NJ Weather: Accumulating Snow, 50-MPH Winds, Squalls In Forecast

NEW JERSEY – Snow, 40- to 50-mph winds and snow squalls are expected to arrive in New Jersey this week in what could be the most significant winter weather to hit the Garden State this season.

The National Weather Service issued a hazardous weather outlook for nearly the entire state, saying a period of accumulating snow is probable for Saturday and Sunday. A change to a wintry mix and even rain should occur for much of the area.

The snow is expected to arrive before 4 p.m. on Saturday, but it may not actually hit until 7 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.

First, winds are expected to gust to 40 to 50 mph beginning Thursday afternoon and extending into the evening. Snow squalls could hit areas of North Jersey at that time.

AccuWeather says the warm weather will seem like a "distant memory" by this upcoming weekend as forecasters are monitoring the potential for a major storm to develop and deliver widespread wintry precipitation.

"The weekend storm may bring the most substantial wintry precipitation of the season so far for parts of the Northeast, including the I-95 corridor," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Eric Leister said in a release.

The greatest chance of a wintry mix for Virginia and snow for northern New Jersey and the New York City area is likely to come this weekend as a large storm moves in from the Midwest and taps into fresh cold air in the region, according to the AccuWeather.

The far-reaching storm will first hit highways and major airline hubs of the Midwest beginning Friday, and ripple-effect delays are possible across the Northeast prior to the storm's arrival in the region, according to AccuWeather. Flight delays and cancellations are likely to ramp up Saturday as snow and a wintry mix spread eastward.

Motorists with travel plans along the Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Massachusetts turnpikes, as well as the New York Thruway and Southern Tier Expressway and Interstates 78, 80 and 95, should be prepared for wintry conditions and travel delays, according to AccuWeather.

Here is the forecast:

• Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 51. West wind 3 to 8 mph.
• Wednesday night: A chance of rain, mainly between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. Increasing clouds, with a low around 37. Light south wind becoming southwest 5 to 10 mph in the evening. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
• Thursday: Partly sunny, with a high near 51. Breezy, with a northwest wind 13 to 18 mph increasing to 19 to 24 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 41 mph.
• Thursday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 21. Northwest wind 15 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph.
• Friday: Sunny, with a high near 31. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph.
• Friday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 19.
• Saturday: Snow before 4 p.m., then rain, snow, and sleet. High near 37. Chance of precipitation is 100 percent.
• Saturday NightRain, snow, and sleet before 10pm, then rain between 10pm and 4 a.m., then a chance of snow after 4 a.m. Low around 31. Chance of precipitation is 100 percent.
• Sunday: A chance of snow showers before 7am. Partly sunny, with a high near 38. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.