The winter storm expected to drop at least another 6 to 8 inches of snow across much of New Jersey will start in the pre-dawn hours Thursday and could linger into Friday afternoon, according to the latest forecasts.
Light snow could begin as early as 4 or 5 a.m., with steadier snow falling by 7 or 8 a.m., according to Jim Sullivan, chief meteorologist for WeatherWorks, a private forecasting company based in Hackettstown. Snow should be falling heavily in South Jersey by 8 or 9 a.m., while in North Jersey, moderate to heavy snow is likely to be accumulating no later than 10 or 11 a.m., Sullivan said.
The National Weather Service’s prediction issued in its morning forecast discussion matches up with Sullivan as the NWS says precipitation will begin in the “pre-dawn hours.”
The National Weather Service is calling for up to 8 inches of snow from a storm starting Thursday and continuing into Friday. Here’s the latest on timing.
Although the storm will overspread the state from southwest to northeast, Sullivan said snow could actually start first in North Jersey.
“It might be kind of weird — it might fill in across the northern half a little earlier than the southern half. It’s not really a uniform shield (of snow),” Sullivan said.
Snow totals in South Jersey are expected to be less — about 3 to 4 inches compared to 6 to 8 in northern and central Jersey, according to the National Weather Service.
That’s because snow in South Jersey and along the Jersey Shore could change to mixed precipitation fairly quickly, with warmer temperatures expected.
“Some mixing might start as early as the late morning, and in inland parts of South Jersey there could be sleet toward noon,” Sullivan said. “Down there, you might only have a couple hours of heavy snow before mixed precipitation moves in.”
NJ snow totals.National Weather Service
Mixed precipitation will kick in by mid to late afternoon further north, with the heaviest precipitation lessening in intensity from 4 to 7 p.m. south to north.
The storm, though, will still be far from over — with precipitation not winding down until sometime between 9 a.m. and noon Friday and lingering light rain or snow showers possible through the afternoon.
“It’s not going to stop, but it will become much lighter later tomorrow,” Sullivan said. “The end time is still unclear.”
AccuWeather is calling for higher amounts of up to 12 inches of snow in the northern half of the state, along with a narrow band of 3 to 6 inches along I-195 and 1 to 3 inches for South Jersey.
AccuWeather’s forecast for the winter storm expected to start Thursday calls for 6 to 12 inches for the northern half of New Jersey.
The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch for 17 New Jersey counties ahead of a storm. Those are likely to be upgraded to winter storm warnings as the system nears the state and the forecast becomes more refined.
Only Ocean, Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland and coastal areas of Monmouth County are not under a winter storm watch.
Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JGoldmanNJ.
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