The winter storm that is expected to dump up to a foot of snow in parts of northwest New Jersey will likely start out as rain over the vast majority of the state on Monday before transitioning to heavy snow in many counties as cold air moves in overnight, bringing It causes slippery conditions and forecasters say the flight will be on Tuesday morning.
The National Weather Service has issued winter storm watches for six New Jersey counties expected to see the highest accumulations of between 4 and 12 inches. Sussex County is expected to see the highest amounts of snow, ranging from 7 inches to a foot.
“Large and at times heavy snow is expected, especially north of I-78,” the weather service said in a storm update Sunday morning. “Snowfall rates could exceed one inch per hour at times. This snowfall could have a significant impact on traffic on Tuesday morning.”
The revised snowfall forecast issued early Sunday now calls for slightly lower amounts outside the winter storm watch areas of Hunterdon, Morris, Sussex, Warren and western portions of Bergen and Passaic counties.
The I-95 corridor could see a wet, wintry mix with rain turning to snow toward the end of the storm, but it's not expected to get much worse, the weather service said.
“Air cold enough to drop some wet snow is still blowing on I-95, but with warm ground temperatures and pavement, any snow will have a hard time accumulating,” the weather service said.
Heavy snow is expected to fall in northwest New Jersey after midnight Tuesday.
The southern half of the state is expected to see heavy rain throughout the storm with widespread rainfall totals of 1 to 1.5 inches. Wind speeds of about 30 mph statewide could reach 45 mph near the Jersey Shore.
Rainfall will taper off later Tuesday morning into the afternoon from the southwest to the northeast, the weather service said. Temperatures will drop into the 20s Tuesday night.
- Sussex County: 6 PM Monday to 6 PM Tuesday – Total snow accumulations of 7 to 12 inches are possible. Travel can be very difficult. Hazardous conditions can affect the morning or evening commute.
- West Bergen and West Passaic Counties: 1 a.m. to 6 p.m. – Total snow accumulations of 5 to 9 inches with amounts reaching about 10 inches across higher elevations.
- Warren and Morris Counties: Midnight to 6pm Tuesday – Total snow accumulations of 4 to 8 inches are possible. Amounts closer to the upper end of this range will concentrate across higher terrain.
- Hunterdon County: Midnight to 6pm Tuesday – Total snow accumulations of 2 to 4 inches are likely. Wind speeds can reach 35 mph. There is less confidence that snowfall warning criteria will be met in this area and this may change to a winter weather warning.
The weather service also issued coastal flood watches for high tide Tuesday along the Jersey Shore and Delaware Bay. Moderate to minor coastal flooding is expected.
The Met Office said coastal flooding was also possible during high tide on Monday.
Ahead of the storm, the forecast for Super Bowl Sunday includes milder temperatures, though not as warm as Saturday. Highs will likely be in the upper 40s and low 50s under overcast skies.
Some light rain could fall in southern New Jersey early Sunday, the weather service said.
Current radar:
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