Light snow and cold temperatures for Wednesday morning

A storm system pushing through the Mid-Atlantic region will bring some light snow and wintry mix to southern and coastal New Jersey this morning.

It seems a bit backwards to talk about snow chances exclusive to South Jersey (and not North). But that’s exactly what happens when a storm track brings snow and ice to the Mid-Atlantic and just a glancing blow to New Jersey.

The first key here is the fact that we’re only on the edge of this system, so any precipitation that falls will be rather light and limited to the southern half of the state. The second key to this forecast is that temperatures will rise a bit this morning as the system moves in, so we’ll likely transition from snow showers to wintry mix showers. Regardless, the potential is certainly there for a coating to an inch of snow/sleet accumulation.

Meanwhile, temperatures are quite cold this morning, with single digits in North Jersey and many others starting out in the teens. High temperatures will only climb to about the freezing mark this afternoon under mostly cloudy skies.

Consistency will be the word for the next several days. Thursday will be partly sunny with highs in the mid to upper 30s. Friday will be sunny, but windy, with highs in the mid to upper 30s. And Saturday will be sunny, with lighter winds and highs in the mid to upper 30s.

Our next storm system is currently scheduled for Sunday: a coastal storm system, which usually means trouble during the winter season. However, temperatures are expected to be well above freezing on Sunday - approaching 50 degrees - so at the moment, we’re talking about mostly a rain event. Still some wintry possibilities here, depending on the timing of the system and the depth of the warmer air. So this is a “stay tuned” event for now, as we’ll find more clarity in this forecast as the weekend approaches.