NJ beach weather & waves: Jersey Shore Report for May 20, 2026

Advisories

MODERATE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS. Life-threatening rip currents are possible in the surf zone.

HEAT ADVISORY in effect until 8 p.m. Maximum heat indices near 100 degrees during peak heating this afternoon. Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors.

At the Shore

Current conditions and forecast as of Wed morning

Rip Current Risk	Moderate
Waves	2 - 3 feet
Winds	From the West 9 - 13 mph (Gust 18 mph) 8 - 11 knots (Gust 16 knots)
Ocean Temperature	55° - 68° (Normal 58° - 68°)
Air Temperature	75° - 95°
Sunrise/Sunset	5:36am - 8:10pm
UV Index	9 (Very High)

MORE WEATHER: Dan Zarrow's 5 Day Forecast

Tide Times

SANDY HOOK Sandy Hook Bay	Low Wed 5:36a	High Wed 11:43a	Low Wed 5:37p	High Wed 11:57p
LONG BRANCH Atlantic Ocean	Low Wed 5:00a	High Wed 11:17a	Low Wed 5:01p	High Wed 11:31p
MANASQUAN INLET Atlantic Ocean	Low Wed 5:12a	High Wed 11:31a	Low Wed 5:13p	High Wed 11:45p
SEASIDE HEIGHTS Atlantic Ocean	Low Wed 5:04a	High Wed 11:13a	Low Wed 5:05p	High Wed 11:27p
SEASIDE PARK Barnegat Bay	Low Wed 9:41a	High Wed 3:23p	Low Wed 9:42p	High Thu 3:37a
BARNEGAT INLET Barnegat Bay	Low Wed 5:41a	High Wed 11:30a	Low Wed 5:32p	High Wed 11:44p
MANAHAWKIN BRIDGE Manahawkin Bay	Low Wed 9:15a	High Wed 2:30p	Low Wed 9:16p	High Thu 2:44a
LITTLE EGG INLET Great Bay	Low Wed 6:19a	High Wed 12:24p	Low Wed 6:05p	High Thu 12:45a
ATLANTIC CITY Atlantic Ocean	Low Wed 5:13a	High Wed 11:16a	Low Wed 5:03p	High Wed 11:32p
OCEAN DRIVE BRIDGE Townsends Inlet	Low Wed 5:40a	High Wed 11:47a	Low Wed 5:29p	High Thu 12:10a
WILDWOOD CREST Atlantic Ocean	Low Wed 5:16a	High Wed 11:17a	Low Wed 5:07p	High Wed 11:41p
CAPE MAY Delaware Bay	Low Wed 6:10a	High Wed 12:20p	Low Wed 6:04p	High Thu 12:39a

MORE TIDES: Info for 132 points along the NJ coast

Marine Forecast

From the National Weather Service, Mt. Holly

TODAY: SW winds 10 to 15 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: S 4 ft at 7 seconds. A slight chance of showers and tstms early this afternoon. Showers likely with a chance of tstms late.

TONIGHT: W winds 10 to 15 kt with gusts up to 20 kt, becoming N after midnight. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: S 4 ft at 6 seconds and SE 1 foot at 9 seconds. Showers with a chance of tstms in the evening, then a chance of showers after midnight.

THU: NE winds 10 to 15 kt with gusts up to 20 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: S 3 ft at 6 seconds and NE 2 ft at 4 seconds. Showers likely.

THU NIGHT: SE winds around 5 kt, becoming E after midnight. Seas around 3 ft. Wave Detail: SE 2 ft at 6 seconds and SE 1 foot at 9 seconds.

FRI: E winds 10 to 15 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: SE 3 ft at 7 seconds. A chance of showers in the afternoon.

FRI NIGHT: E winds 10 to 15 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: SE 4 ft at 7 seconds. A chance of showers in the evening, then showers likely after midnight.

SAT: E winds 15 to 20 kt. Seas 4 to 6 ft, building to 6 to 8 ft in the afternoon. Showers.

SAT NIGHT: E winds 15 to 20 kt. Seas 6 to 8 ft. Showers.

SUN: E winds 15 to 20 kt. Seas 7 to 8 ft. Showers.

SUN NIGHT: E winds 10 to 15 kt, becoming NE 5 to 10 kt after midnight. Seas 6 to 8 ft. A chance of showers. Winds and seas higher in and near tstms.

MORE MARINE INFO: Rip current forecast and more

Plan Your Trip

NJ TRAFFIC: If it's in your way, it's in our report

NJ BEACHES: Water quality alerts, jellyfish sightings, and more

Data on this page amalgamated from several sources, including the National Weather Service (weather), National Ocean Service (tides), U.S. Naval Observatory (sun), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (UV index).

Dan Zarrow is Chief Meteorologist for Townsquare Media New Jersey. The Shore Report is generated semi-automatically daily at 5 a.m. from mid-May to late September. Follow Dan's weather blog and Facebook page for your latest forecast and realtime weather updates.