Winter Storm — Western Union, New Jersey

2018-11-15 · Western Union, New Jersey

Event narrative

Trained spotters and social media reported 6 to 7 inches of snow.

Wider weather episode

A wave of low pressure developed along the Middle Atlantic coast during Thursday November 15, 2018. The low was associated with a closed upper level trough across the Midwest. As the trough translated eastward into Friday November 16, 2018, the low pressure moved up the northeast coast. The antecedent air mass ahead of the low was cold and dry for the middle of November with temperatures during the morning and afternoon of November in the upper 20s and low 30s. The moisture associated with the trough and low pressure was able to produce moderate to heavy bands of snow as the precipitation began across the entire Tri-State area due to the cold air in place. Once the low drew warmer air from the south, the precipitation gradually changed to a wintry mix and then plain rain, especially for the New York City metro and Long Island. The moderate to heavy wet snowfall significantly impacted the evening rush hour with 1-2 inch per hour snowfall rates. Hundreds of trees, tree limbs, and branches were brought down by the weight of the snow, which caused many power outages. Numerous accidents were reported and many motorists were stranded on roads until the early morning hours the next day. There were over 1,000 flights cancelled at the New York City metro airports (Kennedy, La Guardia, and Newark).

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 793900. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.