Weather and Climate Observations at Stockton University

Mia Caso

Physical Geography Laboratory (Section 001)

Dr. Emma Witt

31 March 2023
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Table of Contents Page 2

a. Abstract………………………………………………………………………………………...4
b. Background Information on New Jersey Climates…………………………………………….4
i. Current Global Climate Classification / Classification of Observational
Climate ………………………………………………………………………4-5
ii. Factors that Influence Air Temperature of Recording Site…………………...6-7
iii. Cause of Precipitation at Observation Area …………………………………7
c. Location Information………………………………………………………………………….7
i. County/ Physiographic Region……………………………………………....7
ii. Area of Interest………………………………………………………………7
d. Time Period Information……………………………………………………………………...8
i. Observation Time Span……………………………………………………...8
ii. Total Journal Days……………………………………………………….......8
iii. Description of Observational Approach……………………………………..8-9
e. Temperature…………………………………………………………………………………...9
i. Summarization of Observation Period………………………………………9
ii. Trends in Temperature Data…………………………………………………11-12
f. Precipitation…………………………………………………………………………………..12
i. Summarization of Observation Period………………………………………12
g. Weather Pattern Explanation………………………………………………………………….13
i. Change in Weather during Observation Period……………………………...13
ii. Cause of Change Due to Weather System…………………………………...13
h. Climate Comparison…………………………………………………………………………..13
i. Summarization of 2023 Data………………………………………………...13-14
ii. Comparison of Precipitation of Recorded to “Normal” Averages…………...15-16
iii. Comparison of Recorded Observation to Average Climate
Observations/Climate………………………………………………………..16
i. Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………….16
i. Summarization of Important Observations………………………………….16
ii. Comparison of Observational and Analysis Data……………………………16-17
iii. “What If” Scenario of Observation………………………………………….17
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List Of Figures

1. Figure 1: Map of New Jersey with Current Climate Classifications (Strahler) with Observation
Location (Stockton University Galloway Campus) and New Jersey Weather Stations.

2. Figure 2: Weather Journal Observation Location at Stockton University – Galloway Campus

Next to the Closest Weather Station, Atlantic City International Airport. Data from NCEI.

3. Figure 3A: Personal Observation Data of Temperatures During Observation Period from
January 26th – February 23rd. Some days of data are missing due to not being recorded. Data Collected
By iPhone Weather App. Comparison of Predicted Maximum High Temperature, Predicted Minimum
Low Temperature, and Predicted Average Temperature all in Fahrenheit.

4. Figure 3B: Atlantic City International Airport Weather Station Observation Data on Recorded
Maximum Temperature (TMAX), Recorded Minimum Temperature (TMIN), and Recorded Average
Temperature (TAVG) in Temperature Celsius for the Observation Time Period January 26th – February
26th.

5. Figure 3C: Atlantic City International Airport Weather Station Observation Data on Recorded
Maximum Temperature (TMAX), Recorded Minimum Temperature (TMIN), and Recorded Average
Temperature (TAVG) in Temperature Fahrenheit for the Observation Time Period of January 26th –
February 26th.

6. Figure 4: Precipitation Recordings from Atlantic City International Airport Weather Station for
Precipitation of Each Day During the Observation Period.

7. Figure 5A: Deviation in Temperature from the 1991-2020 Recorded Average Temperature
Data and the 2023 Recorded Average Temperature Data in Celsius for the observation period from the
Atlantic City International Airport Weather Station. (NOAA NWS and NCEI)

8. Figure 5B: Deviation in Temperature from the 1991-2020 Recorded Average Temperature
Data and the 2023 Recorded Average Temperature Data in Fahrenheit for the observation period from the
Atlantic City International Airport Weather Station. (NOAA NWS and NCEI)

