New Jersey

New Jersey is the 47th largest state in the United States and the 3rd to be admitted to the Union. New Jersey was admitted to the Union on December 18, 1787 and was previously known as the Province of New Jersey.

New Jersey is situated in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States.

New Jersey is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware. New Jersey lies mostly within the sprawling metropolitan areas of New York City and Philadelphia. It is the most densely populated state in the United States and is also the second wealthiest.

New Jersey has many national parks such as Allaire State Park which is located in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States, near the town of Farmingdale and is operated and maintained by the New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry and is part of the New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail Route. The park is is known for its restored 19th century ironworks, Allaire Village, on the park premises. It is named after James P. Allaire, founder of the Howell Works at the same site. The park also hosts the Pine Creek Railroad, a tourist railroad.

Another national park which is well worth visiting is the Barnegat Lighthouse State Park which is located on the northern tip of Long Beach Island in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. The area where the lighthouse stands was regarded as one of the most important navigational points for ships bound to and from New York Harbor. The ships were dependent upon the Barnegat Lighthouse to avoid the shoals extending from the shoreline. The swift currents, shifting sandbars, and offshore shoals challenged the skills of even the most experienced sailors. The park is included as a maritime site on the New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail. The park is operated and maintained by the New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry.

Summers are typically hot and humid in New Jersey with statewide average high temperatures of 82–88 °F (28–31 °C) and lows of 60–70 °F (16–21 °C). However, temperatures exceed 90 °F (32 °C) on average −25 days each summer, though rarely exceed 100 °F (38 °C).

Winters are usually cold, with average high temperatures of 38–46 °F (3–8 °C) and lows of 26–32 °F (-3–0 °C) for most of the state, but temperatures could, for brief interludes, be as low as 10–20 °F (-12–-7 °C) and sometimes rise to 50–60 °F (10–16 °C). Northwestern parts of the state have slightly colder winters with average temperatures just below freezing.

Spring and autumn may feature wide temperature variations, ranging from chilly to warm, although they are usually mild with lower humidity than summer. Average annual precipitation ranges from 43 to 51 inches (1,100 to 1,300 mm), uniformly spread through the year.

Average snowfall per winter season range from 10–15 inches (25–38 cm) in the south and near the seacoast, 15–30 inches (38–76 cm) in the northeast and central part of the state, to about 40–50 inches (1.0–1.3 m) in the northwestern highlands, but this varies from year to year. Precipitation falls on an average of 120 days a year, with 25 to 30 thunderstorms, most of which occur during the summer.

During winter and early spring, New Jersey can in some years experience "nor'easters", which are capable of causing blizzards or flooding throughout the northeastern United States. The state may also experience drought. Hurricanes and tropical storms (such as Hurricane Floyd in 1999), tornadoes, and earthquakes are rare.