New Jersey commuters could face a sloppy mess in the morning, but forecasters say conditions should improve in the afternoon. Watch video
It's looking more likely that the Friday morning rush hour is going to be a sloppy one, based on the timing of a coastal storm that's bringing a mix of rain and snow to the New Jersey region.
As of late Thursday night, rain was falling in parts of the Garden State. But shortly after midnight, the rain was expected to change to a mixture of rain and snow, said Sarah Johnson, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service's regional office in Mount Holly.
After that, as temperatures continue to dip closer to the freezing mark, the rain-snow mix will change to all snow, Johnson said. That changeover should happen between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m., just before the start of rush hour and school traffic.
"It looks like we'll be seeing all snow during the morning commute," Johnson said.
Most areas of New Jersey could expect to see 1 to 3 inches of slushy snow during the morning, and some areas are likely to get 2 to 4 inches, with the potential for higher amounts in eastern counties, like Monmouth, Ocean and Atlantic.
The weather service is warning drivers that some roads could be slick.
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The coastal storm is essentially a low pressure system that formed Thursday and began moving northeast along the Atlantic coast after a cold front stalled out in the area, Johnson said. The cold front had moved through the Garden State Wednesday night before it stalled.
Some good news about the morning snow: It's expected to end before noon, and most of it should melt by the end of the afternoon, as temperatures rise into the upper 30s to mid-40s across the state, Johnson said. The sun might even make an appearance in the late afternoon.
3 different snowfall projections
Give yourself some extra time tomorrow a.m. #Snow for the #MorningRush @News12NJ pic.twitter.com/AVjwbZApL2
-- Dave Curren (@DaveCurren) February 5, 2016
Here's our current snow map for the system overnight into Friday morning. #cbs3snow pic.twitter.com/qg9uLiYzMZ
-- Kate Bilo CBS3 (@katebilo) February 5, 2016
Alternate side parking in NYC suspended Friday for snow removal; payment at parking meters remain in effect https://t.co/LBcplmREeB
-- NBC New York (@NBCNewYork) February 5, 2016
Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @LensReality. Find NJ.com on Facebook.