You’ve probably been there. You check your phone while sipping coffee at S. Egidio, see a clear sky icon, and walk out the door in a light jacket. Forty minutes later, you’re standing near the Ridgewood train station under a sudden, biting drizzle. It's frustrating.
Honestly, the ridgewood nj weather hourly forecast is a bit of a local legend for its mood swings. Because Ridgewood sits in that sweet (or sour) spot of Bergen County where the suburban heat meets the first whispers of the Appalachian foothills, the "hourly" part of the forecast is more of a suggestion than a rule.
The Ridgewood Microclimate: It Isn't Just "NYC Weather"
A lot of people make the mistake of looking at the Central Park forecast and assuming it applies to 07450. It doesn't. Not even close.
Ridgewood is part of New Jersey's Northern Zone. This means we get the "orographic effect." Basically, as air moves from the west and hits the rising elevations of the Ramapo Mountains just a few miles away, that air is forced upward. It cools, it condenses, and—poof—you have a cloud that wasn't there ten minutes ago.
This is why, on a typical January day like today, January 15, 2026, you might see a 39°F high in Manhattan while Ridgewood is struggling to stay above freezing. We are consistently 3 to 5 degrees cooler than the city at night. The asphalt and skyscrapers of New York hold onto heat. Our leafy streets and proximity to the Saddle River do the opposite. They let heat escape.
Breaking Down Today’s Hourly Realities
If you are looking at the ridgewood nj weather hourly today, here is the raw data for January 15.
Right now, in the early morning hours, we are sitting at a crisp 39°F with about 82% humidity. It feels damp. It feels like "winter." But the wind is the real story today. We’ve got a southwest breeze at 6 mph that’s going to kick up to about 12 mph by lunchtime.
- 9:00 AM: Expect 34°F. The clouds are hanging heavy, and there's a roughly 35% chance of some light snow flurries. Nothing to shovel, just enough to be annoying.
- 12:00 PM: We hit our peak of 39°F. The sun might try to peek through, but don't hold your breath.
- 4:00 PM: The temperature starts its nose-dive. Sunset is at 4:53 PM today. By the time you're heading home, it’ll be 32°F and dropping.
- 10:00 PM: It's going to be a cold one. We're looking at a low of 22°F overnight.
Why Your Weather App Keeps Lying to You
Have you ever noticed that AccuWeather says one thing, WeatherBug says another, and the local guy on Channel 7 says something else entirely?
Most weather apps rely on Global Forecast System (GFS) models. These are great for big-picture stuff—like knowing a hurricane is coming. They are terrible at predicting if it will rain on East Ridgewood Avenue specifically.
Local meteorologists, like the folks at the National Weather Service station in Upton, NY, use high-resolution models that account for the terrain. For Ridgewood, the "Ho-Ho-Kus Brook effect" is real. Small bodies of water and slight changes in elevation between the "Valley" and the "Heights" create tiny pockets of temperature variation.
If you live up toward the Wyckoff border, you might have an inch of snow while someone near the Duck Pond just has wet grass.
The Humidity Factor
January in Ridgewood is notoriously humid for a cold month. We’re averaging about 60% to 80% relative humidity this week. Why does this matter?
Because 35°F at 80% humidity feels significantly colder than 35°F at 20% humidity. The moisture in the air conducts heat away from your body faster. It’s that "bone-chilling" cold that residents talk about.
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Pro Tips for Navigating Ridgewood’s Hourly Shifts
Stop trusting the "Daily High." The daily high usually happens for about twenty minutes at 2:00 PM.
- Watch the Dew Point: If the dew point and the temperature are within three degrees of each other, expect fog or "damp cold" regardless of what the "sun" icon says.
- The 4 PM Rule: In the winter, the temperature in Ridgewood doesn't "gradually" drop after sunset. It falls off a cliff. If you’re going out for dinner at 6:00 PM, dress for the overnight low, not the afternoon high.
- Wind Direction Matters: A North wind means dry, biting cold. A South/Southwest wind—like we have today—often brings that "mushy" weather: grey skies, damp air, and a higher chance of slush.
Common Misconceptions About Ridgewood Weather
A big one is that "it always snows more here than in Paramus."
Surprisingly, that’s not always true. While we are slightly higher in elevation, the "urban heat island" from the Garden State Plaza and the Route 17 corridor can sometimes create a weird thermal wall. However, once you get past the Ridgewood/Glen Rock line, the lack of massive commercial heat sources means snow sticks much faster on our residential side-streets.
Another myth? That the Saddle River protects us from the wind. It doesn't. The river valley actually acts as a funnel. On windier days, those gusts of 15-20 mph can feel much stronger if you're walking along the paths near the High School.
What to Expect the Rest of the Week
Looking past the ridgewood nj weather hourly for today, the pattern is staying pretty volatile. We have a mix of rain and snow likely for tonight and into tomorrow morning.
The low of 22°F tonight means anything that falls as rain this afternoon will be a sheet of ice by the time you're driving to the YMCA tomorrow morning. Black ice is the hidden boss of Ridgewood winters. Graydon Pool might be a frozen block, but the roads are the real concern.
Actionable Advice for Ridgewood Residents
Check the "Feels Like" or "RealFeel" temperature. Today, that 39°F high actually feels like 31°F because of the dampness and the breeze.
Before you head out, verify the wind gusts. If they are over 15 mph, that umbrella is going to be useless when the 35% chance of snow hits at noon. Stick to a hooded, water-resistant shell.
Keep an eye on the barometric pressure. It's currently around 29.54 inHg and falling. A falling barometer almost always precedes a shift in weather—usually for the worse. If you see that number dropping on your weather station at home, finish your errands sooner rather than later.
Pack an extra layer in the car for the evening commute. The 17-degree difference between the afternoon high and the overnight low is enough to catch anyone off guard.
Stay aware of the freezing line. With a low of 22°F coming tonight, make sure your outdoor spigots are disconnected. It’s early January, and this is exactly when those pipes start to complain.
As we move through the afternoon, the sky will likely stay "overcast" to "mostly cloudy." Don't let the lack of sun fool you into thinking it's a mild day. The dampness is the dominant player in the current Ridgewood forecast. Prepare for a slick, cold evening and keep the salt handy for the driveway tonight.
Moving forward, focus on the "wet bulb" temperature if you're tracking potential snow. It’s a much more accurate predictor of whether those flurries will turn into a dusting on your windshield or just disappear into the pavement.