9. Figure 6A: Average Temperature of Each Day of the Observation Period from the NCEI 1991-
2020 Long Term Climate Data Set in Comparison to the 2023 Climate Data Set from the Atlantic City
International Airport Weather Station in Celsius. (NOAA)
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10. Figure 6B: Average Temperature of Each Day of the Observation Period from the NCEI
1991-2020 Long Term Climate Data Set in Comparison to the 2023 Climate Data Set from the Atlantic
City International Airport Weather Station in Fahrenheit. (NOAA)

a. Abstract
Observational Data was collected during the period of January 26th – February 23rd from Stockton
University Galloway Campus and recorded in a weather journal to be used to compare weather
recordings from the Atlantic City International Weather Station. The data sets were used to
analyze climate and weather patterns that occurred in the moist-subtropical area during the period
and to analyze changes in comparison to the 1991-2020 weather climate averages. Other data,
such as background information of the type of climate region, air temperature factors, and
background knowledge were also used in support of the analyzed data. It was concluded that for
this area, the temperature was significantly higher than normal, and the precipitation was
extremely lower than normal. The changes in these factors also concluded the types of weather
patterns that occurred during this time and the reasoning for why the classification of this area
may be due for change.
b. Background Information on NJ Climates:
New Jersey’s climate varies throughout the state due to the factors of latitude, elevation, coastal/
interior location, and atmospheric/oceanic circulation influence. Due to New Jersey being
positioned in the mid-latitudes, the state is affected by jet streams during the months of late fall,
winter, and spring, dictating variation in weather. The factor of the state being located on the
eastern coast of North America influences its exposure to continental air masses, with winter
being cold and summer being warm, along with exposure to western Atlantic Ocean air masses
that are moderate and moist. The state also occasionally experiences storms such as nor’easters
due to cold continental air masses and warm Atlantic air masses in the winter. (Runkle et al,
2022) The state overall consists of moderately cold winters, with potential snow, along with
warm, humid summers. The state also has variation differences in temperature and climate
between the northwest and the southeast due to elevation and coastal location. Northern New
Jersey has higher elevation such as highlands and valleys, whereas the southern part of the state is
mostly flat, consisting of coastal lands. The difference in elevation causes Northern New Jersey to
experience colder temperatures and more precipitation. (Runkle et al, 2022) Southern New Jersey
has the influence of coastal location and atmospheric/oceanic circulations, causing cooler
summers, warmer winters, and less precipitation. These influences also cause Southern New
Jersey to be exposed to coastal storms such as nor’easters, tropical storms, and hurricanes due to
changes in air pressure gradients. (Runkle et al, 2022) The factor of land type can also be argued
to have an influence on the state’s difference in climate and weather patterns, due to surface type
being affected by the amount of solar radiation that is absorbed from isolation. This affects latent
heat, which is a factor that influences atmospheric circulation and heat islands, both processes
that can have an impact on the local climate in a town within New Jersey. However, surface type
is not as important as latitude, elevation, coastal/ interior location, and atmospheric/ oceanic
circulation influences. In this report, the location of study is in Southern New Jersey located in
Atlantic City County on the college Campus of Stockton University.
i. Current Global Climate Classification/ Characteristics of Climate
The current global climate classification of Strahler was introduced in 1969 by A.
N. Strahler. The classification system is used to indicate the climates of the world
based off the main type of air masses that produce those climates. The
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classification system has broken up the air masses into three categories, a.)
equatorial/tropical air masses, producing low-latitude climates, b) tropical/polar
air masses, producing mid-latitude climates, and c) polar/artic air masses,
producing high-latitude climates. The three air masses are used to produce 13
regional types, along with highland climates, due to variations in temperature and
precipitation. (Oxford Reference, n.d.)
The observation location that is in Figure 1 is in a moist-subtropical climate. This
climate type is located on the eastern sides of continents within the midlatitudes,
such as New Jersey. It has characteristics of an abundant amount of precipitation,
warm humid summers, and mild winters. This is due to the summer months
consisting of warm, moist tropical air masses, causing warm, humid
temperatures, and resulting in convective showers, whereas the winters consist of
cyclones that provide rain and occasional snow, causing for mild winters to
occur. (Webber, 2023)
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Figure 1: Map of New Jersey with Current Climate Classifications (Strahler) with Observation Location (Stockton University
Galloway Campus) and New Jersey Weather Stations.

