A state appeals court ruled late last month that a jury can decide to shorten the sentence of a New York man convicted of sexually assaulting an Atlantic City housekeeper nearly seven years ago.

The judges agreed in an opinion issued Dec. 19 that the New Jersey Superior Court wrongfully sentenced 39-year-old Jamel Carlton to an extended prison sentence for the assault at Bally’s Hotel and Casino in 2018.

Carlton appealed both his conviction and sentence of 42 years, which a Superior Court judge imposed while deeming the Saugerties man a, “persistent offender.”

There’s no question a huge winter storm system will be criss-crossing the nation during the next few days. What’s unknown is the storm’s track — and how much snow may be piling up in New Jersey when the system arrives here late Sunday night or early Monday morning.

Weather forecasters say there’s still a high degree of uncertainty over the storm’s impacts on our region, because computer guidance models don’t have a good handle on whether the bulk of the storm will move south of New Jersey or push closer to our area.

If the bulk of the storm coming from the Central Plains tracks farther south, it would limit the amount of snow in North Jersey and bring only light or moderate accumulations to South Jersey late Sunday night through Monday evening, forecasters said on Friday.

A more northern storm track, closer to the Garden State, would boost the snow totals for our region.

As of now, the National Weather Service’s Mount Holly office says “snowfall accumulations are possible across the entire forecast area, with the greatest amounts most likely near and/or south of the Philadelphia metro area into Delmarva and southern NJ.”

The weather service stresses there’s a high degree of uncertainty in the snow forecast, but said it anticipates “a 4- to 6-inch snowfall event for areas on a line from I-76 to I-195 and points south, including the Philadelphia
metro.”

Within that area, it’s possible heavy bands of snow could fall in isolated places and pile up as high as 6 to 8 inches, the weather service noted in its latest forecast.

At the same time, those numbers could be knocked down if the snow mixes with sleet or rain.

In areas between Interstate 80 and the Interstate 76/Interstate 195 corridor, the weather service is calling for snow totals ranging from 2 to 4 inches, with less than 2 inches expected in areas north of I-80.

“There will be a sharp northern gradient to the snowfall due to confluence and dry air off to the north, so some of these totals may be slightly too high,” the weather service noted.

Snow is expected to begin late Sunday night in eastern Pennsylvania and western New Jersey, continuing through Monday morning and Monday afternoon before winding down as light snow or flurries Monday night, the weather service said.

If heavy snow does materialize, drivers will have to contend with “snow-covered roads and difficult travel Sunday night through Monday,” the weather service said.

Forecasters from AccuWeather are predicting 3 to 6 inches of snow accumulations in South Jersey, 1 to 3 inches of snow in Central Jersey and virtually no accumulating snow in far northern sections of New Jersey.

Officials in Atlantic City said they are hoping for light snow but preparing for heavy snow.

“This event could cause a lot of trouble,” Scott Evans, the city’s fire chief and emergency management coordinator, told the Press of Atlantic City. “Once we get above two inches, we have to get the plows out. We’re preparing for the worst-case scenario if we get eight inches. But we’re hoping for the best scenario, which would be just a couple inches.”

Smaller storm on Friday

Meanwhile, parts of South Jersey are getting a light coating of snow from a smaller storm system that arrived from the west Friday afternoon.

Because the snow could create slippery roads, a winter weather advisory is in effect now until 10 p.m. Friday in Atlantic, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem counties.

“Roads, and especially bridges and overpasses, will
likely become slick and hazardous,“ the weather service noted, urging drivers to ”slow down and use caution while traveling.”

Depending on how the next storm system shapes up, new winter weather advisories or winter storm watches could be issued in New Jersey this weekend.

Current weather radar

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Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com or on X at @LensReality.