Winter Storm — Western Ocean, New Jersey

2005-01-22 to 2005-01-23 · Western Ocean, New Jersey

Wider weather episode

A very potent Alberta low pressure system dropped heavy snow across northern and southwestern New Jersey and a wintry mix across southeastern New Jersey. Only Cape May County and coastal Atlantic County were spared heavy accumulations. In northern and southwestern New Jersey accumulations ranged from 8 to 17 inches with the highest amounts in Ocean, Burlington, Monmouth and Middlesex Counties. Across southeastern New Jersey accumulations ranged from around 10 inches in interior Atlantic and Cumberland Counties to less than an inch along coastal Cape May County. Seventeen of the twenty-one New Jersey counties reported at least one measurement of a foot or greater of snow. Governor Richard Codey declared a state of emergency from 8 p.m. EST on the 22nd through 8 a.m. EST on the 23rd. Vehicles were required to stay off of public roads and thoroughfares. Snow began falling during the late morning of the 22nd, fell at its heaviest during the second half of the afternoon and early part of the evening of the 22nd. Snow mixed with sleet over interior sections of Atlantic County, in Cumberland County and in southern Ocean County. By the time the heavier precipitation arrived in extreme southeast New Jersey, enough of an onshore flow changed the snow to rain. The snow ended during the morning of the 23rd. Gusty northwest winds which followed in the wake of the storm caused considerable drifting snow and hampered road crews efforts as drifts continued to form on roads through the night of the 23rd. The unseasonably cold weather also rendered the salt less effective. Many of the reported accidents were minor. Some municipalities were reporting more sledding than vehicular accidents. Strong winds in Monmouth and Ocean Counties caused downed tree limbs and wires and caused about 15,000 homes and businesses to lose power. Many sporting, community events and church services were cancelled. Museums and malls closed early on the 22nd and many opened late on the 23rd. Even Rutgers University cancelled classes on the 22nd and 23rd. Prior to the snow's arrival many supermarkets and video stores were reporting record sales. Snow emergencies were declared by many municipalities. A Hopatcong (Morris County) man died shoveling snow. A pedestrian was struck and killed by a snow plow in Mercer County. Many schools were closed on the 24th. The remainder that opened had delayed openings. Regional rail lines reported delays from the 22nd through the 24th. For the first time in 9 years, nearby Philadelphia International Airport was closed for about 5 hours on the 22nd. Eight hundred passengers were stranded. Only half of the normal flights left the airport on the 23rd. Specific snowfall accumulations included 17.0 inches in Howell (Monmouth County) and New Egypt (Ocean County), 16.5 inches in Wrightstown (Burlington County), Kingston (Somerset County) and Cream Ridge (Monmouth County), 15.7 inches in Parlin (Middlesex County), 15.4 inches in Whitehouse (Hunterdon County), 15.0 inches in Sussex (Sussex County), Hackettstown (Warren County), Tabernacle (Burlington County) and Hopewell (Mercer County), 14.7 inches in Brick Township (Ocean County), 14.4 inches in Belle Mead (Somerset County), 14.3 inches in Ewing (Mercer County) and New Brunswick (Middlesex County), 13.1 inches in Stewartsville (Warren County), 13.0 inches in Randolph (Morris County) 12.8 inches in Voorhees (Camden County), 12.3 inches in Morristown (Morris County), 12.2 inches in Mount Holly (Burlington County), 12.0 inches in Verga (Gloucester County) and Broadway (Warren County), 11.5 inches in Newport (Cumberland County) and Flemington (Hunterdon County),11.0 inches in Lindenwold (Camden County), 10.9 inches in Barry Lakes (Sussex County), 10.0 inches in Vineland (Cumberland County), 8.7 inches in Hammonton (Atlantic County) and Quinton (Salem County), 7.0 inches in Forked River (Ocean County), 3.5 inches in Woodbine (Cape May County), 3.4 inches at the Atlantic City International Airport, 1.7 inches in Margate (Atlantic County) and 0.5 inches in Cape May (Cape May County).The winter storm was caused by a very powerful Alberta low pressure system. This type of low rarely produce snowfalls of this intensity. This low moved southeast from eastern Montana on the morning of the 21st to southern Minnesota on the evening of the 21st to near Dayton, Ohio around sunrise on the 22nd. It then moved to just south of Erie, Pennsylvania on the afternoon of the 22nd. A secondary low pressure system formed over the lower Chesapeake Bay on the afternoon of the 22nd. It would become the main low over the next twelve hours as it intensified over the nearby Atlantic Ocean. It deepened quickly as it passed near the Nantucket, Massachusetts buoy at 7 a.m. EST on the 23rd.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5435021. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.