South Jersey was slammed with snow today as the first major storm of this winter and the year blew through the region. Some parts of Atlantic and southern Ocean counties reported more than 7 inches of snow as of Monday afternoon. The National Weather Service predicted that some areas could see up to 18 inches on the ground once the storm was over. Coastal flooding is also a threat to low-lying areas.
State police responded to more than 100 accidents as of Monday noon. The storm arrived after the state saw temperatures in the high 50s over the New Year’s weekend.
Dave Robinson, New Jersey’s state climatologist, told NJ Spotlight News that climate change is making it more likely for extreme weather patterns to occur.
“…It’s a physical principle. You warm the air, it has the potential to hold more moisture,” said Robinson. “So this idea of when it rains it pours, when it snows it can snow hard, is something we seem to be seeing.”
