Weather Report for Galloway, NJ

(Photo by Steven Crosby; Lake Fred, 2023)

Steven Crosby

3/31/23

Dr. Jeffrey Webber

ENVR 2105-002

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 Table of Contents

Table of Contents………………………………………………………………………………….1

Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………………2

Introduction…………………………………………………………..…………………………3-7

Map 1.1……………………………………………………………………………………4

Map 1.2……………………………………………………………………………………7

Methods and Materials…………………………………………………………………………….8

Results…………………………………………………………………….…………………...9-12

Discussion…………………………………………………………………………..………...13-14

Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………15-16

Reference Page…………………………………………………………………………………17

List of Figures

Map of New Jersey…………………………………………………….…………………..Map 1.1

Urban Heat Island Map………………………………………………………………..…...Map 1.2

Temperatures Graph………………………………………………………………………...Fig 1.1

Max/Min of Observation Time graph.………………………………………………………Fig 1.2

Total Precipitation Graph……………………………………………………………………Fig 1.3

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 Abstract

This is a comprehensive examination into the weather conditions of Galloway, NJ in

conjunction with the textbook, “Introducing Physical Geography” by Strahler. A Mid-Atlantic

region in the United States that has a moist continental climate with varied fluctuations in

temperature and precipitation during seasons. Galloway shows the benefits greatly from the Pine

trees in the area. During the experiment, a closer look into the first 10 days of February saw that

Galloway, NJ experienced an occluded front move into the region.

keywords: New Jersey, Galloway, Stockton University, Lake Fred, Pine Barrens, climate,

weather, weather systems, mid latitude, cyclone, temperature, precipitation, climate, winter,

fluctuations

(Photo by Steven Crosby; Lake Fred, 2022)

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 Introduction

New Jersey is 8,722 sq miles that is positioned in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United

States (NJ Gov, 2011), see Map 1.1. Weather and climate conditions of Galloway, NJ within the

Pine Barrens are influenced by oceanic/atmospheric currents, latitudinal positioning, coastal vs.

interior location, and surface type. Galloway, NJ is geographically least affected from weather

factors due to altitude since the location is barely elevated above sea level and not subjected to

the reduction of oxygen.

Strahler applies a broadly defined map to separate the global climates into seven zones

that are dependent on their latitudinal positioning on the globe. Equatorial zones are located at

the degrees of 0-10° North and South latitudinal (N and S lat.), Tropical Zones are 10-25° N and

S lat., Subtropical Zones are 25-35° N and S lat., Mid Latitude zones are 35-55° N and S lat.,

Subarctic and Subantarctic Zones are 55-60° N and S lat., Arctic and Antarctic Zones are 65-70°

N and S lat., North and South Polar Zones are 75° N and S to the poles, respectively (Strahler,

2013).

From Strahler, New Jersey’s geographic location is defined as being in a mid latitude

zone that has a moist continental climate (Strahler, 2013) and features 5 distinct sub-climate

regions, even though the state is not particularly large. Moist continental climates lie within the

central, eastern, and northeastern parts of the United States (Strahler, 2013). These sub-climates

are labeled from The State of New Jersey as Northern, Central, Pine Barrens, Southwest, and

Coastal (NJ Gov, 2011). The length of daylight at this latitude causes significant seasonal

fluctuations and insolation rates.

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Map 1.1 of New Jersey

 New Jersey’s characteristics are greatly impacted from the alternation of warm

continental air masses conflicting with the moist maritime air masses off the Atlantic Ocean

(Ludlum, n.d.). A traveling mid latitude cyclone is the cause for New Jersey’s dominant weather

features (Strahler, 2013). Being underneath the polar jet stream, masses of cool dry air moving

westward into the region as prevailing westerlies dominate New Jersey's wind circulation

patterns (NewJerseyAlmanac, n.d.).

New Jersey features an overall mild climate that can be variable with seasonal cycles (NJ

Gov, 2011). New Jersey has moderately cold winters and humid summers. New Jersey is prone

to nor'easter's, snowstorms, summer storms with flooding rains, and exposed to the possibility of

extreme weather events (NewJerseyAlmanac, n.d.) . Most often New Jersey is devastated by

hurricanes but tornadoes can also occur (Ludlum, n.d.).

The New Jersey's shore locations are close to sea level in comparison to northwest

locations with higher elevations and show observable differences that create a gradient of

temperature, precipitation, seasonal variations, as well as thunderstorms (Ludlum, n.d.). Cooler

temperatures are found in the northwest and warming as you move southeast to the coast

(Kunkel, 1970). This gradient is most visible during the winter months with the northwest

experiencing the more variable weather conditions from the geographic distance from the

Atlantic Ocean and elevation effects (Ludlum, n.d.). This gradient is least visible during the

summer months, with locations across New Jersey featuring more similar weather conditions.

The Azore's high pressure anticyclonic center rising in the High-Sun months is culpable for New

Jersey having more of a fluctuation in the winter months than summer (Strahler, 2013).

