The impacts of the storm are expected to be a lot more severe in North Jersey compared to the southern part of the state. (Courtesy of National Weather Service)
Let’s hope that Santa left plenty of snow shovels and ice scrapers under the tree as Christmas gifts.
They’ll probably be needed Friday afternoon into Saturday morning.
A winter storm is expected to start as snow on Friday afternoon and then turn to rain and possibly some sleet for Saturday.
Although some parts of South Jersey are expected to get hit with 3 to 5 inches of snow, the Jersey Shore in Atlantic and Cape May counties will escape with no more than an inch or just a coating of snow, according to the forecast.
The most intense part of the storm will be concentrated in parts of northern and northwestern New Jersey, where snowfall totals are generally expected to be 4 to 8 inches, along with freezing rain.
Some localized areas of North Jersey in the higher elevations could be blanketed with up to a foot of snow, the National Weather Service said.
In South Jersey, a change from snow to rain will occur Friday evening and through the overnight hours into Saturday morning, especially in areas south of the Atlantic City Expressway.
“For southern N.J. into Delmarva, a coating up to an inch is expected as mixed precipitation and rain leads to lower totals,” the National Weather Service office in Mount Holly, N.J., said in the latest snow forecast.
Freezing temperatures have prompted the Cape May County Office of Emergency Management to declare a “Code Blue” advisory for all of Cape May County from now until 6 a.m. Monday, Dec. 29.
Code Blue conditions are in effect when the temperature reaches 32 degrees or below.
A Code Blue emergency is intended to protect people living outside, on the street, in parks or poorly insulated settings and who are at risk for cold-related exposure and possible death.
Anyone seeking temporary shelter in a warming center should contact their local municipality. Additional resources are available by calling 2-1-1.
