N.J. Blizzard, Nor'easter Potential Threat Increases

THIS STORY HAS BEEN UPDATED: New Jersey Blizzard Warning In 7 Counties; School Closings, Snow Totals Increase In Nor'easter

Forecasters say the threat of a nor'easter packing strong winds and heavy snow has increased - so much so that part of New Jersey is now under a blizzard watch. A winter storm warning also has been issued for nearly the rest of the state.

As many as 12 to 18 inches of snow are expected to fall in North and Central Jersey as part of a "major" coastal storm that's expected to slam the state beginning Monday night. Four to 12 could fall on the rest of the state. (see snow total predictions below).

Read more: N.J. School Closings/Delays List - 3/14/17

Expect school and road closures now that a blizzard watch has been issued for eastern Bergen and Essex counties, as well as Hudson County. The watch will be in effect all day Tuesday.

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A winter storm warning was issued for northern, central and southwestern New Jersey, and a winter storm advisory for the Jersey Shore and the rest of the state. Both will be in effect from 8 p.m. Monday until 6 p.m. Tuesday.

Here are the alerted areas:

Here are the snow total predictions for each area of New Jersey:

Areas affected by the blizzard watch:

Here is what is expected:

• LOCATIONS...All but far southeastern New Jersey, Pennsylvania, northern Delaware, and the northern portions of the Eastern Shore of Maryland.
• HAZARD TYPES...Heavy snow and strong winds.
• ACCUMULATIONS...Snow accumulation of 4 to 18 inches.
• TIMING...Snow begins Monday evening from southwest to northeast across the watch area. Snow will continue Tuesday into Tuesday evening...though some locations may see a brief break in the snow Tuesday afternoon.
• IMPACTS...The heavy snow will make many roads impassable and may produce widespread power outages due to the weight of the snow on tree limbs and power lines. Strong winds will lead to blowing snow, reduced visibility, and additional power outages.
• WINDS...Northeast 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 40 mph. Strongest gusts are expected along the coast.
• PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...A winter storm watch or blizzard watch means there is a potential for significant snow...sleet...or ice accumulations that may impact travel. Continue to monitor the latest forecasts.

The storm will rapidly strengthen and track within a couple of hundred miles of the east coast of the U.S. spanning Monday night to Tuesday night, according to AccuWeather. For many areas in the Northeast, this will likely be the biggest and most impactful storm of the winter.

At this time, it appears that areas from northern Virginia to northern Maryland, central and eastern Pennsylvania, northern New Jersey, central and southeastern New York state and a large part of New England will be shoveling out of 6 inches or more of snow from the storm, according to AccuWeather.

"New York City's Central Park has not recorded more than 10 inches of snow from one storm in March since the 1993 Storm of the Century," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski said in an AccuWeather release.

This amount of snow over such a broad, heavily populated area could bring travel to a standstill as snow clogs streets and highways and heavy snow and wind trigger airline delays and flight cancellations, according to AccuWeather. Some flights have already been canceled in advance of the storm.

Should the storm track farther west, more rain could fall farther inland, especially to the Interstate-95 corridor, according to AccuWeather. In this case, the zone for a foot or more of snow would shift westward to the I-81 and northern I-91 corridors.

As the storm intensifies, winds will ramp up along the coast and expand inland, according to AccuWeather. Wind gusts can frequently top 40 mph at the height of the storm, which cannot only create blizzard conditions, but may break tree limbs and threaten sporadic power outages.

Patch file photo