"Plowable snow" possible later this week at the Shore

The first snowstorm of the brand new year could deliver plowable snow, forecasters say.

Weather model guidance has continually depicted a low pressure system developing off the southeastern coast and then rapidly intensifying as it tracks northward over the ocean past the Mid-Atlantic and New England coasts.

In a Monday afternoon outlook, the National Weather Service office in Mount Holly, NJ says the potential for snowfall has increased for Wednesday night into Thursday.

“Near whiteout conditions could occur on Thursday, especially near the coast, where very gusty northwest winds are expected to develop,” the outlook stats.

But the service says that it is important to note that both accumulations and severity of impacts “will ultimately depend on how close the offshore low tracks to our area, which is still uncertain at this time.”

Windy conditions are likely on Thursday, and wind chill values may drop as low as -10 to -20 degrees overnight into Friday.

The National Weather Service will be issuing updated graphical forecasts available here as the data evolves.