GLOBAL WARMING
Climate Change: 2019 Was 10th Warmest Year on Record for New Jersey
SCOTT FALLON/NORTHJERSEY.COM – New Jersey saw its 10th warmest year on record in 2019, echoing a global trend that has seen sea levels rise and extreme weather events become more common, according to a report released Wednesday.
In a year with severe algae blooms on its biggest lakes and an early start to mosquito season, 2019’s record temperatures came as little surprise to David Robinson, the state climatologist, who wrote the report.
“We’re seeing the results of a warming planet in every corner of this state,” said Robinson, a Rutgers professor. “It’s no random chance that New Jersey has seen so many warm years in the last few decades.”
The average temperature of 54.3 degrees for 2019 is 2.5 degrees above normal since record-keeping began in 1895. New Jersey also had its 17th wettest year in 2019, along with its second-most tornadoes, two indicators associated with warmer weather …