Average wind was again minimal while there was a gust of up to 8 miles per hour. Went out for a run this afternoon while I was at work. Took the run about 4:30 PM. Conditions were comfortable. Skies had some patchy clouds, but it was overall sunny. Not a lot of wind, and a great time for a run. A number of co-workers had noted to me during the day that the weather was gorgeous outside. As the day progressed toward nightfall, the clouds continued to build up outside. A low pressure system off the New England coast spun off some clouds that hovered over the region. However, the forecast calls for skies to clear, and another nice day is on tap for Monday. 08-May-2011, 07:36 Good morning. I'm running a bit late since I work again this morning. While the weather software was indicating that there were heavy clouds early on, the sun has broken through with temperatures beginning to climb from the low of 45.1 degrees earlier this morning. Doppler radar indicates now problems on the horizon with sunny skies and clear conditions on tap for today. High Temperature is expected to get up to around 74 degrees. Barometric pressure has inched up to 29.73 inches of Hg, but still remains steady. I will try to post something to the journal when I get home tonight. 07-May-2011, 20:15 Good evening everyone. Just got home after working some overtime at my job. Didn't get much of a chance to enjoy what turned out to be a rather nice day in the Garden State. Temperatures again climbed into the low 70s with a high of 71.3 degrees here in South Plainfield, New Jersey. The low fell to about 45.1 degrees for a diurnal range of temperature of 26.2 degrees. There was quite a bit of sun after forecasts had previously indicated that there would be some showers during the day. Barometric pressure remained relatively steady during the day on Saturday only fluctuating between 29.60 and 29.70 inches of Hg. There was a bit of a breeze as well. Highest wind gust was reported late Saturday afternoon with 12.0 miles per hour while the average wind speed was 0.3 miles per hour. 07-May-2011, 07:41 Good morning. I'm about to head out for work so I won't be reporting again until tonight. Anyway, the sun is out, and the barometer has not changed much from the time I went to bed last night. The temperature is just above 50 degrees with the humidity at nearly 100 percent. Winds are calm. The forecast courtesy of the Weather Channel is calling for some showers along with a rumble of thunder. Temps are forecast to be as high as yesterday. 06-May-2011, 23:39 Getting ready to go to bed. The barometer has gone up a couple hundredths of an inch over the past several hours, and there are some high clouds over Northwestern Middlesex County. Just checked up on the rain that was moving in from Pennsylvania. It was now just a band of weak showers moving into Western New Jersey. Temperature has fallen to just under 58 degrees. It has dropped 2 degrees in the past hour. 06-May-2011, 20:21 Good evening everyone. Well, I continue to work on my time lapse videos. I have five in the pipeline, and more from the end of last year and beginning of this year on the way. I also made a key correction to my weather station software. When I was configuring my site's location, I inadvertently put in the wrong longitude coordinate. So, as a result, my Sunrise and Sunset times on the ticker were off. I've corrected this, and the times are now correct. Now, let's get back to the weather. It turned out to be a quite a nice day here in Northwestern Middlesex County. The temperature climbed to just under 72 degrees. It was exactly 71.9 degrees here in South Plainfield. The barometer has remained steady throughout the afternoon after dropping 0.15 inches from early this morning. Clouds are starting to gather. Looking at the latest radar, showers and storms are off to the Southwest in Southeastern Pennsylvania, and they are creeping closer to the area. Scattered clouds are overhead now, and satellite imagery indicates that unsettled weather is heading this way. The Weather Channel forecast is calling for a few showers on Saturday with a high temperature of 71 along with a low of 51. 06-May-2011, 16:27 Good afternoon everyone. I was hoping to put up a journal entry earlier, but I got sidetracked with some other stuff. I did go outside for a bit earlier this afternoon. I went for a run, and took some dumbells with me for some added resistance. It turned out to be quite a nice day here in Northwestern Middlesex County. When I went for my run, the temperature was 64.5 degrees, and the temperature climbed a bit further into the low 70s. At the time of this entry, the thermometer was reading 71.3 degrees. Dew Point was 40.7 degrees, and the skies were clear with a slight breeze out of the SSW. One indicator that is hinting that a change is on the way is the barometer. Right now, it is at 29.68 inches of Hg, which is a drop of 0.15 inches from this morning. 06-May-2011, 08:37 Good morning. Just got up a little less than an hour ago. I burned the midnight oil working on putting together some more time lapse videos. Anyway, the day here in Northwestern Middlesex County got off to a cloudy start, but the sun has burst through. Took a look at the Weather Channel radar courtesy of Weatherscan, and things are clear for the moment. Temperatures are currently in the upper 50s. However, looking at the regional satellite, you can see clouds advancing eastward. Forecast is calling for a good day though with partly cloudy skies and temperatures getting into the lower 70s and winds out of the SW at 15 to 25 miles per hour. Clouds are expected to win out though as showers are forecast for tonight with lows falling into the upper 50s. Barometer is currently holding steady at 29.84 inches of Hg, which is slightly up from last night, and yesterday afternoon. 05-May-2011, 20:05 Good evening. Well, my friend at the meeting yesterday, was right. Skies cleared out today, and conditions were great with bright sunny skies with some scattered clouds. I could tell that this was going to be a fine spring day just by the way things were lighting up inside the house late in the morning. Just took a look at the statistics for today, and the high temperature was 65.3 degrees this afternoon. It could have been higher had it not been for the brisk breeze that characterized the day. At about 1:30 PM this afternoon, the weather station in the backyard recorded a sustained wind of 3 miles per hour with a gust of 10 miles per hour, but I wouldn't be surprised that there were higher gusts. I took a look at today's wind data, and found that there was indeed a higher gust. At 4:05 PM, there was a wind gust of 17 miles per hour. Meanwhile, the average wind speed throughout the day was actually 9 miles per hour. Wind chill and heat index temperatures were still the same at 65.3 degrees. 04-May-2011, 16:20 Just got out of a meeting in Edison, New Jersey, which is one town over from South Plainfield. On the way over to the meeting, I could see that the skies were trying to clear up after it had been cloudy all day with rain from about 9:00 AM. I was told during the meeting that the weather was going to be nice on Thursday, which was a pleasant surprise since the forecast earlier in the week had indicated rain from Wednesday until the end of the week. Temperatures were cold for this time of year. Ranging from the upper 40s to the low 50s. No severe weather though. Rain hasn't been heavy, but it has been steady. Thought it would be worse than it was though. The morning radar courtesy of the Weather Channel had indicated that some moderate to heavy rain was going to fall across the Garden State. However, there were no downpours. |