NJ Weather: Winter Weather Advisory In 11 NJ Counties

NEW JERSEY — A winter weather advisory is now in effect in 11 New Jersey counties now that snow and sleet are expected to hit the region on Tuesday, with ice being the biggest threat for a system that's predicted to hit the Garden State starting overnight.

The snow and sleet could have a big impact on the Tuesday morning and evening commutes. (see forecast below).

Here are the alerted areas:

The National Weather Service initially had these counties under the advisory:

Col. Patrick Callahan, the superintendent of the State Police, urged people during Gov. Phil Murphy's Monday news conference to work remotely because the weather will create problems during the early morning commute.

He said the roads are being "brined" because of fears that the wet weather and falling temperatures will cause roads to freeze and become slick during the afternoon commute.

Here is more of what you should expect:

• A wintry mix changing to freezing rain Tuesday will then gradually end Tuesday night.
• Freezing rain, however, will change to rain during Tuesday closer to I-95.
• Snow and sleet accumulations are forecast to be light.
• However, a coating of ice due to freezing rain on untreated surfaces may result in hazardous travel.
• Because temperatures are expected to drop into the 20s overnight and on Tuesday night, the winter weather may create some slippery spots for a time on untreated surfaces, the NWS says.
• Mixed precipitation expected. Total snow and sleet accumulations of up to one inch and ice accumulations of one-tenth to two-tenths-of-an-inch are expected.
• The winter weather advisory is in effect from 1 a.m. Tuesday to 4 a.m. Wednesday.
• Plan on slippery road conditions. The hazardous conditions could impact the morning or evening commute.
• A light wintry mix will develop overnight then change to light freezing rain and freezing drizzle continuing through Tuesday.

The National Weather Service had initially predicted that 2 to 3 inches could fall in New Jersey on Tuesday.

Over the weekend, however, the NWS lowered those predictions, saying the system will weaken by the time it gets to New Jersey.

Forecasters warn that after this storm moves out later Tuesday, the focus could then turn to a potentially larger storm for many of the same areas later in the week, according to AccuWeather.

That storm will take shape farther south, and spread a significant dose of wintry weather all the way through the mid-Atlantic coast, according to AccuWeather.

No accumulation estimates have been made for that storm, but it could shift to the ocean.

For the Tuesday storm, a thick glaze of ice up to 0.50-of-an-inch thick is possible, according to AccuWeather.

The ice can add enough extra weight to snap tree limbs and cause power lines to topple, according to AccuWeather. Residents in these areas should be prepared for treacherous travel as well as the possibility of power outages, the service said.

Here is the full forecast:

• Tuesday: Snow likely before noon, then snow and sleet likely between noon and 1 p.m., then freezing rain likely after 1 p.m. Cloudy, with a high near 31. East wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70 percent. New ice accumulation of less than a 0.1 of an inch is possible. New snow and sleet accumulation of less than a half-inch are possible.
• Tuesday night: Freezing rain likely, mainly before 1 a.m. Cloudy, with a low around 27. East wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent. New ice accumulation of less than a 0.1 of an inch is possible.
• Wednesday: A chance of freezing drizzle before 10 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 37. Calm wind becoming northwest around 5 mph in the morning.