TRENTON, N.J. — A winter storm expected to bring heavy snow to parts of the Mid-Atlantic will largely bypass New Jersey, though the region will still experience cold temperatures and blustery conditions.
Forecasters predict a chance of light snow on Thursday morning, with accumulation of less than half an inch possible. Otherwise, the state will see mostly cloudy skies and daytime highs near 29°F, with north winds of 10 to 15 mph.
It was previously forecasted that New Jersey would be in the storm impact area, but it now appears to be headed south.
The storm system is expected to impact Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, and North Carolina, where winter storm warnings are in effect. New Jersey will avoid the heaviest snowfall, but residents should still prepare for cold temperatures, with overnight lows dropping to the teens and wind gusts reaching up to 30 mph.
Friday will bring sunshine and slightly warmer temperatures, with highs near 36°F, but breezy conditions will persist.
Here’s what’s happening
The fast-moving winter storm is spreading snow, sleet, and freezing rain across the Mid-Mississippi Valley and the southern Mid-Atlantic today, while Arctic air plunges deep into the U.S., bringing dangerously cold wind chills and record-low temperatures.
The developing low-pressure system, tracking along an Arctic frontal boundary, is delivering moderate to heavy rainfall along the Gulf Coast and thunderstorms across northern Florida. Meanwhile, snowfall is accumulating from the Tennessee Valley to the southern Mid-Atlantic, with southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina expected to see over eight inches of snow before the system intensifies and moves offshore overnight.
Inland areas south of the snowfall zone are experiencing sleet and freezing rain, creating hazardous travel conditions from the Deep South to the Carolina coast. As the storm exits, bitterly cold air will surge across the Ohio Valley and Mid-Atlantic, with below-freezing temperatures reaching the Gulf Coast by Friday.
Wind chills remain dangerously low over the northern Plains, where a 1050+ mb high-pressure system is driving frigid air across the region. Although temperatures will gradually moderate in the coming days, the eastern two-thirds of the U.S. will remain much colder than normal.