ii. Factors that Influence Air Temperature of Recording Site

Out of the five factors that influence air temperature, the ones that impacted the
observation site located in Figure 1 and Figure 2 were coastal/interior location
and latitude. Costal/interior location affects how the air may feel, as coastal/
maritime areas experience slightly cooler summers and winters than continental
climates due to the isolation of larger bodies of water. Due to the very little
change of the ocean’s temperature, the air masses that are above it will blow onto
the mainland and control the temperature of that area. (Abramson et al, 2022) In
Figure 2, the observation location is slightly adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean,
making it located within a maritime /coastal environment. The coastal
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observation locations are also affected by the latitude. The observation location is
withing the midlatitudes, also known as the temperate region. Midlatitudes are
affected by the Ferrel cells, where air flows poleward and eastward near the
surface and equatorward and westward at higher levels. (National Weather
Service, n.d.) These cells influence the types of climates that occur in the
midlatitudes, which are moist-subtropical and moist continental. Because of the
observation location being located within the midlatitude and being adjected near
a large body of water, this area is known as a moist subtropical climate affected
by those two factors.
iii. Cause of Precipitation at Observation Area
Factors that influence the occurrence of precipitation in an area are an area’s
proximity to mountain ranges, prevailing winds, and seasons. Because the
observation location is in Southern New Jersey, mountain ranges are not a factor
due to the area being located on a coastal plain. However, prevailing winds,
especially land and sea breezes due to the Atlantic Ocean, affect this area’s
precipitation because temperatures are more moderate, causing temperatures in
the winter to not be as cold. (Webber, 2023) This results in less snow and more
rain. One type of system that resulted in precipitation within the period observed
was a cold front, specifically between January 30th to February 1st, to which the
precipitation went from no precipitation to heavy rain, and lastly snow.
c. Location Information
i. County/ Physiographic Region
The county in which the observation location is located is Atlantic County. The
type of physiographic region is a coastal plain.
ii. Area of Interest
The area of interest is Stockton University Galloway Campus with data
comparison to the Atlantic City International Airport Weather Station.
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Figure 2: Weather Journal Observation Location at Stockton University – Galloway Campus Next to the Closest Weather
Station, Atlantic City International Airport. Data from NCEI.

d. Time Period
i. Observation Time Span
The observational time span was to be from January 26th – February 26th, but
observational data was collected between January 26th – February 23rd with some
days missing in between those dates.
ii. Total Journal Days
There were 22 days total in which observational data was collected.
iii. Description of Observational Approach
Observations were mostly done near the Arts and Science center, but there were
days where recording was done in front of Campus Center or I-wing. Overall, all
observations were done on Stockton University – Galloway campus.
Observations occurred mostly in the mornings or afternoons before classes.
When observing near the Arts and Science center, the recordings were at the
wooden grotto. When near the Campus Center, recordings were taken near the
 9

“Excellence” stone wedge. Some current observations were recorded at night due
to not having the weather journal on hand. However, notes were taken by iPhone
and recorded afterwards for the same day. Each current observation resulted in
about 15- 20 minutes, and summary observations were recorded towards the end
of the day.
e. Temperature
i. Summarization of Observation Period
The observation period took place from January 26th to February 23rd. During
that time, predicted high/ low temperatures and current temperature were
recorded. Figure 3A represents observational data. According to this graph, the
average high temperature during the period was 50⁰F and the average low
temperature was 31.5⁰ F. The total average temperature for each individual day’s
average temperature was 40.8⁰ F. The range in temperatures was 18.6⁰F. There
were four days that had an average temperature below freezing, ranging from
19.5⁰ – 31.5⁰F. There were eight days that had an average temperature ranging
from 45⁰ – 53⁰F, while there were ten days that ranged from the temperatures of
35 – 44.5⁰ F. The predicted high temperatures throughout the observation period
ranged, as twelve days had a predicted high temperature in the range of 50⁰ –
64⁰F, nine days in the range of 34⁰ – 45⁰F, and one day having a predicted
maximum high below freezing 28⁰F. The predicted low temperatures throughout
the observation period ranged, as eleven days were in the range of 33⁰ – 46⁰F, and
eleven days had predicted temperatures below freezing, ranging from 11⁰ – 32⁰F.
Figure 3B and Figure 3C are composed of data collected from the Atlantic City
International Airport Weather Station for the same observation period. Figure 3C
graph recorded that the average high temperature was 51.8⁰F, the average low
was 31.3⁰F, and the total average temperature for each individual day’s average
was 41.6⁰F. The range in the temperature was 20.5⁰F. There were four days where
the average temperature was below freezing, thirteen days where the average
temperature was between the range of 33.5⁰ - 43.4⁰F, and twelve days where the
range was between 45.0⁰ - 57.5⁰F. This data also includes seven more days due to
accounting for all the days within the period, whereas Figure 3A only included
days that were observed in that time frame.
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70

