Record High Heat Hits Area

Temperatures more typical of August than April set a new record Tuesday, and the high was expected to approach 90 for at least another day.

Highs of 85 to 90 were forecast for most of New Jersey, with only the coastal areas getting a break from the early heat. Temperatures along the shore were expected to be in the 70s Tuesday and Wednesday.

"The same weather pattern that gave us temperatures in the 60s and 70s on some days during the winter is now giving us 80s and 90s in the spring," said Bill Goodman, a meteorologist with the weather service's Mount Holly office.

He said the last time it was this unseasonably warm in April was 1976, when a series of new highs was set.

Goodman attributed the current warm spell to a weather system known as the "Bermuda High," a mass of high pressure that sits just off the coast, drawing warmer air from the southwest to northern and eastern regions.

A weak weather front expected to move through the state late Wednesday night into Thursday morning should cool things off a bit, with highs in the 70s, before more normal seasonal temperatures of 60 or so return over the weekend.

Author: 6 ABC-AP