If you stepped outside early Monday in New Jersey, you probably didn’t need a forecast to tell you something changed overnight. The air had that sharp, almost metallic sting to it, the kind that hits your nose first and then somehow works its way behind your eyes. A cold front pushed through while most people were asleep, and whatever warmth we had left from the weekend got shoved out in a hurry.
Some spots up in the northwest even caught a quick burst of flurries before sunrise. Nothing that stuck, but enough to let you know the season turned a corner. The wind was the real headline, though. It rattled gutters and snapped at anything loose, gusting up to the mid-30s. You could hear it before you even opened the door.
And this isn’t just a “cold morning” situation. The National Weather Service made it clear we’re in for a real dip. Monday night into Tuesday is the type of cold that makes you rethink whether your winter coat is actually winter-proof. Northwestern New Jersey is about to fall into the single digits, likely the coldest since January. Most of the rest of the state won’t be too far off — teens for nearly everyone. Even spots along the Shore, which usually hang onto milder readings, will drop toward the 20s.
It’s not a record breaker, but it’s definitely far below where we normally sit in early December. Honestly, it feels like we skipped a few weeks.
Daytime temperatures Monday don’t offer much comfort either. The far northwest barely climbs out of the 20s. Other areas will flirt with freezing, but between the leftover breeze and the dry air, it won’t feel like the number you see on your phone. At least the wind calms down a bit later in the day. Small wins.
Tuesday looks slightly better—not warm, just… less miserable. Low to mid-30s for most towns. Upper 30s and maybe touching 40 closer to the ocean. Clouds creep in through the afternoon as a new system approaches, because of course there’s another one already lining up.
By Wednesday, we get a fast-moving storm. Most of the state will get rain out of it, but the northwest corner might squeeze out a little snow at the start before everything switches over. Temperatures bounce up into the 40s and maybe close to 50, which will feel strangely normal after all this.
Then, just as we get used to that, things dip on Thursday again. Another small system—a clipper—could swing through Thursday night into Friday. It might be one of those “is that snow or just really cold rain?” situations. Forecast confidence isn’t great yet. Even meteorologists sound like they’re side-eyeing the models, but you can stay up to date on AccuWeather.
But the bigger story is next weekend. That’s when another punch of Arctic air drops south, and early signs point to a stubborn one. Starting Saturday and dragging right into early next week, New Jersey could see highs stuck around or below freezing for four straight days. Nights drop back into the teens and low 20s. Add steady winds around 10 to 15 mph, and the wind chills slide right back into the single digits.
Winter has clearly decided it’s clocking in early this year. Whether we wanted it to or not.
The New Jersey Digest is a new jersey magazine that has chronicled daily life in the Garden State for over 10 years.