'Parade' Of 3 Winter Storms Begins In NJ: Latest Forecast Details

NEW JERSEY — Wednesday night's messy storm will usher in a "parade" of three winter storms that will coat New Jersey in snow and ice through the middle of next week, forecasters say.

"February is kicking off with a very stormy pattern. A parade of three winter storms will bring snow, ice and sleet to millions of people from the Midwest through the Northeast," AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said. "Travel will be treacherous on roads and highways along the path of this storm. People should be prepared for power outages in areas where ice accumulates on tree branches and power lines."

Winter Weather Advisories have expanded to all 21 counties in New Jersey ahead of the first storm that will coat the Garden State with ice, sleet, snow and freezing rain Wednesday into Thursday.

"A smorgasbord of wintry precip will be in store for us Wednesday night into Thursday morning, possible impacting the Thursday morning commute," National Weather Service forecasters said Wednesday morning.

Advisories are in place starting Wednesday evening for all of New Jersey, except for the coastal strip. That area will still see the same wintry mix, the National Weather Service said, but it will warm faster and switch over to rain, so the threat is lesser than in the rest of the state.

The storm is expected to start off as light snow in most of the state before transitioning to a wintry mix overnight and mostly rain by Thursday afternoon when it will fade out, though drizzles and mist could linger. It will start in South Jersey before midnight, forecasters say, and then move north as the night progresses. This is expected to cause a hazardous commute Thursday morning.

And it won't be the last winter storm New Jersey sees for a while, forecasters warn. AccuWeather forecasters say that this storm will be followed by two more through next week.

Another ice storm Friday night through Sunday could bring localized icy impacts to North Jersey, according to AccuWeather. Power outages are also possible.

A third winter storm mid-week next week has the potential to bring accumulating snow across New Jersey, forecasters say. However, it's still too early to know the details.

Here's the latest forecast:

North Jersey

Wednesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 33. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the afternoon.

Wednesday Night: A chance of snow between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m., then snow, possibly mixed with sleet. Low around 25. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. New snow and sleet accumulation of less than one inch possible.

Thursday: Snow, possibly mixed with freezing rain and sleet before 10 a.m., then rain, possibly mixed with snow and sleet between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., then a chance of rain and snow after 1 p.m. High near 39. Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 100 percent. New ice accumulation of less than a 0.1 of an inch possible. New snow and sleet accumulation of less than one inch possible.

Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 33. West wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 39. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 21.

Saturday: A chance of snow after 1 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 37. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.

Saturday Night: Snow before 1 a.m., then rain, snow, and freezing rain. Low around 27. Chance of precipitation is 100 percent.

Sunday: A chance of rain and snow before 1 p.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 43. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.

Central Jersey

Wednesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 34. West wind around 5 mph.

Wednesday Night: A chance of snow before 1 a.m., then snow and sleet. Low around 27. East wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. New snow and sleet accumulation of less than one inch possible.

Thursday: Rain, snow, freezing rain, and sleet, becoming all rain after 10 a.m. High near 42. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 100 percent. Little or no ice accumulation expected. New snow and sleet accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Thursday Night: A slight chance of rain before 1 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 35. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent.

Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 42. West wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 22.

Saturday: A chance of snow after 1 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 38. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent.

Saturday Night: Rain, snow, and freezing rain, becoming all rain after 1 a.m. Low around 29. Chance of precipitation is 100 percent.

Sunday: A chance of rain before 1 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 46. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.

South Jersey

Wednesday: Cloudy, with a high near 36. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the afternoon.

Wednesday Night: Snow and sleet before 4 a.m., then rain, freezing rain and sleet, possibly mixed with snow. Low around 29. Southeast wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent. Little or no ice accumulation expected. New snow and sleet accumulation of less than one inch possible.

Thursday: Rain, freezing rain and sleet, possibly mixed with snow, becoming all rain after 7 a.m. High near 46. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent. Little or no ice accumulation expected. New snow and sleet accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Thursday Night: A chance of rain, mainly between 7 p.m. and 1 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 37. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming west after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.

Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 46. West wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 23.

Saturday: A chance of snow after 1 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 41. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent.

Saturday Night: Rain or freezing rain, becoming all rain after 1 a.m. Low around 30. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent.

Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 53.