Winter begins with overnight snow, frigid temps

Winter — and the weekend before Christmas — kicked off in New Jersey with residents across a wide swath of the region waking up Saturday morning to find snow on the ground.

And frigid temperatures are next.

An overnight storm coated the region from North Jersey to the Philadelphia metro area with anywhere from an inch to 5 1/2 inches of snow as the first day of the winter season arrived — and as people continue traveling for the holidays. There was snow in 13 counties in the Garden State.

Lingering flurries are possible across the eastern part of the state, though light snow is expected to taper off everywhere in the morning, according to the National Weather Service.

Meanwhile, an arctic air mass is forecast to bring “brisk and cold conditions” across the region the rest of the weekend, the weather service said.

High temperatures are expected to range from the 20s north of Interstate 78 to the low 30s south of the highway, while lows will fall into the teens, according to forecasters. There will also be blustery conditions in the afternoon, with wind gusts between 15 and 35 miles per hour.

Temperatures in New Jersey in late December normally reach the low 40s during the day and around 30 degrees overnight.

The snow and cold could cause slippery road conditions, though it’s more likely snow accumulated on grass, according to AccuWeather. The cold temperatures also mean the snow could stick around as Christmas and Hanukkah begin arrive this week.

Looking ahead, next week is also expected to be cold, with highs stuck in the 30s, according to forecasts. There is also a chance for light snow Tuesday morning — Christmas Eve — especially in North Jersey. Christmas is expected to be sunny and seasonable Wednesday.

Although it’s not an official weather term, the National Weather Service defines a white Christmas as having just 1 inch or more of snow on the ground on the morning of Dec. 25 — either fresh snow or lingering snow from a previous storm.

Current weather radar

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NJ Advance Media staff writer Len Melisurgo contributed to this report.

Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on X at @johnsb01.