Winter weather alerts issued for 5 N.J. counties with up to 7 inches of snow in forecast Tuesday

Winter weather alerts have been issued in five New Jersey counties with up to 7 inches of snow possible on Tuesday from a storm that will also bring heavy rain to southern counties.

Sussex County is under a winter storm watch with 4 to 7 inches of snow expected and snowfall rates of up to 1 inch per hour, according to the National Weather Service.

Winter weather advisories have been issued for Hunterdon, Morris, Warren and northern Passaic counties.

The Tuesday morning commute will be most affected in these areas, forecasters said.

“A storm system will bring widespread precipitation to the region on Tuesday,” the weather service said early Monday.

Winter weather alerts have been issued for five New Jersey counties expected to see the most snow Tuesday.National Weather Service

The storm will begin as snow northwest of I-95, “with a transition to mainly rain from south to north from Tuesday morning and into the early afternoon. Some sleet may mix in during the transition,” the weather service said.

County-by-county snow forecasts:

• Hunterdon County: Total snow and sleet accumulations between 1 and 3 inches. The snow may mix with sleet before changing to all rain by late Tuesday morning.
• Morris County: Total snow and sleet accumulations between 1 and 4 inches. Snowfall rates up to 1 inch per hour are possible. The snow may mix with sleet before changing to mostly rain by Tuesday afternoon.
• Sussex County: Heavy snow possible. Total snow and sleet accumulations between 4 and 7 inches possible. Snowfall rates in excess of 1 inch per hour possible. Sleet or rain may mix in at times during the afternoon.
• Warren County: Total snow and sleet accumulations between 2 and 5 inches. Snowfall rates up to 1 inch per hour are possible. The snow may mix with sleet before changing to all rain by Tuesday afternoon.
• Western Passaic County: Total snow accumulations between 3 and 5 inches. The hazardous conditions could impact the Tuesday morning and evening commutes.

The heaviest precipitation is expected during the daytime hours Tuesday, with conditions improving by Tuesday evening as the system moves offshore.

Winter weather alerts have been issued for five New Jersey counties expected to see the most snow Tuesday.National Weather Service

Rainfall amounts of .75 to 1.25 inches are expected, but flooding is not a concern, forecasters said.

Temperatures Tuesday will range from the mid-30s in northwestern areas, around 40 degrees along the Interstate 95 corridor, and mid-40s to near 50 degrees in southern New Jersey and along the coast.

Winds will increase to 20 to 25 mph with gusts up to 30 mph.

Winter weather alerts have been issued for five New Jersey counties expected to see the most snow Tuesday.National Weather Service

As the system departs Tuesday evening, winds will shift to the northwest with similar speeds continuing into Tuesday night.

Wednesday brings dry conditions as high pressure builds.

Mostly sunny skies are expected with northwest winds of 5 to 10 mph and high temperatures in the mid-30s to low 40s.

Overnight lows Tuesday night will drop into the 20s statewide, potentially creating black ice conditions where slushy snow melt refreezes on roadways, particularly north of I-78.

Thursday will see another cold front pass through the region, ushering in a frigid airmass.

The front could bring some snow showers near and north of Interstate 78, but the main impact will be the significantly colder temperatures that follow.

Thursday night is expected to be the coldest night of the season so far, with lows dropping into the teens for most areas. Wind chill values will range from the single digits to mid-teens.

Friday continues the cold pattern with high temperatures only reaching the upper 20s to low 30s for most of New Jersey, with mid to upper 30s along the coast.

Strong high pressure will be in control, bringing mostly sunny skies but temperatures running 10 to 15 degrees below normal.

Another storm system may impact the region Friday night into Saturday, though there remains considerable uncertainty about the track and precipitation type.

Current forecasts suggest the system will pass to the south and east, but specifics on rain versus snow are still unclear.

Weak high pressure is expected to return Saturday night into Sunday.

Current weather radar