60

50 Predicted
Temperature (F)

Maximun
40 Temperature
(F)
Predicted
30
Minimum
Teperature
20 (F)
Predicted
10 Average
Temperature
0 (F)

2/19/2023
2/20/2023
2/21/2023
2/22/2023
2/23/2023
1/26/2023
1/27/2023
1/28/2023
1/29/2023
1/30/2023
1/31/2023
2/1/2023
2/2/2023
2/3/2023
2/4/2023
2/5/2023
2/6/2023
2/7/2023
2/8/2023
2/9/2023
2/10/2023
2/11/2023
2/12/2023
2/13/2023
2/14/2023
2/15/2023
2/16/2023
2/17/2023
2/18/2023
Observation Dates (Jan 26 - Feb 23)
Figure 3A: Personal Observation Data of Temperatures During Observation Period from January 26th – February 23rd. Some days of data are missing
due to not being recorded. Data Collected By iPhone Weather App. Comparison of Predicted Maximum High Temperature, Predicted Minimum Low
Temperature, and Predicted Average Temperature all in Fahrenheit.

25

20

15
Temperature (C)

10

5
TMAX
0
TMIN
-5
TAVG
-10

-15
1/30/2023
1/26/2023
1/27/2023
1/28/2023
1/29/2023

1/31/2023
2/1/2023
2/2/2023
2/3/2023
2/4/2023
2/5/2023
2/6/2023
2/7/2023
2/8/2023
2/9/2023
2/10/2023
2/11/2023
2/12/2023
2/13/2023
2/14/2023
2/15/2023
2/16/2023
2/17/2023
2/18/2023
2/19/2023
2/20/2023
2/21/2023
2/22/2023
2/23/2023

Observation Dates

Figure 3B: Atlantic City International Airport Weather Station Observation Data on Recorded Maximum Temperature (TMAX), Recorded Minimum
Temperature (TMIN), and Recorded Average Temperature (TAVG) in Temperature Celsius for the Observation Time Period January 26th – February
26th.
 11

80.0
70.0
60.0
Temperature (F)

50.0
40.0
30.0 TMAX F

20.0 TMIN F

10.0 TAVG F

0.0
1/26/2023
1/27/2023
1/28/2023
1/29/2023
1/30/2023
1/31/2023
2/1/2023
2/2/2023
2/3/2023
2/4/2023
2/5/2023
2/6/2023
2/7/2023
2/8/2023
2/9/2023
2/10/2023
2/11/2023
2/12/2023
2/13/2023
2/14/2023
2/15/2023
2/16/2023
2/17/2023
2/18/2023
2/19/2023
2/20/2023
2/21/2023
2/22/2023
2/23/2023
Observation Dates

Figure 3C: Atlantic City International Airport Weather Station Observation Data on Recorded Maximum Temperature (TMAX), Recorded
Minimum Temperature (TMIN), and Recorded Average Temperature (TAVG) in Temperature Fahrenheit for the Observation Time Period of
January 26th – February 26th.

ii. Trends in Temperature Data

Going off Figure 3A, the weather trends are interesting, as during the end of
January, there was a slight rise in temperature, but then a complete drop for the
first week in February. The weather then started to get warmer, with a slight dip
in temperature around February 8th, with a slight rise, until it hit February 13th.
Around that date there was a sharp temperature decrease, but the weather
continued to get warmer, again with some dips in temperature. Around February
15th to the 20th the weather started to decrease, but then spiked back up on the 21st
of February and then slowly decreased towards the end of the observation period.
Overall, the temperature began to get warmer over time, even with some of the
inconsistent dips in lower temperatures.

