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Historic Blizzard Bears Down on Monmouth & Ocean Counties, NJ

A powerful winter storm is currently unfolding across New Jersey, with Monmouth and Ocean counties squarely in the forecast “bullseye.” The National Weather Service has placed both counties under blizzard warnings as the system intensifies Sunday into Monday, and residents brace for potentially the biggest storm in nearly a decade.

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A powerful winter storm is currently unfolding across New Jersey, with Monmouth and Ocean counties squarely in the forecast “bullseye.” The National Weather Service has placed both counties under blizzard warnings as the system intensifies Sunday into Monday, and residents brace for potentially the biggest storm in nearly a decade. 

🌨️ What the Forecast Is Telling Us

  • Snow Totals: Coastal areas — including Monmouth and Ocean — could see up to 20–30 inches of snow by Monday evening, with northern Jersey Shore locales on the higher end of that range.  
  • Blizzard Conditions: Expect heavy snow bands, strong winds, and near-whiteout conditions with winds gusting up to 50–60+ mph.  
  • Timeline: Snow may begin as rain or wet flakes Sunday afternoon, transitioning to steady heavy snow in the evening, with the worst conditions overnight Sunday through Monday morning.  
  • Coastal Flood Alerts: Rising tides and strong onshore winds have also triggered coastal flood warnings along the Jersey Shore — meaning pockets of roadway flooding and overwash are possible.  

New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill has declared a state of emergency for the entire state, which helps coordinate resources and alerts residents to the seriousness of the storm. 

That’s a lot of weather — but there’s a silver lining: with that snow comes a chance to turn this blizzard into something cozy, fun, and memorable.

❄️ The Bright Side: Fun & Safe Ways to Hunker Down

When streets go white and the wind howls outside, it’s time to make the most of being snowed-in. Here’s a mix of practical and encouraging ideas to keep spirits high through the storm.

🧠 Stay Safe First

  • Stock Up Wisely: Make sure you have essentials — water, snacks, batteries, flashlights, medications, and pet supplies.
  • Power Ready: Charge devices now and have backup lighting and blankets ready in case of outages.
  • Minimize Travel: Roads could become treacherous; limit travel to emergencies only.

🔥 Cozy Fun Indoors

Whether you’re alone, with family, or friends (nearby or via video), here are creative ways to embrace the storm:

🍫 1. Build a Blizzard Snack Spread

Whip up hot cocoa, baked goods, or a DIY trail mix bar. Let everyone pick a favorite topping or ingredient — chaos in the kitchen can be half the fun.

📚 2. Blizzard Book Challenge

Dust off that book you never finished. Turn the storm into the perfect excuse to read with blankets and candles (battery-powered, of course!).

🎬 3. Movie Marathon — With a Theme

From snow adventure films (The Shining, Groundhog Day, March of the Penguins) to classics you’ve been meaning to watch, create a lineup that keeps laughter and warmth alive.

🎨 4. Make Art from Weather

Create snow-themed crafts, paint winter scenes, or write short stories inspired by the storm. Turn the blizzard into creative fuel.

🎶 5. Soundtrack Your Snow Day

Everyone picks a song that matches one of these categories:

  • When the snow started
  • Snow-covered streets
  • Warm indoor feels
    Share and enjoy!

🧩 6. Games & Connection

Board games, puzzles, online multiplayer games — they’re all great ways to stay engaged and connected when the outdoors goes quiet.

💬 A Note for the Shore Communities

Monmouth and Ocean counties have proven resilient in past storms, and local crews are hard at work preparing salt, plows, and response fleets. Officials are urging residents to plan ahead, stay safe, and check on neighbors, especially older adults or those who may need extra support.  

A powerful winter storm is currently unfolding across New Jersey, with Monmouth and Ocean counties squarely in the forecast “bullseye.” The National Weather Service has placed both counties under blizzard warnings as the system intensifies Sunday into Monday, and residents brace for potentially the biggest storm in nearly a decade. 

🌨️ What the Forecast Is Telling Us

  • Snow Totals: Coastal areas — including Monmouth and Ocean — could see up to 20–30 inches of snow by Monday evening, with northern Jersey Shore locales on the higher end of that range.  
  • Blizzard Conditions: Expect heavy snow bands, strong winds, and near-whiteout conditions with winds gusting up to 50–60+ mph.  
  • Timeline: Snow may begin as rain or wet flakes Sunday afternoon, transitioning to steady heavy snow in the evening, with the worst conditions overnight Sunday through Monday morning.  
  • Coastal Flood Alerts: Rising tides and strong onshore winds have also triggered coastal flood warnings along the Jersey Shore — meaning pockets of roadway flooding and overwash are possible.  

