'Accumulating Snow' Back In NJ Forecast

New Jersey may get accumulating snow very soon – just after we're teased by 60-degree temperatures that may give us the mistaken impression that spring is coming.

Forecasters say a winter storm could pose a threat to New Jersey this weekend, and could hit the region by Saturday afternoon – just as we're starting our three-day President's Day break.

The National Weather Service says the snow is expected to mainly hit the northern and central areas of New Jersey, but the entire state is expected to have some impact. The first snow is expected to fall after 1 p.m.

By 7 p.m., there could be enough snow – perhaps a couple inches – that would make roads slippery and produce enough for a holiday weekend snowball fight.

The first NWS map shows New Jersey at 1 p.m. on Saturday, then 7 p.m. and finally 1 a.m. on Sunday.

After cooler air returns to the East on Friday, a storm system will form in the Deep South and move northeastward along the boundary separating colder air to the north from springlike air across the Southeast, according to an AccuWeather release.

The exact track of the storm will determine which locations will receive the heaviest snow and those that will get a mix of snow, ice and rain, according to AccuWeather. The bulk of the storm is likely to occur from Saturday to Saturday night.

“The first scenario is for the storm to track close to the Northeast coast and strengthen quickly, bringing heavy precipitation to much of the Northeast and New England,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Ryan Adamson said in the release. “The second possibility is that the storm does not strengthen until it is well offshore and takes a track farther to the south."

Here is the forecast:

• Wednesday afternoon: Mostly sunny, with a high near 51. Southwest wind around 7 mph.
• Wednesday night: Rain likely, mainly between 8pm and 2am. Patchy fog after 9pm. Otherwise, cloudy, with a low around 40. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
• Thursday: Patchy fog before 10am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 63. Southwest wind 6 to 10 mph.
• Thursday Night: Rain likely. Cloudy, with a low around 49. Southwest wind 3 to 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
• Friday: Rain likely, mainly before 10am. Cloudy, with a high near 61. West wind 7 to 16 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
• Friday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 26.
• Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near 38.
• Saturday night: Snow likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 28. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
• Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 47.
• Sunday night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 32.
• Washington's Birthday: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 49. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

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