NJ Weather: Winter Storm Watch In 20 Counties, 50-MPH Winds

UPDATE: The expected snow totals have risen. Read more: Up To 11 Inches Of Snow Possible As NJ Winter Storm Watch Expands For Nor'easter

NEW JERSEY — A winter storm watch was issued in 20 New Jersey counties now that a coastal storm could produce 11 or more inches of snow this weekend, and could impact the Garden State for 48 hours.

Heavy snow possible and winds could gust as high as 50 mph, creating significant blowing and drifting of snow, according to the National Weather Service.

Here are the alerted areas:

Here's what else you should know:

• Travel could be very difficult, and the hazardous conditions could impact the Monday morning and evening commute.
• A period of wintry mix or rain could occur Sunday night and Monday morning, especially along and near the coast, before turning back to snow Monday afternoon.
• The highest snowfall rates are most likely to occur late Monday.
• Strong northeast winds, coastal flooding and beach erosion are possible, the NWS says.

The National Weather Service has released preliminary snow total predictions for New Jersey:

AccuWeather says the total amount of snow could be as much as 1 foot as part of a "nor'easter" compounded by accumulating snow and gusty winds that can produce blizzard conditions for multiple hours.

AccuWeather meteorologists expect New York City, North Jersey and Boston to get a major snowfall from the storm, in the range of 6-12 inches, even if there is some mixing for a time, according to AccuWeather. If the mixing does not occur and the storm tracks slightly offshore, even bigger accumulations could occur, according to AccuWeather.

There is a wild-card scenario AccuWeather forecasters are considering in which the storm could track even farther to the east, and if the storm follows that more extreme trajectory, the heaviest snow could pile up in areas to the east of some of the major I-95 cities in the mid-Atlantic and New England.

Here is the forecast:

• Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 31. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
• Saturday night: Increasing clouds, with a low around 15. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
• Sunday: A chance of snow, mainly after 4 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 30. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent. New snow accumulation of less than a half-inch is possible.
• Sunday night: Snow likely, mainly after 10 p.m. Cloudy, with a low around 25. Chance of precipitation is 70 percent.
• Monday: Snow. High near 34. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent.
• Monday night: Snow likely. Cloudy, with a low around 30. Chance of precipitation is 70 percent.
• Tuesday: A chance of snow before 1 p.m, then a chance of rain and snow between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m, then a chance of snow after 4 p.m. Cloudy, with a high near 36. Chance of precipitation is 50 percent.