New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill has declared a state of emergency for the entire state, which helps coordinate resources and alerts residents to the seriousness of the storm. 

That’s a lot of weather — but there’s a silver lining: with that snow comes a chance to turn this blizzard into something cozy, fun, and memorable.

❄️ The Bright Side: Fun & Safe Ways to Hunker Down

When streets go white and the wind howls outside, it’s time to make the most of being snowed-in. Here’s a mix of practical and encouraging ideas to keep spirits high through the storm.

🧠 Stay Safe First

  • Stock Up Wisely: Make sure you have essentials — water, snacks, batteries, flashlights, medications, and pet supplies.
  • Power Ready: Charge devices now and have backup lighting and blankets ready in case of outages.
  • Minimize Travel: Roads could become treacherous; limit travel to emergencies only.

🔥 Cozy Fun Indoors

Whether you’re alone, with family, or friends (nearby or via video), here are creative ways to embrace the storm:

🍫 1. Build a Blizzard Snack Spread

Whip up hot cocoa, baked goods, or a DIY trail mix bar. Let everyone pick a favorite topping or ingredient — chaos in the kitchen can be half the fun.

📚 2. Blizzard Book Challenge

Dust off that book you never finished. Turn the storm into the perfect excuse to read with blankets and candles (battery-powered, of course!).

🎬 3. Movie Marathon — With a Theme

From snow adventure films (The Shining, Groundhog Day, March of the Penguins) to classics you’ve been meaning to watch, create a lineup that keeps laughter and warmth alive.

🎨 4. Make Art from Weather

Create snow-themed crafts, paint winter scenes, or write short stories inspired by the storm. Turn the blizzard into creative fuel.

🎶 5. Soundtrack Your Snow Day

Everyone picks a song that matches one of these categories:

  • When the snow started
  • Snow-covered streets
  • Warm indoor feels
    Share and enjoy!

🧩 6. Games & Connection

Board games, puzzles, online multiplayer games — they’re all great ways to stay engaged and connected when the outdoors goes quiet.

💬 A Note for the Shore Communities

Monmouth and Ocean counties have proven resilient in past storms, and local crews are hard at work preparing salt, plows, and response fleets. Officials are urging residents to plan ahead, stay safe, and check on neighbors, especially older adults or those who may need extra support.  

Evan Blaze is a Jersey Shore based editor and writer focused on coastal culture, local arts, and the evolving character of communities along the New Jersey coastline. With a background shaped by years spent around the water and small creative circles along the shore, he brings a grounded perspective to stories about music, independent film, neighborhood businesses, and the people who keep local culture alive. Known for balancing a laid-back coastal sensibility with a sharp editorial eye, Evan works to highlight authentic voices and emerging talent across the region. His work often explores the intersection of surf culture, live music, and the everyday rhythm of shore towns, capturing the energy that defines life along the Atlantic. When he’s not editing stories or working with contributors, he can usually be found near the water, checking the surf, walking the boardwalk at sunrise, or tracking down the next local story worth telling.

Editorial

Summer at the Shore: The Return of Classic American Coastal Style

Shannon

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The Jersey Review

Every summer, the Jersey Shore becomes a stage.

From the boardwalks of Belmar and Point Pleasant to the sidewalks of Spring Lake and Sea Girt, people step back into a tradition that is as much a part of Shore culture as salt air and ice cream cones: dressing well for summer.

Not flashy.

Not loud.

Not driven by whatever trend appeared online last week.

Instead, the Shore’s most enduring style remains rooted in something timeless: classic American coastal fashion blended with generations of European influence.

The Formula Hasn’t Changed

For men, the look is remarkably simple:

  • Linen shirts
  • Lightweight chinos
  • Tailored shorts
  • Polo shirts
  • Crisp button-downs
  • Loafers and boat shoes

Navy, white, khaki, and soft coastal colors continue to dominate because they simply work.

They look clean. They age well. They never feel out of place.

The most stylish people at the Shore are often the ones who appear to be trying the least.

Effortless Never Goes Out of Style

A white linen shirt.

A pair of loafers.

A lightweight navy sport coat for dinner.

These pieces have survived decades because they never truly go out of fashion.

For women, the same philosophy applies.

