That time we gave thanks to snow in NJ for Thanksgiving

Let it snow. The famous phrase we begin to hear as we head into the holiday season. Thanksgiving is upon us in New Jersey, with a much more normal-looking year compared to last.

Speaking of normal-looking, how normal is it to see snow on Thanksgiving in New Jersey? We're certainly known for our extremes, and frosty weather during the holiday season is no exception.

According to Chief Meteorologist Dan Zarrow, Thanksgiving in New Jersey typically consists of "morning lows in the mid-30s. Afternoon highs in the lower 50s. And it has rained a little more than a third of all Thanksgiving Thursdays... Only four of the last 128 Thanksgiving Days in New Brunswick recorded measurable snow."

As this statistic shows, it's quite rare to have snow on Thanksgiving in the Garden State.

So when did those four measurable snow events take place? Let's dive in and find out (statistics based from the New Brunswick weather station).

November 24, 1898

During the Thanksgiving of 1898, New Jersey saw 2.5 inches of snowfall. Temperatures that day rose to around 40 degrees Fahrenheit, so at least it wasn't bitter cold.

November 28, 1912

It was also a white Thanksgiving in 1912. Although not as much as 1898 saw, New Jersey still received a good inch of snow that day.

It was also a bit colder with highs only reaching 37 degrees Fahrenheit.

November 23, 1989

Some of you may remember this particular day. Not only did it snow on Thanksgiving, but it was also the most snowfall New Jersey ever received for the holiday.

New Jersey was blanketed with six inches of snow that particular Thanksgiving. And it was cold with temperatures only reaching 33 degrees Fahrenheit.

November 27, 2014

This is the most recent date New Jersey has seen measurable snowfall on Thanksgiving, but many of you may not remember it too well. This may be due to the fact that we had more rainfall than snow that day, with 1.28 inches of rain and temperatures rising to 42 degrees Fahrenheit.

Despite that, New Jersey did receive half an inch of snow, proving conditions can still become favorable for snowfall even when most of the day is wet.

Speaking of wet, when was it wettest?

Although Thanksgiving of 2014 in New Jersey was among the wettest, it's not the record. The wettest Thanksgiving occurred on November 25, 1971, when the Garden State saw 1.95 inches of rain with a high of 43 degrees Fahrenheit.

What about the coldest?

The coldest we ever got on Thanksgiving was back on November 26, 1903. That year the mercury dropped to 13 degrees Fahrenheit.

Okay, I'm done feeling cold. When was it the warmest?

It's nice to have warm thoughts on Thanksgiving, and New Jersey was fortunate enough to tie the warmest day on record. November 24, 1966, and November 25, 1999, both saw a high of 67 degrees Fahrenheit. Needless to say, many broke out the shorts for that turkey day.

So what's the outlook for the Thanksgiving of 2021?

As of this post, Chief Meteorologist Dan Zarrow says "the forecast for Thanksgiving 2021 looks pretty quiet."

With that said, anything can change leading up to, during, and after turkey day. So make sure you stay up to date with Chief Meteorologist Dan Zarrow's latest weather blog and have a great Thanksgiving.