Snow, Ice Possible In NJ Forecast

NEW JERSEY - Morning commuters may want to build in extra time later this week as forecasters are monitoring a storm system that could bring rain, ice and snow to the Garden State.

Below-freezing temperatures on Wednesday night coupled with light precipitation across the northern part of the state could also lead to icy roads for the rest of the week, according to the National Weather Service.

Thursday night rain is expected to turn into snow or ice on Friday afternoon for northwest New Jersey (Friday night for the rest of the state). Temperatures are likely to plummet from 44 degrees Friday morning to 18 degrees at night, paving the way for slippery road conditions.

AccuWeather says that, in the same period of time, snow accumulations are expected Thursday to early Friday from Harrisburg, P.a. to New York City and Boston.

“With the temperatures likely to be crashing, the setup looks quite favorable for a rapid freeze-up Friday night, so we will be keeping an eye on this,” the National Weather Service said in a forecast discussion.

Here’s the latest forecast from the National Weather Service:

North Jersey

Tuesday: Increasing clouds, with a high near 34. Wind chill values between 15 and 25. Northeast wind around 6 mph.

Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 28. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Wednesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 41. Light north wind.

Wednesday Night: A 30 percent chance of rain after 1 a.m. Cloudy, with a steady temperature around 38. Light and variable wind.

Thursday: A 50 percent chance of rain. Cloudy, with a high near 45. South wind 3 to 6 mph.

Thursday Night: Rain. Low around 35. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Friday: Rain. High near 44. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent.

Friday Night: A chance of freezing rain and sleet before 1 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 18. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.

South Jersey

Tuesday: Increasing clouds, with a high near 35. Northeast wind around 5 mph.

Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 25. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm.

Wednesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 43. Calm wind.

Wednesday Night: Patchy fog. Otherwise, cloudy, with a low around 33. Calm wind.

Thursday: A chance of rain. Cloudy, with a high near 48. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 50 percent. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Thursday Night: Rain. Low around 37. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent. New precipitation amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Friday: Rain. High near 45. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent.

Friday Night: A chance of snow before 1 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 17. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.