Winter storm continues to drop snow in northern New Jersey, but most of the state has already seen a transition from snow to freezing rain to rain.
A fast-moving winter storm system continues to drop snow over northern New Jersey, but most of the Garden State has already gone through a transition from light snow to freezing rain to plain rain during the late morning and early afternoon.
Forecasters say Wednesday afternoon commuters can expect roads that will be more wet than white, with steady rain falling across most of New Jersey and some lingering snow and freezing rain eventually turning to plain rain in northern counties like Morris, Passaic, Sussex and Warren.
The dividing line between the rain and the snow has been steadily moving north and west from southeastern New Jersey up through central and northern New Jersey during the past few hours, said Lance Franck, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service's regional office in Mount Holly.
As a result, most areas of South Jersey have been getting all rain, while counties in central New Jersey received some light snow that turned to freezing rain and plain rain.
The weather in New Jersey has been nasty on Wednesday, thanks to a winter storm that has brought a mix of snow, sleet, freezing rain and plain rain to the region. Pictured is a bird perched on snow and sleet in Greenwich Township in Warren County. (Dave Dabour | LehighValleyLive.com) With temperatures remaining in the upper 20s in the northern counties, snow continues to fall, with very light accumulations so far. Parts of Bergen, Essex and Mercer counties have been getting freezing rain during the past two hours, according to the National Weather Service.
Freezing rain was reported at 11 a.m. and again at noon in Newark, Teterboro and Trenton, where surface temperatures were hovering between 31 and 33 degrees. Freezing rain was reported in Caldwell and Morristown at 1 p.m.
Just like regular rain, freezing rain starts out as frozen precipitation high in the atmosphere, then melts into rain drops as it passes through layers of warmer air. And, just like regular rain, it falls to the ground as rain -- except it freezes when it hits cold surfaces or objects, such as roads, cars, trees and power lines.
Roads are snow covered as the snow continues to fall in Hackettstown. @GarySzatkowski @wrnjradio @WeatherWorks pic.twitter.com/WQVpGhCcLo
-- Jay Edwards (@JayEdwardsWrnj) February 7, 2018
More wet than white
Similar to the Super Bowl Sunday storm system, most of New Jersey is getting far more rain than snow from today's storm system.
Forecasters said a big factor has been the storm track, with both systems moving very close to the Garden State or staying just west of the state -- with colder air remaining on the west side of the storms and warmer air pushing in from the ocean on the east side.
Steven DiMartino, a forecaster who operates the NY NJ PA Weather company, based in Freehold, said today's storm had the potential to be a significant snowstorm and ice storm for all of New Jersey, if cold air had stayed in place throughout the day.
DiMartino said a large high pressure system moved too far north and east of our region, allowing warm air to flow in from the ocean. If that system had remained farther west, it would have pushed colder air from Canada and New England down into New Jersey.
As a result, the Garden State would have received more snow and ice, he said.
The storm system that is generating today's snow and rain has been tracking from the Tennessee River Valley to southeastern Pennsylvania, DiMartino said. The center of the storm should reach New Jersey by about 5 p.m. and quickly move north and east to southeastern New England by Wednesday night.
[?] Just got a quick burst of snow in Edison during the past 15 minutes. Quarter-inch of snow fell, now changing to sleet. Temp is 30 degrees. @NWS_MountHolly @JamesGWeather pic.twitter.com/knJgGia1Hc
-- Len Melisurgo (@LensReality) February 7, 2018
Colder air to arrive tonight
After the rain ends tonight, temperatures across New Jersey are expected to drop into the 20s, creating a threat of some icy roads overnight into Thursday morning, the National Weather Service said.
A winter storm warning remains in effect in Sussex County through 7 p.m. Wednesday, with 2 to 5 inches of snow expected, along with a thin coating of ice.
In western Passaic County, a winter storm warning was downgraded to a winter weather advisory shortly before 11 a.m. Wednesday. The advisory remains active through 10 p.m. Total snow accumulations of 2 to 4 inches are expected, along with a thin layer of ice.
Winter weather advisories have already expired in Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth and Salem counties.
Advisories are active through 2 p.m. in Hunterdon and Somerset, through 3 p.m. in Hudson County, eastern Bergen, eastern Essex, eastern Union and New York City, through 5 p.m. in eastern Passaic, western Bergen, western Essex and western Union, and 9 p.m. for Morris and Warren counties.
@nynjpaweather moderate sleet here in Cherry hill. pic.twitter.com/9C6XSxGB4x
-- Badjers Redux (@Badjers) February 7, 2018
Snowing over the Musconetcong River in Hackettstown,#NJ. @JimCantore @wrnjradio @Evansweather @GarySzatkowski @WeatherWorks pic.twitter.com/TiEYGdOJPJ
-- Jay Edwards (@JayEdwardsWrnj) February 7, 2018
Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @LensReality or like him on Facebook. Find NJ.com on Facebook.