By Meteorologist John Cifelli

Our weekend winter storm is unfolding, and so far the biggest story is in southern New Jersey. Where temperatures were supposed to be edging above freezing by now, we are still under 30 degrees across the board, even in the southern tip of Cape May County. Instead of a southeast wind off the warmer Atlantic, a southwest wind, blowing from colder land in Virginia, Maryland and Delaware has allowed surface temperatures to remain colder than forecast.

Warmer air is coming, but it is not going to outrace an impressive band of precipitation moving northeast from northern Virginia and central Maryland as of 6 p.m. This precipitation is going to increase snowfall rates and add to the snow that has already fallen as it presses into New Jersey. Heaviest snow over the next six hours will be along the Atlantic City Expressway through the Route 1 corridor, where another three to four inches of snow will fall. Lesser amounts, another one to three inches or so, will fall in northern New Jersey. For the northern half of the state, this is fairly consistent with the original forecast, but the entrenched colder air, along with precipitation being focused thus far on a line from Philadelphia to Atlantic City means that southern New Jersey will far exceed original projections.

Things will wind down after midnight from northwest to southeast. Southern New Jersey will end with light drizzle while some sleet will mix with snow in parts of central. By 8 or 9 a.m., it’s all out of here, and temperatures in the mid 30s tomorrow with some sunshine will give us a chance to shovel off and melt. We will spend tomorrow night and Monday in the teens, so whatever isn’t cleared will freeze up. Stay home tonight and make the most of the sun tomorrow!