Flowing summer dresses, tasteful patterns, natural fabrics, and timeless silhouettes continue to define Shore elegance. Whether it’s dinner overlooking the water or an evening stroll along the boardwalk, the look remains polished without feeling formal.

A Tradition Passed Down Through Generations

Part of what makes Jersey Shore style unique is its cultural foundation.

Many Shore communities were built by families whose roots trace back to Italy, Ireland, Germany, Poland, and other parts of Europe. Along with recipes and traditions came a belief that presentation mattered.

Dressing well wasn’t about showing off.

It was about self-respect.

You can still see that mindset today.

Grandparents, parents, and grandchildren may wear different brands, but they often share the same appreciation for quality, fit, and timeless style.

Why It Still Works

Fashion trends come and go.

Social media constantly declares a new must-have item.

Yet every summer, the classic look returns.

Clean lines.

Quality materials.

Confidence without excess.

As outdoor dining patios fill, live music drifts through beach towns, and families gather for evenings on the boardwalk, the Shore naturally encourages people to put a little more thought into how they present themselves.

Not because they have to.

Because they want to.

The Jersey Shore Look for 2026

This summer, the winning formula remains the same:

✔ Linen over logos
✔ Fit over flash
✔ Timeless over trendy
✔ Quality over quantity

Some traditions survive because they work.

At the Jersey Shore, classic style remains one of them.

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Celebrity

TESD, Q, and the Great NJ Fame Wall Conspiracy: Did They Finally Notice The Jersey Review?

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The Jersey Review - Tell Em' Steve- Dave, Impractical Jokers, Brian Quinn

There are certain moments in New Jersey entertainment culture where reality begins to blur into pure Jersey mythology. A casual podcast conversation turns into a weeks-long debate. A throwaway joke becomes local folklore. And somehow, against all odds, everyone ends up arguing about Ernie O’Donnell again.

Which brings us to the latest episode of Tell ’Em Steve-Dave! and what may or may not be the beginning of the greatest cultural controversy in modern New Jersey history:

Did TESD secretly launch a campaign to get onto The Jersey Review Fame Wall?

We’re just asking questions here.

Because after Episode #672, “Now You’re Fabio,” listeners quickly noticed something unusual: The Jersey Review got mentioned inside the sacred TESD universe. Now, for most podcasts, that would just be a nice little shoutout.

But this is TESD. Nothing is ever normal.

Especially when Impractical Jokers star Brian Quinn is involved.

Longtime listeners already know that Q exists in a rare category of New Jersey-adjacent fame. He’s simultaneously:

  • one of the most recognizable faces in American Comedy,
  • one of the funniest podcasters “kind of running a show in Jersey territory,”
  • and somehow still feels like a guy you’d randomly run into arguing about horror movies at a diner in Hazlet at 1:00 a.m with Jersey folks.

Which honestly makes him a consideration for our New Jersey Fame Wall. Normally, Fame Wall candidates must formally submit through info@thejerseyreview.com and pass the Jersey Review Smell Test. But for Q, we may need to convene an emergency committee.

And yet… nobody from TESD has formally requested induction yet. Suspicious.

The Jersey Review -Ernie O'Donnell

Of course, once the conversation drifted into Jersey personalities and local legends, there was only one inevitable apparent destination: Ernie O’Donnell.

At this point, the “Ernie Debate” deserves protected historical status in New Jersey. TESD fans have spent plenty of time trying to determine whether Ernie is:

  • a cult comedy genius,
  • a chaos magnet,
  • the same guy who takes care of droves of children down at the local movie theatre,
  • a misunderstood icon,
  • the lighthouse that keeps Kevin Smith (Clerks, Dogma, Jersey Girl) returning to Jersey every month, 
  • a suspiciously capable carpenter,
  • or the single most Jersey human being ever created.

The answer somehow continues to be… only Ernie truly knows. 

What makes TESD special is that it still feels local in the best possible way. It feels Jersey. Even with massive audiences and years of podcast success, the show still sounds like old friends from Jersey (and Q, lol) sitting around making each other LAUGH until the conversation completely derails. And goes a little too south for general audiences.

That authenticity is why people love it. 

It also explains why the possibility of Q, Walt, or even Bry himself appearing on the NJ Fame Wall suddenly feels weirdly plausible.

And honestly? It could happen. Submissions come in regularly.

