Winter Weather — Western Atlantic, New Jersey

2015-03-20 · Western Atlantic, New Jersey

Wider weather episode

A winter storm on the first day of astronomical spring dropped snow across most of New Jersey on the 20th. Before precipitation ended, it transitioned to rain in the southern half of New Jersey. Snowfall averaged 3 to 7 inches from Gloucester and inland Atlantic Counties northward and two inches or less elsewhere in southern New Jersey. Little, if any, snow accumulated in Cape May County. The heaviest snow fell in the central third of the state. It was a heavy, wet snow and the snow did knock down some weak trees and tree limbs and caused isolated power outages in central New Jersey, primarily in Burlington County. The snow also caused traveling difficulties and accidents during the afternoon and evening. Speed restrictions were in place on major roadways. Some schools dismissed children early. The snow caused more than 1,150 flights to be cancelled on the 20th in the northeastern United States.

Snow spread from south to north across New Jersey between 8 a.m. and Noon EDT. The snow fell heavy at times across central New Jersey during the late morning and afternoon. The snow changed to rain during the mid and late afternoon in southeast New Jersey and during the late afternoon and early evening in southwest New Jersey. Precipitation ended throughout the state during the second half of the evening.

One of the worst reported accidents occurred in Hamilton Township (Atlantic County) during the early afternoon on the 20th when a 35-year-old man and 31-year-old woman died. The driver was traveling westbound on the Atlantic City Expressway when he lost control of his vehicle and subsequently crashed into another vehicle that was stopped on the right shoulder. A 38-year-old man was outside of his vehicle checking on a flat tire when the crash occurred. He was struck and thrown by the other vehicle, but survived. Other additional collisions occurred as other vehicles crashed into the backed-up traffic. Power outages occurred on the evening of the 20th as the snow continued to accumulate. About 100 homes and businesses were still without power on the morning of the 21st. The entire winter season cost the New Jersey Department of Transportation more than 100 million dollars in snow removal costs.

Representative snowfall included 7.1 inches in Colts Neck (Monmouth County), 6.8 inches in Mount Holly (Burlington County), 6.5 inches in Moorestown (Burlington County), 6.4 inches in Hamilton Township (Mercer County), 5.7 inches in Brick Township (Ocean County), 5.5 inches in Delran (Burlington County), 5.3 inches in Medford Lakes (Burlington County), 5.1 inches in Pennington (Mercer County) and Howell (Monmouth County), 5.0 inches in Stanton (Hunterdon County) and East Brunswick (Middlesex County), 4.8 inches in Whitehouse Station (Hunterdon County) and Hillsborough Township (Somerset County), 4.5 inches in Pennsauken (Camden County), Clinton Township (Hunterdon County), Metuchen (Middlesex County), Mine Hill Township (Morris County) and Washington Township (Gloucester County), 4.4 inches in Denville (Morris County), 4.3 inches in Oxford (Warren County), Somerdale (Camden County), Barnegat Township (Ocean County) and Ewing (Mercer County), 4.2 inches in Bridgewater Township (Somerset County) and Pitman (Gloucester County), 4.1 inches in Long Branch (Monmouth County), 4.0 inches in West Deptford (Gloucester County) and Collingswood (Camden County), Old Bridge (Middlesex County) and Marcella (Morris County), 3.8 inches in Hammonton (Atlantic County) and Stafford Township (Ocean County), 3.6 inches in Hardyston Township (Sussex County), 3.5 inches in Belle Mead (Somerset County), Hackettstown (Warren County) and Highland Lakes (Sussex County), 3.0 inches in Wantage (Sussex County), 2.8 inches in Bayville (Ocean County), 1.6 inches in Estelle Manor (Atlantic County), 1.3 inches in Vineland (Cumberland County) and 0.3 inches at the Atlantic City International Airport.

The onshore flow around the low pressure system coupled with higher spring astronomical tides associated with the new moon caused some minor tidal flooding with the high tide cycle on the evening of the 20th. At Sandy Hook (Monmouth County), the high tide reached 6.81 feet above mean lower low water. Minor tidal flooding begins at 6.70 feet above mean lower low water.

The snow was caused by a low pressure system that formed off the South Carolina coast early on the 20th. The low pressure system proceeded to move northeast and at 2 p.m. EDT on the 20th was located near Elizabeth City, North Carolina. The low pressure system was near the Delmarva coastal waters at 8 p.m. EDT on the 20th and from there it proceeded to move east the rest of the evening and overnight. The combination of a favorable storm track and sufficient cold air in place made it possible for an accumulating snow in most of New Jersey.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 565277. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.