Snowfall today may not be as bad as originally predicted
by The Star-Ledger Continuous News Desk
Saturday January 10, 2009, 8:00 AM
The snowstorm that's been forecast for the past few days is still coming today, but it may not bring as much snow as originally thought.
Winter storm warnings remain in effect for Sussex, Bergen and Passaic counties, where up to eight inches of snow is expected, according to the National Weather Service. Winter weather advisories have been posted for the rest of northern New Jersey, with up to five inches are possible before the storm pulls away early Sunday.
From about Monmouth County south, only an inch or so of snow is expected before the precipitation turns to rain, forecasters say.
Snow is expected to start falling later this morning or early this afternoon. Originally, forecasters were calling for up to 10 inches in northernmost New Jersey and up to eight inches elsewhere. However, slightly warmer air will result in a changeover to sleet, freezing rain and, in some areas, all rain resulting in lesser accumulations.
The winter weather has also resulted in an number of postponements and cancellations on the high school sports schedule.
Meanwhile, temperatures are expected to remain around freezing through Tuesday, but then take a nosedive. Highs in Newark will only reach the mid-20s on Wednesday and Thursday, and then dip to a high of only 16 degrees on Friday. That's about 15 to 20 degrees below normal.
"In this neck of the woods, that's bitter cold and a real concern," said David Robinson, the state climatologist at Rutgers University. "We've got a real week or two ahead of wintry weather."
.
