Snow for Monday; freezing rain, icing possible Tuesday night into Wednesday

More wintry weather is ahead, with widespread snow Monday and potentially icing due to freezing rain for Tuesday night into Wednesday.

A Winter Storm Watch is in effect for Hunterdon, Mercer, Monmouth, Ocean, Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, and Salem counties from Monday morning through Monday afternoon.

Precipitation will probably begin as rain or sleet before daybreak, changing over to snow between 6 am and 10 a.m., according to a bulletin issued by the National Weather Service office in Mount Holly, NJ. 

“8 a.m. to 3 p.m. still looks like the best time for snow. Both the morning and and afternoon commutes will be hampered,” a Forecast Discussion issued by office warns. “Temperatures will cool down as the day progresses, and any melted water will freeze Monday night with lows in the teens and 20s.” 

Four to six inches of snow are expected in the Winter Storm Watch area, with lesser accumulations to the north and south. See the National Weather Service snowfall forecast map here. 

But accumulation amounts could increase. A map issued by the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center indicates that up to eight inches is the “worst case scenario” for most of the area covered by the Winter Storm Watch. 

Then for Tuesday night into Wednesday, another storm will impact the region, delivering a variety of impacts. 

“But the one that is concerning me the most right now is icing due to freezing rain,” tweeted Gary Szatkowski, head meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Mount Holly. The storm could result in over a quarter-inch of ice, “which means potential tree limb and power line problems,” he advised. 

With multiple threats over the next few days, Szatkowski recommends: “Whatever your favorite source of weather information is, keep a close eye on it.”