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 January 21, 2012
STORM DESCRIPTION
A wave of low pressure brought a period of snow to most of the state,
followed by freezing rain and sleet in central and southern New Jersey.
In most of
the state this was the largest winter storm during meteological winter
2011-2012, even though the October storm preceeding it was larger.
Synoptic Discussion
A cold front moved across New Jersey early on January 20th, bringing in
a fresh batch of cold air to the region. At the same time, a wave of
low pressure
began to develop further southwest along the same front, in the
southern Plains. By the morning of the 21st, this low pressure moved
into eastern Kentucky
and a secondary low pressure began developing near the mouth of the
Cheasapeake Bay. This secondary low strengthened at the original low's
expense and moved northeast off the coast. By the late evening of the
21st it was well east of Cape Cod.
Local Discussion
Precipitation overspread New Jersey during the early morning hours on
January 21st. It started as snow everywhere, but began to mix with
sleet and freezing rain across southern New Jersey well before dawn. By
dawn, the snow had changed to sleet and freezing rain as far north as
central New Jersey, while snow continued further north. During the
morning, surface temperatures warmed in southern and coastal portions
of the state, allowing the sleet
and freezing rain to transition to rain. Precipitation tapered off from
west to east during the mid to late morning hours. Accumulations were
light in southern and central New Jersey, becoming more substantial in
northern New Jersey, but generally fell short of the totals seen during
the late October storm in the northern half of the state. Nevertheless,
this ended up being the largest snowfall during the "normal" winter
season of December-February
nearly everywhere in New Jersey. Snowfall totals ranged from 4 to 8
inches in Passaic County, 3 to 7 inches in Morris County, 2 to 7 inches
in Bergen County, 4 to 6 inches in Sussex County, 2 to 6 inches in
Warren County, 3 to 5 inches in Hudson and Union counties, 3 to 4
inches in Essex County, 2 to 4 inches in Hunterdon, Middlesex and
Somerset counties, a coating to 4 inches in Monmouth County, 2 to 3
inches in Mercer County, 1 to 3 inches in Burlington, Camden,
Gloucester and Salem counties, 1 to 2 inches in Cumberland County, a
coating to 2 inches in Atlantic and Ocean counties, and an inch or less
in Cape May County.
New Jersey Snowfall Totals
Individual
Snowfall Totals from January 21, 2012
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,
October 29-30, 2011
Snow and ice storm, January 21, 2012
Snow storm, February 8, 2012
Snow storm,
February 10-11, 2012
Snow storm,
February 11-12, 2012
Back to
Ray's Winter Storm Archive
Copyright © 2012 by Raymond C Martin Jr. All rights
reserved