As for Figure 3B Figure 3C, the data is very similar to the observation data in
Figure 3A. Both Figures 3B and 3C support the observation data with a dip in
temperature towards the beginning of the observation period, but then a rise
again in temperature until it dips around February 4th. From then until the end of
the observation period, there are some slight increases and decreases in
temperatures, but the overall temperature slowly progresses to warmer
temperature towards the end of the observation period. The reason for why the
weather trends depicted warmer weather is because the time period is getting
closer to the spring (vernal) equinox, which is when the sun hits the earth equally
for 12 hours. The vernal equinox is also a marker that the Northern Hemisphere
is heading towards the June Solstice, which is the date the Northern Hemisphere
 12

receives the most amount of sunlight. This is due to the Earth’s axis having a
rotation of 23.5 degrees, to where the Northern Hemisphere faces towards the
Sun in spring and summer months. Because of this, there is more solar radiation,
causing higher temperatures. Since the Northern Hemisphere is heading towards
that switch in isolation exposures, it is the reason for the overall warmer
temperature gradient throughout the observation period.
f. Precipitation
i. Summarization of Observation Period
In all, there were nine days in which there was some type of precipitation that
occurred during the day, totaling up to 36.4mm as shown in Figure 4. The types
of precipitation that occurred during this observation period were mist, rain
drizzle, rain showers/pours, and some form of snow but not extremely heavy to
where it stayed for more than 24 hours. On January 26th, there was 7.6 mm of
precipitation recorded, but it did not occur during the day as personal
observations do not indicate precipitation, but the next day, January 27th, there
was thick frost on the cars, roads, and windows at 8:12am which concluded that
it had rained overnight and froze in the morning. It did not precipitate again until
January 31st, where the total was 3.8 mm. The rain was already drizzling by
09:39 and turned into a light rain for most of the day, but no extreme downpour.
This rain carried over into the next day, February 1st, where the precipitation was
in the form of snowflakes and was recorded to 0.8 mm. This precipitation only
stayed on the ground until noon due to the sun shining from noon to 14:00. On
February 8th, the precipitation was less than 0.3mm in the form of mist. The next
time it precipitated was February 12th, where there was a total of 6.6mL recorded,
where the overall weather of the day was downpour, cloudy and windy. February
16th (5.1 mm) and February 17th (9.4 mm) was when the most precipitation
occurred over the span of about 48 hours, with February 17th having the most
precipitation over the whole observation period. The 16th was the start of rain that
turned into a massive downpour on the 17th, and down poured for most of the
day, stopping at around 18:00. The next time, and last times it rained during the
observation period was February 21st (2.3 mm) and the 22nd (0.5 mm), to where
the 21st was a drizzle and the 22nd was mist. Overall, the observation period was
filled with only a few days with precipitation, with over half the days having
heavy precipitation.
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Total Precipitation Per Observation Day

10
9
8
Precipitation (mm)

7
6
5
4
3
PRCP
2
1
0
1/28/2023

2/23/2023
1/26/2023
1/27/2023

1/29/2023
1/30/2023
1/31/2023
2/1/2023
2/2/2023
2/3/2023
2/4/2023
2/5/2023
2/6/2023
2/7/2023
2/8/2023
2/9/2023
2/10/2023
2/11/2023
2/12/2023
2/13/2023
2/14/2023
2/15/2023
2/16/2023
2/17/2023
2/18/2023
2/19/2023
2/20/2023
2/21/2023
2/22/2023
Observation Dates

Figure 4: Precipitation Recordings from Atlantic City International Airport Weather Station for Precipitation of Each Day
During the Observation Period.

g. Weather Pattern Explanation

i. Change in Weather during Observation Period
The chosen observational period was a three-day period between January 30th –
February 1st because of how the weather changed from being warm and sunny at
56⁰F, to drizzling/raining, to finally snowing for a bit on the morning of February
1st, indicated in Figure 4.
ii. Cause of Change Due to Weather System
The weather system that caused this change was a cold front. The reasoning
behind this is because on January 30th, the temperature was predicted to be a high
of 55⁰ F, but it got to 56⁰ F. The weather was sunny and warm, indicating that the
overall air was warm. On January 31st, the temperature dropped to about 35⁰ –
40⁰ F and resulted in a day that was rainy and consisted of rain showers. This is
similar to the process of a cold front, where a cold body of air invades a warm
body of air and results in rain showers or thunderstorms. The characteristic of a
cold front is as follows: some weather conditions ahead of a cold front are warm
temperatures and cirrus/alto cirrus clouds. The weather near the front is rapid
temperature drop, heavy precipitation, cumulonimbus clouds, and variable winds.
The weather behind the front is cold temperatures with little precipitation.
(Webber, 2023) On February 1st, there was very little precipitation in the form of
snowflakes as the temperature dropped to 30⁰ F around 07:53. The snow did not
last long, and the temperature overall stayed cool by the end of the day. With this
drastic change in weather over these past three days, and with the data collected /
knowledge known, it can be concluded that a cold front occurred.
h. Climate Comparison
i. Summarization of 2023 Data
The overall trend within the 2023 data during the observation period is that there
is serious variation to temperature with comparison to the average data observed
over the 30-year period between 1991-2020. As seen in Figure 5A and Figure 5B,
 14

