Snow to cause a messy Thursday morning commute

    The snowfall forecast for Thursday issued late this afternoon by the National Weather Service.

    The snowfall forecast for Thursday issued late this afternoon by the National Weather Service.

    Some spots at the Jersey Shore could see up to five inches of heavy, wet snow by Thursday afternoon, according to a preliminary National Weather Service forecast. 

    A strong low pressure system will approach the area Wednesday night coinciding with temperatures gradually dropping from near record highs in the 60s earlier in the day.

    By the early overnight hours on Thursday, rain will be falling at the Jersey Shore, transitioning over to snow along the I-95 corridor by daybreak and a bit later toward the coast as temperatures continue to fall, according to the National Weather Service.

    The later transition from liquid to frozen precipitation at the Jersey Shore will limit snowfall amounts, especially at the immediate coast. That’s reflected in a Winter Storm Watch only currently issued for I-195 (interior Monmouth County) to the north.

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    The National Weather Service is calling for up to five inches in interior Monmouth County, three inches in the Toms River area, and less than an inch Atlantic City. The forecast calls for lighter amounts at the beaches.

    Anyone traveling to the Philadelphia area should expect around four inches and around a half-foot in North Jersey and New York City. The highest amounts are likely in northwest New Jersey and the Poconos, where around 10 inches is possible.  

    Snow could be heavy at times, and it will be breezy with north winds gusting up to 30 miles per hour.

    The snow and wind will cause hazardous conditions during the morning commute before tapering off from west to east during the afternoon.

    Stay tuned to future updates here and at JSHN as the forecast evolves. 

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