Cold/Wind Chill — Sussex, New Jersey

2005-01-28 · Sussex, New Jersey

Wider weather episode

The combination of light winds courtesy of being located under a large high pressure system and snow cover produced for many locations one of the coldest mornings of the winter season in New Jersey. Low temperatures were mainly around zero, but some lows in the northwest part of the state were colder than 10 degrees below zero. An 88-year-old husband and his 80-year-old wife died of hypothermia within their Dover Township (Morris County). The furnace was off and the house temperature was in the 40s when the authorities arrived. On the 31st, an 82-year-old man and his 71-year-old sister were found dead within their Wantage (Sussex County) home. They died from hypothermia after the fire in an old wood stove extinguished. The unseasonably cold weather continued code blue declarations to help the homeless, elderly, homebound and poor. It continued the high demand for heating oil, natural gas and electricity. There was also an increase in the number of slip and fall accidents. The cold weather increased the number of dead batteries. For example, AAA Mid-Atlantic reported a 25 to 30 percent increase in emergency calls.Specific low temperatures included 17 degrees below zero in Pellettown (Sussex County), 14 degrees below zero in Sussex (Sussex County), 10 degrees below zero in Andover (Sussex County), 6 degrees below zero in Somerville (Somerset County), 4 degrees below zero in Chatham (Morris County), 3 degrees below zero in Millville (Cumberland County), 2 degrees below zero in New Brunswick (Middlesex County), zero in Mount Holly (Burlington County), 2 degrees in Marlboro (Monmouth County), Trenton (Mercer County) and Flemington (Hunterdon County), 3 degrees at the Atlantic City International Airport, 6 degrees in Harvey Cedars (Ocean County), Williamstown (Gloucester County) and Somerdale (Camden County) and 9 degrees in Wildwood (Cape May County).

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5434731. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.