the difference in temperature changes sharply, as there are several peaks

indicating that temperature was way higher than the average and dips indicating
temperatures were way lower than the average. The variation is not gradual, as
Figures 5A and 5B contained points with negative values, meaning that the
temperature records for 2023 were at a higher degree than the average
temperature for the average 30-year climate recordings over the observation
period of 1991-2020. This is also seen in Figures 6A and 6B, where the period of
February 1st – February 4th was the only time in the recorded temperatures of
2023 to be below the average recordings, where the rest of the 2023 recordings
were way above the average.

20

15
Temperature (C)

10

5
2023
0 Recorded
Data Avg.
-5

-10
1-Feb
2-Feb
3-Feb
4-Feb
5-Feb
6-Feb
7-Feb
8-Feb
9-Feb

21-Feb
10-Feb
11-Feb
12-Feb
13-Feb
14-Feb
15-Feb
16-Feb
17-Feb
18-Feb
19-Feb
20-Feb

22-Feb
23-Feb
26-Jan
27-Jan
28-Jan
29-Jan
30-Jan
31-Jan

Observation Dates

Figure 5A: Deviation in Temperature from the 1991-2020 Recorded Average Temperature Data and the 2023 Recorded Average
Temperature Data in Celsius for the observation period from the Atlantic City International Airport Weather Station. (NOAA
NWS and NCEI)

20.0
15.0
Temperature (F)

10.0
5.0
0.0
Difference in
-5.0
Temperature
-10.0
Avg.
-15.0
-20.0
-25.0
27-Jan

1-Feb
2-Feb
3-Feb
4-Feb
5-Feb
6-Feb
7-Feb
8-Feb
9-Feb
26-Jan

28-Jan
29-Jan
30-Jan
31-Jan

10-Feb
11-Feb
12-Feb
13-Feb
14-Feb
15-Feb
16-Feb
17-Feb
18-Feb
19-Feb
20-Feb
21-Feb
22-Feb
23-Feb

Observation Dates

Figure 5B: Deviation in Temperature from the 1991-2020 Recorded Average Temperature Data and the 2023 Recorded Average
Temperature Data in Fahrenheit for the observation period from the Atlantic City International Airport Weather Station. (NOAA
NWS and NCEI)
 15

20

15
Temperature (C)

10 Long
term
5 Avg. 30
Years
0 2023
Record
-5 ed Data
Avg.
-10
1-Feb
2-Feb
3-Feb
4-Feb
5-Feb
6-Feb
7-Feb
8-Feb
9-Feb

15-Feb

19-Feb

23-Feb
26-Jan
27-Jan
28-Jan
29-Jan
30-Jan
31-Jan

10-Feb
11-Feb
12-Feb
13-Feb
14-Feb

16-Feb
17-Feb
18-Feb

20-Feb
21-Feb
22-Feb
Observation Dates

Figure 6A: Average Temperature of Each Day of the Observation Period from the NCEI 1991-2020 Long Term Climate Data Set
in Comparison to the 2023 Climate Data Set from the Atlantic City International Airport Weather Station in Celsius. (NOAA)

70.0
60.0
Temperature (F)

50.0
40.0
30.0 Long Term
20.0 Avg. 30 Years

10.0
2023
0.0 Recorded
Data Avg.
1-Feb
2-Feb
3-Feb
4-Feb
5-Feb
6-Feb
7-Feb
8-Feb
9-Feb

