Forecasters say drivers could face some icy patches Tuesday morning, and the threat of snow or a wintry mix looms later in the week.
Drivers heading to school or work Tuesday morning might have to contend with pockets of freezing rain in the northwestern region of New Jersey and plain rain across the rest of the region, forecasters said.
A freezing rain advisory is in effect from 1 a.m. to 10 a.m. Tuesday in Sussex and Warren counties in New Jersey, along with Carbon, Monroe and Northampton counties in northeastern Pennsylvania.
"It's going to be a very light amount of freezing rain," said Mitchell Gaines, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service's regional forecast office in Mount Holly. "There probably are going to be some icy patches on the road, primarily in the morning."
A freezing rain advisory is in effect for Sussex and Warren counties, along with other areas shaded in pink on this map. (National Weather Service) For most of New Jersey, commuters should expect on and off rain showers during the morning commute and also during the evening commute. In North Jersey, it will likely be a chilly rain, with temperatures hovering in the 30s and 40s, while in South Jersey temperatures will be rising into the upper 50s, Gaines said.
More warm air will be flowing across the region on Wednesday, with more rain showers possible and temperatures soaring into the upper 50s in North Jersey and 60 degrees or higher in central and southern New Jersey -- with daily temperature records "within striking distance," Gaines said.
The warmest temperature ever recorded on Feb. 8 in Trenton was 62 degrees, in 1933, and the daily record high in Philadelphia is 63 degrees, set in 1925, Gaines said. Newark's record high for Feb. 8 is 63 degrees, set in 1965, according to the weather service's New York office.
The Atlantic City record for Feb. 8 will likely be out of reach: 69 degrees, set in 1965. The normal high temperature for Feb. 8 ranges from 41 degrees in North Jersey to 43 degrees in South Jersey.
Snow threat later this week
Gaines said there's a potential for snow or a wintry mix Wednesday night into Thursday morning, but accumulations will be dictated by how cold the temperatures drop when the storm system arrives from the Ohio Valley.
As of now, the weather service is anticipating rain showers in central and southern New Jersey Wednesday night, changing over to a rain, snow and sleet mixture extending into the morning hours on Thursday, Gaines said.
"Further north in northern New Jersey, we're looking at the potential for a rain and snow mixture in the Wednesday night timeframe," Gaines said, noting the precipitation could end up being all snow in North Jersey if the storm gets here Thursday and the temperatures are colder.
"If it is faster, we'll have more in the way of rain," Gaines said. "If it slows down and comes in on Thursday morning, we'll have more in the way of snow."
Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @LensReality or like him on Facebook. Find NJ.com on Facebook.