Summer 2015: Not one for the record books

The summer of 2015 won't be one for the record books. 

State Climatologist Dave Robinson of Rutgers University says the Garden State's summer climate lacked any excessive heat or cold, and was on the mild side.

"It was a summer with quite a mixed bag of conditions, with the exception of the weekends, which were almost exclusively beautiful," Robinson said.

According to Robinson, New jersey this summer did not have any real record-breaking heat or cold or anything too wet or dry.

"We came close a few times. Of course we had some localized downpours that brought some flash-flooding to very specific areas of the state," Robinson said.

Robinson says every weekend day was rain-free, from the beginning of July through Labor Day. He said New Jersey did not have an exceptionally warm summer, just as the past two years have not been exceptionally warm in the eastern U.S., when other parts of the world are experiencing intense heat.

In fact, global climate watchers are saying 2015 is on track to go into the books as the warmest year on record for the planet earth. But not so here in the Garden State. According to Robinson, we were above average temperature-wise, in every month of the summer, but not excessively so.

"That is being counterbalanced by a cold January, February and March. So overall, through September, the year is still averaging a little below average, even though only three of the six months have been colder than that average," Robinson said.

According to Robinson, August and September have been very dry and the concern moving forward is a heightened brush and forest fire risk.

"When it comes to water supplies, stream flows, soil moisture and even reservoir levels they are below average," Robinson said. "So we will have to keep a really close eye on that as we go through the cool season, when reservoirs and streams normally refill. They have a lot of refilling to do."

Joe Cutter is the afternoon news anchor on New Jersey 101.5.