Because the Fame Wall was never just about traditional celebrities. It’s always been about those shining stars, the people who are worthy of celebration for just being part of New Jersey culture itself. The personalities who represent the strange, funny, loyal, sarcastic energy that makes this state feel different from everywhere else. Those New Jerseyians that pass our smell test, and most of the time, it’s one strong whiff, and it’s either, “yup, she’s Jersey,” or “nope, not on our watch.”

TESD is definitely worth a submission, but none have been received to date.

The truth is, New Jersey has always had two entertainment industries:

  1. the official one,
  2. and the weird local one everybody actually talks about.

We have famous people from both. Which one TESD belongs to is probably still being debated, and that’s exactly what makes it fun.

So yes, we noticed the mention.

Yes, the NJ Fame Wall doors remain open… but heavily guarded. ;P

And yes, Q may currently be under highly classified internal review for “advanced Jersey icon status by the sheer mention of close professional association with NJ Fame Wall Star, Ernie O’Donnell, but only time will tell.”

As for Ernie O’Donnell?

The debate continues everywhere else. Here, however, the wall has spoken.  As it should.

Here he sits in New Jersey, watching movies with an old friend, still half-kid at heart, tucked behind the public wall of the theater that shaped them.

The Jersey Review - Tell Em Steve
Ernie O’Donnell and Kevin Smith inside their Atlantic Highlands movie theater, the childhood movie house where they once watched stories from the audience and now help keep the magic alive from behind the wall.
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Beaches & Towns

Great White Shark Sightings Spark Early Summer Conversation Along the Jersey Coast

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The jersey Review - shark sighting Jersey Shore 2026

As the Jersey Shore moves closer to peak summer season, a familiar topic has once again entered the conversation along the coast: great white sharks.

 

Recent tracking activity and seasonal migration reports have reignited public fascination with the species after researchers identified one of the first major great white movements of the year along the East Coast near New Jersey waters. While shark sightings are not unusual this time of year, they always seem to capture the imagination of beachgoers as Memorial Day crowds begin returning to the Shore in full force.

 
sharks 2026-The Jersey Review

The attention comes largely from shark tracking organizations like OCEARCH, which monitor tagged sharks as they migrate northward through the Atlantic. As ocean temperatures warm in late spring, marine life patterns begin shifting closer to the northeastern coastline, naturally bringing larger predators into broader public awareness.

Despite the dramatic reputation surrounding great whites, marine experts continue to emphasize that sightings near the Jersey Shore remain relatively rare, especially close to heavily populated swimming beaches. Most sharks tracked off the coast are traveling through deeper offshore waters as part of long-established migration routes.

jersey shore 2026- May -The Jersey Review

Still, the idea of great whites near New Jersey beaches has become one of those uniquely Shore-season conversations that resurfaces every year. It spreads quickly across social media, sparks debate at beach bars and restaurants, and inevitably leads to a mixture of fascination, anxiety, and curiosity.

For many locals, however, sharks are viewed less as a threat and more as a reminder that the Atlantic Ocean remains a living ecosystem rather than simply a tourist destination. Longtime fishermen and surfers often point out that sharks have always existed off the coast. The difference now is visibility. Modern tracking technology, drone footage, and viral social media clips have made ocean activity far more public than it was even a decade ago.

There is also a growing respect for sharks among younger beachgoers who have become more environmentally conscious. Conservation efforts and marine education campaigns have helped shift public perception away from the pure fear-driven image popularized by movies and sensational headlines in previous generations.

That doesn’t mean the topic lacks intensity. Any mention of a great white shark still instantly grabs attention, especially heading into the busiest tourism months of the year. The image of massive predators moving through Atlantic waters taps into something primal and cinematic at the same time.

Along the Jersey Shore, that atmosphere becomes part of the seasonal culture itself. Conversations about tides, storms, water temperatures, jellyfish, and sharks have always existed alongside the beaches and boardwalks. They are reminders that even in highly developed coastal towns, nature still operates on its own terms.

Officials and marine experts continue encouraging common-sense beach awareness rather than panic. Swimmers are advised to stay near lifeguards, avoid swimming at dawn or dusk, and respect marine wildlife if spotted. These recommendations remain standard practice along coastal communities nationwide.

As Summer 2026 begins taking shape, the return of shark migration headlines serves as another sign that the Shore season is fully underway. And while the odds of an actual shark encounter remain extremely low, the fascination surrounding these powerful creatures continues to hold a unique place in Jersey Shore culture.

Because at the end of the day, nothing reminds people of the raw scale of the ocean quite like the possibility that something massive may be moving beneath the surface.

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