Amidst growing evidence that our global climate is changing as a result of human activities, are specific concerns regarding the local and regional impacts such changes may be having or may eventually have on nature and society. Such worries are justified around the globe, including New Jersey, the most densely populated of the United States. Changes in our State’s climate are likely to impact natural flora and fauna, human health and safety, agricultural productivity, fresh-water resources, tourism, transportation, and business and commerce in general.

It is imperative that we better understand the nature of the climate of New Jersey in order to recognize the significance of its possible ongoing or future behavior. This includes the variability of the system on annual and decadal scales. To recognize and understand climate change, an investigation was conducted to evaluate how several climatic variables have behaved over the past century. This was accomplished by identifying six stations across the Garden State with relatively lengthy and consistent records of temperature and precipitation, importing station data into a MYSQL database, and extracting time series of information from these variables. Among the variables examined at individual stations are annual and seasonal ones related to means, thresholds, and diurnal temperature. Depending on the station, valuations extend back to the late 19th and early 20th century.

A web site illustrating project results is found at http://climate.rutgers.edu/stateclim/climreportcard/climate_report_card.html A slide show with project results is linked off of this site. Project results show a warmer, wetter New Jersey in the late 20th century compared to earlier decades of the century. The warming is most consistent in winter and summer, and increased wetness is more evident in spring and fall. Along with seasonal variations are found spatial differences.