This was quite the peculiar winter. In January, the temperature typically ranged from a low of 22℉ to a high of 37℉ in Northern New Jersey– pretty normal, right? However, in February the temperature was sometimes in the sixties– unusual for the midst of the season. By the end of February, New Jersey had barely received any snow; when it did, it melted away within hours. Many thought that winter never really arrived this year. For some, that can be quite disappointing, and I’m one of those people. I love watching the snow cover the ground in a white blanket, turning it into a winter wonderland. Snow adds beauty to everything. It brings a sense of comfort and enchantment, so its absence is definitely disappointing for some. 

What is the reason for the warmer winter you ask?

Climate change is usually the conclusion people jump to when the topic of the warm winter is brought up. And, yes, they are partially correct, but there is another factor known as la niña, a global wind pattern. This term is defined as waters colder than normal in the equatorial Pacific Ocean off the South American Coast. Even though the Pacific Ocean is a distance from us, it still impacts the weather here.

Now, we are about a week away from the official start of Spring on March 20, and there is some snow in the forecast. Will the spring weather really start next week, or will we have more weird winter weather?

Sources

Braate, Eric, and Jennifer Millman. “Why Is It So Warm This Winter? NYC Weather 10-Day Stays Mild – NBC New York.” NBC New York, 10 February 2023, https://www.nbcnewyork.com/weather/nyc-weather-why-is-it-so-warm-this-winter-there-are-2-main-reasons/4097071/. 

“Home.” YouTube, https://world-weather.info/forecast/usa/florham_park/february-2023/.