Major New Jersey Snow Storms
Lets travel back in time and check out some major snow storms that have affected New Jersey in the past. But first, lets talk about the unique geological and climatological features that have contributed to these major New Jersey snow storms. New Jersey is positioned so that when mid-latitude cyclones in the northern hemisphere (low pressure systems) take a certain track in the colder months, they result in major New Jersey snow storms. That certain track generally spans from the Outer Banks in North Carolina to the area known as the benchmark just south of E. Long Island (40N/-70W).
When a low pressure center passes through that general area, it usually means warmer moisture has been tapped from the sub-tropical jet stream. Dependent on polar/Arctic frontal interaction, cold air mass is pulled into the synoptic storm system—creating a natural snow making machine to the N and W of the coastal storm center. The precipitation shield on radar forms a visual “comma head” and New Jersey shuts down for a bit. This perfect setup rarely happens (a few times per decade) but when it does it becomes a historical memory. Lets look at some of these major New Jersey snow storms over the last 55 years…
February 2-5, 1961
February 5-8, 1967
February 8-10, 1969
February 5-7, 1978
April 6-7, 1982
![-b49926f05c3d2768[1]](http://www.weathernj.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/b49926f05c3d27681.jpg)
February 10-12, 1983
January 21-23, 1987
January 25-27, 1987
March 12-14, 1993 (the superstorm)
January 6-8, 1996 (my personal favorite)
February 15-18, 2003 (Presidents’ Day Weekend)
February 12-13, 2006
December 18-21, 2009 (storm 1 of historical winter)
February 4-7, 2010 (storm 2 of historical winter)
February 9-11, 2010 (storm 3 of historical winter)
February 23-28, 2010 (storm 4 of historical winter)
December 24-28, 2010 (The Boxing Day Blizzard)
January 26-27, 2011
October 29-30, 2011 (The Halloween Storm)
February 7-10, 2013 (Nemo)
February 11-14, 2014 (the baby maker Kaboom)
January 22-24, 2016 (the “dude, where’s my car?” storm)
March 12-15, 2017 (NNJ Kaboom SNJ Kerplunk)
January 3-5, 2018 (Coastal Kaboom)
So where where you when these major New Jersey snow storms happened? What were you doing and how did they affect you? Please, if you wish, share your experiences and feel free to use this article whenever/however you need for future reference. Also if you’ve lived through a major New Jersey snow storm not mentioned, please let us know and I’ll add it. Be safe! JC
All images are publicly available from NOAA.
Jonathan Carr (JC) is the founder and sole operator of Weather NJ, New Jersey’s largest independent weather reporting agency. Since 2010, Jonathan has provided weather safety and forecasting services for New Jersey and immediate surrounding areas through the web, social media, and app spaces. Originally branded as Severe NJ Weather (before 2014), Weather NJ is proud to bring you accurate and responsible discussions ahead of high-stakes weather scenarios that impact the garden state. All Weather. All New Jersey.™
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