The last widespread white Christmas in New Jersey was in 2009.
Will New Jersey get its first white Christmas in nearly a decade? Well, that answer depends on where you live in the Garden State.
The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory early Sunday that puts snow accumulations at 1 to 3 inches in Morris, Passaic and Warren counties for Monday. Those figures increase to the 3- to 5-inch range for Sussex County.
For there to be a white Christmas, there needs to be at least 1 inch of snow on the ground at 7 a.m., according to the National Weather Service. However, some news outlets, like the Washington Post, ignore the meteorological definition of a white Christmas and say any amount of accumulation on the ground Christmas morning is fair game.
With that said, there could be light accumulation of up to an inch in locations surrounding the winter weather advisory area, according to Valerie Meola, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
But, if you live in South Jersey, you likely won't see any snow and just rain, Meola said.
Chances of a white X-mas are high across NE PA & NW NJ with accumulating snow expected "on the night before X-mas". The odds of seeing measurable snow in Phila & points S & E are slim. Go to https://t.co/ewRHp2aLdb for more info about snowfall probabilities for your area. pic.twitter.com/8wdLlCsaj9
-- NWS Mount Holly (@NWS_MountHolly) December 23, 2017
If several different counties get 1 inch or more of snow on Monday, it will be the first widespread white Christmas in New Jersey since 2009.
The winter weather advisory starts at 7 p.m. Sunday and ends 7 a.m. Monday morning. In parts of northern New Jersey, precipitation will start as a mix of snow and rain and then switch over to all snow. In other areas, it may start as rain and then become snow.
The advisory warns any Christmas Eve travelers that periods of snow, sleet or freezing rain could make travel difficult.
"Be prepared for slippery roads and limited visibilities, and use caution while driving," the advisory states.
Here are the latest Christmas snowfall projections, as of early Sunday morning, issued by the National Weather Service office in New Jersey. Projections for northeastern New Jersey and New York City are included in a different map below. Temperatures on Sunday will be in the 40s across the region, with higher-elevation areas hovering in the upper 30s. Southern New Jersey will be warmer, with highs in the mid-40s. These temperatures are close to normal for this time of year, Meola said.
Skies will be mostly cloudy for much of the day.
On Monday, colder air will move in, bringing temperatures down to the mid to upper 30s for most of the state. Highs will be in the low 40s along the coast and in South Jersey.
The National Weather Service issued a wind advisory for Monday. The advisory says wind gusts across the state could be up to 50 mph.
"The strongest wind is expected to occur during the morning and early afternoon hours on Monday," the advisory says.
Temperatures will continue to get colder throughout the week.
Here are the latest Christmas snowfall projections for northeastern counties in New Jersey, as well as New York City, the lower Hudson Valley and southern Connecticut. Here's another snowfall forecast, this one from NY NJ PA Weather Inc., a private weather forecasting company based in Freehold.
The Snow Impact Forecast! Go to https://t.co/GQqOZnryBg for zoom map capabilities! pic.twitter.com/Qy4HnP89rZ
-- NY NJ PA Weather (@nynjpaweather) December 24, 2017
NJ Advance Media staff writer Len Melisurgo contributed to this report.
Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.