Weather Shift Ahead, Freeze Advisory Issued For Most Of NJ

NEW JERSEY — The coldest temperatures of the fall season are headed our way, with temperatures predicted to fall down to the 20s in parts of the state tonight, forecasters said.

Most of the state will be under a freeze warning or a frost advisory beginning early Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.

The freeze warning will run from midnight to 9 a.m. Wednesday for Sussex, Warren, Morris, Hunterdon and Somerset counties. In western Passaic, the freeze warning will be in effect from midnight until 8 a.m.

In areas under the warning, lows could reach 29 degrees. According to the weather service, those temperatures have the potential to end the growing season, kill crops and other sensitive vegetation.

A frost advisory has been issued for an even larger area, which includes 11 counties, from 2 a.m. to 9 a.m. Wednesday.

Here are the counties under the advisory:

• Middlesex
• Monmouth
• Mercer
• Salem
• Gloucester
• Camden
• Burlington
• Ocean
• Cumberland
• Atlantic
• Cape May

Temperatures will drop into the upper 30s in urban areas and fall into the 33 to 36 degree range elsewhere, according to the weather service.

Tuesday is expected to be chilly with periods of light rain in the afternoon. Skies will clear as temperatures drop in the evening.

Forecasters have warned we could be in for a cold start to November.

The latest predictions from meteorologists at AccuWeather lay out two potential possibilities for later this week into early next week. Under one of the scenarios, a rainy storm front coming from the southeast could intensify as it drives north, potentially turning to snow by the time it reaches New Jersey.

"By Friday, the storm could then march up the East Coast, spreading rain, wind and perhaps the first snow of the season across the higher elevations away from the coast," AccuWeather says. "The potential for snowfall in this scenario would begin to unfold perhaps as far south as the Blue Ridge Mountains Thursday night into Friday."

Under a second potential scenario, a weaker storm would move through the region faster, leaving a majority of the northeast dry late this week and into the weekend.

Here’s the latest forecast:

Tuesday: A slight chance of light rain between 1 and 2 p.m. Cloudy, with a high near 53. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent.

Tuesday night: Patchy frost after 3 a.m. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with a low around 29. Calm wind.

Wednesday: Areas of frost before 11 a.m. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 51. Calm wind becoming northwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Wednesday Night: Patchy frost after 11 p.m. Otherwise, mostly clear, with a low around 29. Calm wind.

Thursday: Areas of frost before 11 a.m. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 50. Calm wind.

Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 31.