Storm description, surface observations, snowfall totals, and images courtesy of the National Climatic Data Center, the National Centers of Environmental Prediction, the Climate Prediction Center, the Hydrometeorological Prediction Center, the Mount Holly National Weather Service Office, the Upton National Weather Service Office, Rutgers University, Plymouth State University, the University of Illinois, the American Meteorological Society, Weather Graphics Technologies, AccuWeather, and the Weather Channel.
Table of Contents
Storm Summary
Regional Surface Observations
National Weather Service Forecasts
Surface Maps
Satellite Imagery
National Surface Weather Maps - Pressure and Fronts Only
Continental Surface Weather Maps - Pressure and Fronts Only
Sea Level Pressure and 1000 to 500 Millibar Thickness Maps
850 Millibar Maps
700 Millibar Maps
500 Millibar Maps
300 Millibar Maps
200 Millibar Maps
National Radar Imagery
Regional Radar Imagery
Fort Dix Doppler Radar Imagery
Contoured Snowfall Totals from February 5-6, 2010
STORM DESCRIPTION
Another powerful nor'easter brought the second major snowfall of the winter to southern New Jersey, accompanied by near-blizzard conditions. Much of northern New Jersey was unaffected by this storm.
Synoptic Discussion
A weakening cold front brought a reinforcing shot of cold air to New Jersey on the night of February 3rd. Simultaneously, a low pressure system began to develop along the Texas Gulf coast. By the evening of the 4th, the low had moved to the coast of Louisiana, and by the morning of the 5th, it was in southern Alabama. The initial low pressure then moved due north across Tennessee by the evening of the 5th, while a secondary low pressure developed along the Carolina coast. By the morning of the 6th, the primary low was dissipating in the southern Appalachians, while the secondary low was rapidly strengthening just east of the Virginia capes. By the evening of the 6th, this low had continued to strengthen but was moving eastward due east of Maryland. By the morning of the 7th it was well out to sea.
Local Discussion
Snow overspread the southern half of New Jersey from southwest to northeast during the evening of February 5th and rapidly became heavy at times. Meanwhile, dry air associated with high pressure to the north kept the snow from progressing much beyond the Interstate 78 corridor in central New Jersey. Snow briefly became heavy as far north as central New Jersey near dawn on February 6th, while continuing at a moderate to heavy clip through the night and morning across southern New Jersey. Snow began retreating back toward the southeast by the mid morning on February 6th, and had mostly departed central New Jersey by the beginning of the afternoon. However, heavy snow only gradually retreated from southern New Jersey during the afternoon of the 6th, finally departing completely early in the evening. The heaviest snowfall was in southern New Jersey where the heavy snow began first, lingered longest and ended last, with accumulations dwindling to nothing as one progressed northward in the state. Totals ranged from 21 to 29 inches in Gloucester County, 15 to 27 inches in Camden County, 15 to 25 inches in Atlantic, Cumberland and Salem counties, 13 to 23 inches in Burlington, Cape May and Ocean counties, 7 to 16 inches in Mercer and Monmouth counties, 3 to 9 inches in Hunterdon, Middlesex and Somerset counties, a coating to 6 inches in Warren County, a coating to 4 inches in Morris and Union counties, a coating to 1 inch in Essex and Hudson counties and little or no snow in Bergen, Passaic and Sussex counties.
New Jersey Snowfall Totals
Individual Snowfall Totals from February 5-6, 2010
Regional Snowfall Totals
Snowfall Totals from February 5-6, 2010
Table of Contents
Storm Summary
Regional Surface Observations
National Weather Service Forecasts
Surface Maps
Satellite Imagery
National Surface Weather Maps - Pressure and Fronts Only
Continental Surface Weather Maps - Pressure and Fronts Only
Sea Level Pressure and 1000 to 500 Millibar Thickness Maps
850 Millibar Maps
700 Millibar Maps
500 Millibar Maps
300 Millibar Maps
200 Millibar Maps
National Radar Imagery
Regional Radar Imagery
Fort Dix Doppler Radar Imagery
Snow storm, December 5, 2009
Snow storm, December 19-20, 2009
Snow storm, December 31, 2009
Snow storm, February 2-3, 2010
Snow storm, February 5-6, 2010
Snow storm, February 9-11, 2010
Snow storm, February 15-16, 2010
Snow storm, February 25-26, 2010
Back to Ray's Winter Storm Archive
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