Strong and gusty west to northwest winds occurred for nearly twenty-four hours across New Jersey from the evening of the 2nd through the afternoon of the 3rd. Peak wind gusts averaged around 50 mph, except for some gusts to around 70 mph in the higher terrain of Sussex County. The strong winds downed weak trees, tree limbs and power lines and resulted in widely scattered power outages. About 1,000 homes and businesses lost power in Monmouth and Ocean Counties. The strong winds also caused the cancellation of a couple of ferries between Monmouth County and New York City on the evening of the 3rd.
Peak wind gusts included 73 mph in Wantage (Sussex County), 68 mph at the High Point State Monument (Sussex County), 56 mph in Cape May (Cape May County), 55 mph in Barnegat (Ocean County), 54 mph in Seaside Heights (Ocean County), 52 mph at the Atlantic City International Airport (Atlantic County), 51 mph in Keansburg (Monmouth County), 50 mph in Lake Parsippany (Morris County), 48 mph in Mullica Hill (Gloucester County), 45 mph in Atlantic City (Atlantic County), 44 mph in Millville (Cumberland County), 43 mph in Kingwood (Hunterdon County) and 41 mph in Trenton (Mercer County).
The strong winds were caused by the pressure difference between an intense low pressure system that retrograded from the Nova Scotia coastal waters to the Gulf of Maine on the 2nd and 3rd and a strong high pressure system located over the northern plains. The strongest winds occurred as the low pressure system continued its retrogression west through Nova Scotia on the evening of the 2nd and persisted until the low started to weaken and move to the east again, on the 3rd.

Strong Wind in WESTERN OCEAN, NEW JERSEY
From 02-JAN-10 18:00:00 to 03-JAN-10 18:00:00 (EST-5)
Magnitude: 40.00 EG
Property damage: 2.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Strong Wind in SOUTHEASTERN BURLINGTON, NEW JERSEY
From 02-JAN-10 18:00:00 to 03-JAN-10 18:00:00 (EST-5)
Magnitude: 40.00 EG
Property damage: 2.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Strong Wind in HUNTERDON, NEW JERSEY
From 02-JAN-10 18:00:00 to 03-JAN-10 18:00:00 (EST-5)
Magnitude: 40.00 EG
Property damage: 2.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Strong Wind in WESTERN MONMOUTH, NEW JERSEY
From 02-JAN-10 18:00:00 to 03-JAN-10 18:00:00 (EST-5)
Magnitude: 44.00 MG
Property damage: 2.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: C-MAN Station

Strong Wind in WARREN, NEW JERSEY
From 02-JAN-10 18:00:00 to 03-JAN-10 18:00:00 (EST-5)
Magnitude: 40.00 EG
Property damage: 2.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Strong Wind in EASTERN OCEAN, NEW JERSEY
From 02-JAN-10 18:00:00 to 03-JAN-10 18:00:00 (EST-5)
Magnitude: 48.00 MG
Property damage: 2.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Coast Guard

Strong Wind in MERCER, NEW JERSEY
From 02-JAN-10 18:00:00 to 03-JAN-10 18:00:00 (EST-5)
Magnitude: 40.00 EG
Property damage: 2.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Strong Wind in GLOUCESTER, NEW JERSEY
From 02-JAN-10 18:00:00 to 03-JAN-10 18:00:00 (EST-5)
Magnitude: 42.00 MG
Property damage: 2.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Strong Wind in EASTERN MONMOUTH, NEW JERSEY
From 02-JAN-10 18:00:00 to 03-JAN-10 18:00:00 (EST-5)
Magnitude: 43.00 MG
Property damage: 2.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: C-MAN Station

Strong Wind in SALEM, NEW JERSEY
From 02-JAN-10 18:00:00 to 03-JAN-10 18:00:00 (EST-5)
Magnitude: 40.00 EG
Property damage: 2.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Strong Wind in SOMERSET, NEW JERSEY
From 02-JAN-10 18:00:00 to 03-JAN-10 18:00:00 (EST-5)
Magnitude: 40.00 EG
Property damage: 2.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Strong Wind in NORTHWESTERN BURLINGTON, NEW JERSEY
From 02-JAN-10 18:00:00 to 03-JAN-10 18:00:00 (EST-5)
Magnitude: 40.00 EG
Property damage: 2.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Strong Wind in CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY
From 02-JAN-10 18:00:00 to 03-JAN-10 18:00:00 (EST-5)
Magnitude: 40.00 EG
Property damage: 2.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Strong Wind in MORRIS, NEW JERSEY
From 02-JAN-10 18:00:00 to 03-JAN-10 18:00:00 (EST-5)
Magnitude: 43.00 MG
Property damage: 2.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

High Wind in SUSSEX, NEW JERSEY
From 03-JAN-10 11:00:00 to 03-JAN-10 13:00:00 (EST-5)
Magnitude: 63.00 MG
Property damage: 10.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

Strong Wind in MIDDLESEX, NEW JERSEY
From 02-JAN-10 18:00:00 to 03-JAN-10 18:00:00 (EST-5)
Magnitude: 40.00 EG
Property damage: 2.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Strong Wind in CUMBERLAND, NEW JERSEY
From 02-JAN-10 18:00:00 to 03-JAN-10 18:00:00 (EST-5)
Magnitude: 40.00 EG
Property damage: 2.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Strong Wind in WESTERN ATLANTIC, NEW JERSEY
From 02-JAN-10 18:00:00 to 03-JAN-10 18:00:00 (EST-5)
Magnitude: 45.00 MG
Property damage: 2.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: ASOS

Strong Wind in WESTERN CAPE MAY, NEW JERSEY
From 02-JAN-10 18:00:00 to 03-JAN-10 18:00:00 (EST-5)
Magnitude: 45.00 EG
Property damage: 2.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Strong Wind in EASTERN CAPE MAY, NEW JERSEY
From 02-JAN-10 18:00:00 to 03-JAN-10 18:00:00 (EST-5)
Magnitude: 49.00 MG
Property damage: 2.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Coast Guard

Strong Wind in EASTERN ATLANTIC, NEW JERSEY
From 02-JAN-10 18:00:00 to 03-JAN-10 18:00:00 (EST-5)
Magnitude: 43.00 EG
Property damage: 2.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Coast Guard