11-Feb

13-Feb

15-Feb

17-Feb

19-Feb

21-Feb

23-Feb
10-Feb

12-Feb

14-Feb

16-Feb

18-Feb

20-Feb

22-Feb
26-Jan
27-Jan
28-Jan
29-Jan
30-Jan
31-Jan

Observation Dates

Figure 6B: Average Temperature of Each Day of the Observation Period from the NCEI 1991-2020 Long Term Climate Data Set
in Comparison to the 2023 Climate Data Set from the Atlantic City International Airport Weather Station in Fahrenheit. (NOAA)

ii. Comparison of Precipitation of Recorded to “Normal” Averages

Over the course of 1991- 2020 the total amount of precipitation recorded between
the months of January and February was 18.21in (6.61in in rain and 11.6in in
snow). (NOAA NCEI, 1991-2020) The total amount of precipitation recorded
during this observation period was 36.4mm (about 1.4 in). (NOAA NCEI, 2023)
In comparison, the observation data was extremely low to the 30-year average
data, with a difference of 16.81inches. The amount of snow recorded during this
time was also not even an inch since it only snowed once, where the average is
about 11.6inches. There were only nine days, as seen in Figure 4, where
precipitation occurred. This could be due to higher temperatures that occurred
during the observation period than in comparison to the average temperatures as
seen in Figures 6A and 6B, causing less snow and rain than normal. As
temperatures begin to rise, less precipitation is likely to occur in the winter
 16

months near this observation location, especially snow, since freezing points will
not be met.
iii. Comparison of Recorded Observation to Average Climate
Observations/Climate
Overall, the observation recordings do not fit greatly with the overall climate
observation and climate classification for the observation area, as there were
drastic differences in precipitation and temperature. For being in a moist-
subtropical climate, it should consist of having an abundance of precipitation, but
according to the observation data, it only contained about 1.4in of rain as seen in
Figure 4. When it comes to having warmer winters, that was accurate, but the
winters were warmer than expected, having differences of more than 10 - 20
degrees. With such an increase in temperature and a lack of precipitation, the
grouping of this region as a moist-subtropical area may need change in due time.
i. Conclusion
i. Summarization of Important Observations
When overlooking the observational data with the recorded data from the
Atlantic City International Airport Weather Station, there were two things that
were prominent: the average temperature is rising drastically and the amount of
precipitation for this area is decreasing. When looking at figures 5A and 5B, the
deviation between the 1991-2020 data to the 2023 recorded data of the
observational zone is very drastic and not gradual. This shows that there are
severe changes in temperature rise, causing local weather to be warmer than
average. Figures 6A and 6B highlight this as well as the temperatures for each
observational period are overall drastically higher than the average. Another
important factor is that the amount of precipitation for this observational area is
drastically lower than the average recordings of 1991-2020. Because of the lack
of precipitation, it is causing this area to become drier and less moist, which can
also be due to the rise in temperature. Overall, these two factors are very
important because this data shows how this area is shifting from a moist-
subtropical climate to another due to its characteristics changing drastically.
ii. Comparison of Observational and Analysis Data
Observational data matched up well with the recorded data from the Atlantic City
International Airport Weather Station as seen in Figures 3A, 3B, and 3C, with 3A
being the recorded observational data. When looking at each figure, the data
match up significantly well with slight deviation. It shows that the weather
information provided by iPhone is accurate enough to N.O.A.A weather data.
However, when it came to comparison between 2023 average data and 1991-
2020 data, the observational data did not match accurately at all, as previously
mentioned. Temperatures were higher than average, and precipitation was lower
than average. These changes were seen during observation and were recorded in
the observational data, which does line up. It was surprising to see how much
deviation there was with temperature as seen in Figures 5A and 5B because of
how the deviation is so drastic. When observing for 15 minutes a day,
temperature was not really questioned because it seemed semi-normal, but once
looking at the deviation and average temperature comparison, it was surprising to
see how the observation temperatures were truly uncommon. It was also easy to
explain how a cold front had overtaken the area between the period of January
 17

30th – February 1st due to the drastic change of warmer weather to colder and
more precipitation characteristics. Overall, the observational data lined up with
some of the data used during the analysis and did not with other analysis data.
iii. “What If” Scenario of Observation
If the exercise was completed during a different time of the year, such as
summertime, the temperature and precipitation (rain only) would be higher, with
an average high temperature in July being 76.9⁰ F and an average precipitation
(rain) being 4.47in. (NOAA, 1991-2020). The rise in temperature is due to the tilt
of the earth’s axis being 23.5⁰, causing the Northern Hemisphere to have more
direct sunlight and insolation in the summertime. Also, due to maritime tropical
air masses, this causes convective showers to occur. (Webber, 2023) Because of
seasonal changes within this observational area, data collected within this
observation area would vary due to the time of year this experiment is conducted.
 18

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