The Pine Barrens feature extensive forests of Scrub Pine and Oak which it bears its name

from (NJ Gov, 2011). These forests, as well as their sandy/loamy soils, have a substantial effect
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on annual temperature. These soils allow solar radiation to rapidly escape into the atmosphere.

According to The State of New Jersey, these sandy soils can be so effective, temperature

differences can range from 15°F to 20°F cooler at Atlantic City Airport to the Atlantic City

Marina, thirteen miles away towards the shore (NJ Gov, 2011). Map 1.2 shows Galloway, and in

large Atlantic County, positioned in between the excess heat produced by New York City and

Philadelphia that flows outbound into New Jersey. The produced effects on temperature cause

this region to have low minimum temperatures.

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 Map 1.2 of Urban Heat Island for NJ

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 Materials and Methods

Observations for this report were taken at Stockton University, Galloway, NJ. Located at

39.4930° N, 74.5338° W, Atlantic County.

Twenty-one total days of observations were recorded during the winter month of January

24th, 2023-February 16th, 2023, with observations not recorded on the dates of February 3rd,

8th, and the 14th.  

Observations were usually taken within the provided notebook at a trail spot at Lake Fred

nearest to the Stockton dormitory if weather permitted to be observed outside. If inclement

weather was present, the observations would be mentally noted then written inside with the

specific precipitation factors noted.

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 Results

Over time, Figure 1.1 shows the average temperature as a trendline of gradually getting

progressively warmer, with drastic decreases of temperature noticeably on dates January 25th to

the 27th, January 30th to the 31st, February 2nd to the 4th, February 9th to the 11th. Since the

Northern Hemisphere is transitioning from winter and towards spring, this is anticipated. With a

mid latitude location, comes the expected trend of seeing large daily fluctuations in winter

months.

From January 24th (start)-February 16th (end), the average max temp. was 46.81°F, the

average min. temp. was 39.04°F, and the average daily temperature was 42.93°F. The

temperature of Galloway, NJ saw constant fluctuations with the start of the experiment featuring

the cold days that progressively saw warmer temperatures towards the end. Some days, when the

sun was bright during the day, the weather would be pleasant enough to wear a T-shirt, while

some days and nights were frustratingly cold that required a hat and gloves.

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Out of the twenty-one observations, only two dates (Feb. 1st and Feb. 4th) saw average daily

temperatures below freezing temperatures. The coldest day, Feb. 4th was 24°F and the warmest

was the last observation taken on Feb. 16th at 64°F. This equates to the range of the temperature

during the observation period of 40°F.

Throughout the observation period, Figure 1.3 shows precipitation was recorded for five

days. January 25th, January 30th, January 31st, February 12th, and February 16th.

January 25th was recorded to have rained 1.24 inches, January 30th rained 0.2 in., January 31st

rained 0.25 in., February 1st rained 0.31 in., February 12th rained 0.31 in., and February 16th

rained 0.22 in. Snow was recorded only on the date of February 1st that was only a minuscule

amount which was not measurable and melted later in the day when the sun became noticeably

brighter.

These days of precipitation totaled 2.22 inches. January 25th was largely responsible for

most of the total precipitation during the observable dates.

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 Taking a closer examination at the dates from February 1st to February 9th (Observations

not recorded on dates 2/3 and 2/8) provides a period of time where the location experienced the

typical varied weather expected for the climate zone. February 1st to the 2nd experienced an

increase in temperature with Max Highs of 36°F to 41°F. February 2nd’s Max High of 41°F

would proceed to drop rapidly day-after-day to 25°F on February 4th. February 5th saw the

temperature quickly increase to a Max High of 42°F. Temperature would proceed back to the

trendline of getting increasingly warmer as seasons change towards spring. In the days leading

up, Galloway experienced 3 days of precipitation leading up to February 1st. Observations were

noted as being “colder than anticipated” as well as noted cloud coverage. After the 3 days of

precipitation is when Galloway experienced the falling temperatures. This observable week

within the data shows that Galloway experienced an occluded front move in.

The 1990-2020 Climate Normals by the National Centers for Environmental Information

(NCEI) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) lists data for the

30-year period of Atlantic City INTL Airport with January having a max temp of 43.2°F, min

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temp of 25.1°F, average temp of 34.1°F, precipitation of 3.38 in., and 5.7 in. of snow (NOAA,

2022). Data for February climates show a max temp of 45.8°F, min temp of 26.2°F, average temp

of 36.0°F, precipitation of 3.23 in., and 5.9 in. of snow. During the observation period, the

average max temperature was 46.81°F, average min. temperature was 39.04°F, and the average

daily temperature was 42.93°F. NOAA’s data shows that the overall trend of 2023 data in relation

to the 30-year U.S. Climate Normals data is that temperatures are getting discernibly warmer.

Rates of precipitation extrapolated from 2.22 total inches of precipitation divided by the 5, the

total number of days during the experiment to equal 0.105 inches per day during experiment.

Then multiplied by 90 days of winter, 31 days for January and December, 28 days for February,

to apply to 2023 winter gives us 9.4 inches. This is considerably drier than the NOAA U.S.

