Major Nor’easter February 12th-13th
A strong coastal storm system will impact the region starting tonight & continuing into Thursday.
Heavy snow, sleet, and coastal flooding are all threats from this storm.
10+ inches of snow are expected where the heaviest snow band sets up. Much of the region will see at least some snow. Snow will start later this evening after the afternoon/evening commute. Warnings & advisories have been posted.
Icing due to freezing rain no longer appears to be a major threat from this event. However, heavy wet snow will cling to trees and wires.
Strong winds will be an issue with this event as the storm intensifies along the coast. Gusts up to 50 mph are possible along the coast, with gusts in the 20 to 35 mph range inland from late tonight through most of Thursday. This will cause added stress to power lines and tree limbs covered with heavy snow.
Minor coastal flooding is likely and moderate coastal flooding is possible with this storm along the Atlantic coast, as well as in the Delaware Bay & Raritan Bay. The high tides to watch are both high tides on Thursday, as well as the morning high tide on Friday. Significant rainfall along the coast may worsen the coastal flooding impacts.
Snowfall amounts
The heaviest snowfall will be to the northwest of the I-95 corridor.
However, a large part of the area will see 6+ inches of snow.
Snowfall starts later this evening and continues into Thursday. Heaviest snow will fall during the late overnight hours into Thursday morning.
Snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour are possible late tonight into Thursday morning.
This will be a wet, heavy snow that will cling to trees and wires.
Temperatures on Thursday will range from the upper 20s far north to mid 30s south. Cold…but not bitter cold. This may help with road conditions.
Freezing rain no longer seems to pose a major threat during this event. However, there will be some sleet with this event.
Winds
Winds will gust to 50 mph near the coast, and 20 to 35 mph at more inland locations.
Wind loading due to heavy wet snow clinging to tree limbs and power lines will result in fallen trees and power outages.
Final thoughts
Its been a stormy winter, and it obviously hasn’t stopped yet.
Keep an eye on the forecast as small changes in storm track and/or intensity could result in a significant change in the impacts.
Current storm timing still indicates today’s afternoon/ evening commute will be OK since accumulating snow is expected to start after 8 PM today. However, major travel impacts can be expected for both the Thursday morning and Thursday evening commute.
It looks like there might be a slight change in the weather pattern later next week which would bring more seasonable temperatures to the area. The best we could hope for is a gradual warm up with no rain so the snowpack and river ice go away quietly.
Address/Location
Englishtown Police Department
15 Main St
Englishtown, NJ 07726
Contact
Emergency: 9-1-1
Non-emergencies: 732-446-7001