The strong coastal storm that will be arriving in New Jersey on Thursday had the potential to become a big snowstorm, but warm air being pushed in from the Atlantic Ocean will keep most of the precipitation as rain, forecasters said.
However, the storm is still shaping up to be a nasty one, with strong gusty winds, light snow in the states northwestern region and a potential for freezing rain to make some roads and highways slick.N.J. school closings, schedule changes due to winter storm Thursday
Heres a closer look at what New Jerseyans can expect from this developing storm.
A coastal storm is expected to bring a wintry mix of snow, sleet and rain to parts of northwest New Jersey on Thursday and Friday. The rest of the state will see up to 2 inches of rain with high winds along the Jersey Shore.AccuWeather Storm arrival time
The storm should arrive in the southwestern corner of New Jersey generally in the Salem, Gloucester and Cumberland county area between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. on Thursday, then push its way into Central New Jersey between 10 a.m. and noon, and across the Route 78 corridor in North Jersey between noon and 3 p.m., said Rob Reale, a meteorologist at the WeatherWorks forecasting company, based in Warren County.
For most of the Garden State, most of the precipitation should be in the form of rain, Reale said, but there could be some trouble spots for drivers, especially during the early hours of the storm.
Temperatures will be right around 32, so some spots could have freezing rain when it first comes in, he said.
Areas west of Interstate 287, especially the high-elevation areas, have the best shot at seeing some accumulating snow, Reale said. But he noted that air temperatures will be fluctuating throughout the day, so those areas of the state will likely see some periods of snow changing to rain, and rain changing back to snow at times.
It will definitely be a wet, sloppy kind of snow, Reale noted.
Forecasters from AccuWeather are calling for 1 to 3 inches of snow in far northern New Jersey on Thursday, Dec. 15, as a strong coastal storm impacts our region. Most of New Jersey will get heavy rain and strong gusty winds.AccuWeather How much snow
Most forecasters, including the National Weather Service and AccuWeather, expect only 1 to 2 inches of snow to fall in the far northwestern region of New Jersey, with some pockets of 2 to 3 inches in higher terrain.
Reale said its possible some far northwestern areas, like High Point, could end up with 3 to 5 inches of snow if air temperatures stay on the colder side.How much rain
Forecasters say the vast majority of New Jersey will end up with a heavy soaking of 1 to 2 inches of rain before the storm moves away Friday morning or Friday afternoon.
This graphic from the National Weather Service's forecast office in New Jersey outlines the main threats from the strong coastal storm that will arrive on Thursday, Dec. 15 and linger into early Friday, Dec. 16.National Weather Service Ice threat
The National Weather Service says a light glaze of ice could form along the Interstate 95 corridor and southeastern Pennsylvania Thursday morning, as well as roads in northwestern New Jersey Thursday afternoon.Strong winds
The National Weather Service says steady easterly winds of 20 mph to 30 mph will likely be blowing in the eastern region of the state, with some gusts as strong as 50 mph at times. The strongest gusts are expected along the Jersey Shore, but stiff winds will also be blowing at times in interior sections of the state.
Forecasters from the National Weather Service say the strongest wind gusts are expected in coastal areas of New Jersey, but gusts will also be high in interior sections of the state.National Weather Service N.J. weather alerts
Because of the threat of icy roads, the weather service has issued formal winter weather advisories in Sussex and Warren counties, running from noon Thursday to midnight Friday. Winter weather advisories will also be active in western Passaic County from 1 p.m. Thursday until 1 a.m. Friday, and in Camden, Gloucester, northwest Burlington and Salem counties, from 5 a.m to noon on Thursday.
A wind advisory will be active in Atlantic and Cape May counties from 6 p.m. Thursday to 4 a.m. Friday, and in Monmouth, Ocean and southeastern Burlington counties from 9 p.m. Thursday to 10 a.m. Friday.
This graphic from the National Weather Service's forecast office in New Jersey shows the weather alerts that have been issued as of Wednesday evening for the strong coastal storm that will arrive on Thursday, Dec. 15, 2022.National Weather Service Coastal flooding threat
Forecasters say minor coastal flooding is expected along the Jersey Shore and the Delaware Bay, mainly during high-tide cycles Thursday night and Friday.Current weather radar
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NJ Advance Media staff writer Jeff Goldman contributed to this report.
Len Melisurgo may be reached at [email protected].