Climate Normals climatological data of 11.08 inches.

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 Discussion

While the weather conditions were being recorded, a curiously strange occurrence

happened. A remark was made on February 6th that “noticeable” freezing was spotted on the

Southeast edge of Lake Fred. February 7th’s observation was made en-route to class which was

described as, “Lake Fred had significant freezing along the East edge towards the bridge in

Morning.” By 5 p.m., the ice had entirely melted with no signs it ever existed, causing

paranoia-induced visions of questioning if ice existed to begin with. From Fig 1.1 we can

observe that the specific heat was in effect from the water in Lake Fred experienced a delay in

freezing from the drop in temperature as well as a delay in the melted ice after temperatures

spiked.

On Friday, January 27th, I planned on a visit to my close friends who reside in Central

Jersey. Unfortunately, I could not leave Galloway until I finished an assignment later in the night.

As someone who has astigmatism, night-time driving can be blinding without excess lighting on

the roadways. As I planned my return the following day, I was to be sure that I avoided

night-time driving to avoid stress, so I left earlier in the day, around 2:30 p.m. This decision

proved to be exponentially more dangerous. As I was traveling southbound on Garden State

Parkway (GSP) on Saturday, January 28th, somewhere estimated to be near Toms River around

4:00 p.m., the sun’s path had become directly aligned with the sight of oncoming drivers.

Exacerbated by no cloud coverage and blinding light, the drivers along GSP became irritated,

and soon enough the Parkway was emptied with no traffic. Even wearing sunglasses and sun

shade down, driving was still an extremely difficult task. According to the solar parameters

provided by NOAA, we can examine January 27th’s events with the latitude and longitude of

Toms River (39.9537°N, 74.1979°W), and see that the sun’s path was directly located at

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77.9761°W longitudinally. A difference of approximately 4° on a planetary scale is

inconsequential and was the cause for the irritation of plenty of drivers along GSP on January

27th.

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 Conclusion

Effects of climate change are to blame for the hotter trends we see from the 30-year

averages (NOAA, 2022). Changes in climate models are worrisome for the future. The current

models we have for climate are estimated to be revised within the coming decades in accordance

with the increasing greenhouse gasses, changing temperatures, and seasonal patterns. From the

urbanization of New York City and Philadelphia, heat has shown the increase of New Jersey’s

temperatures (Strahler, 2013). Humans can be severely affected negatively from medical

conditions, diseases, and loss of biodiversity with temperatures on the rise, so climate change is

of utmost importance to combat for the years to come (Strahler, 2013).

These events serve as an important reminder of how weather conditions can vary day to

day as well as seasonally. Had I made my trip to Central Jersey in the summer, I would not have

been exposed to the low Sun angle. Although albedo would have been stronger, I would not have

been blinded, even if I was driving at the same time. If I drove back to Galloway more towards

the June Solstice, the inclination of the sun would have been angled higher in the sky, thus

beyond mine and every other driver’s windshield. This experiment was deeply important for me

as a person. I am someone who routinely did not check any weather data or updates on future

weather reports. I would regularly be caught unprepared in inclement weather conditions in

clothes not suitable for the daily weather or the fluctuations of our climate. Many times in my

life I have been stranded in a T-shirt or a light jacket when snow was falling. Over the course of

years, I’ve personally hypothesized this led to my affinity for the cold weather. Reverse

psychology eventually let me enjoy the cold instead of starting to suffer from coldness. During

the course of this report, I gained the habit of being more prepared for how weather can vary

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within the day by checking the forecast more frequently then being equipped with proper attire

for the weather.

If we were to do this experiment during the summer, we would have seen more days

observed with more humidity and precipitation. As the trends of moist continental climates are

exposed to precipitation year-round but more rainfall during the summer, this would be expected

for all climatological models. We would also see less variations for temperatures, with more

consistent, warm days.

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 Reference Page

Strahler, A. H., & Strahler, A. (2013). Introducing physical geography (6th ed.). Wiley.

New Jersey Government. (2011). Appendix E background of the State of New Jersey. Appendix

E Background of the State of New Jersey. Retrieved April 2, 2023, from

https://www.nj.gov/njoem/programs/pdf/mitigation2011/mit2011_appendixe.pdf

Kunkel, K. E. (1970, January 1). State climate summaries 2022. New Jersey - State Climate

Summaries 2022. Retrieved April 1, 2023, from

https://statesummaries.ncics.org/chapter/nj/#:~:text=As%20a%20result%20of%20these,the%20e

ast%20near%20the%20coast.

Ludlum, D. (n.d.). NJ Climate Overview. New Jersey Climate Overview. Retrieved April 1,

2023, from https://climate.rutgers.edu/stateclim_v1/njclimoverview.html

NewJerseyAlmanac. (n.d.). New Jersey Climate & Weather. NewJerseyAlmanac.com. Retrieved

April 1, 2023, from https://www.newjerseyalmanac.com/climate.html

NOAA. (2022, May 11). Data Access. National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI).

Retrieved April 1, 2023, from https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access

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