Snow Alerts Blanket 5 Counties As Squalls Move Through NJ

Snow alerts have been issued for five Garden State counties Sunday evening as a fast-moving blast of winter weather wends its way through North Jersey.

Intense snow and localized driving visibility issues were reported in Morris, Essex and Passaic County starting around 4:30 p.m. Sunday, striking fast and moving on within 10 minutes.

The snow alerts also included portions of Bergen and Warren counties through 6 p.m.

“Scattered snow showers are occurring near and north of the Interstate 80 corridor,” the National Weather Service said. “These showers are capable of producing brief periods of heavy snow which can rapidly reduce visibility to less than 1 mile and lead to accumulation of snow on untreated roads.”

Winter weather returned to the Garden State with a vengeance Sunday as temperatures dropped, winds picked up and the risk of snow squalls rose for the afternoon and evening, according to the latest forecast.

"A secondary cold front will pass through the area this afternoon bringing the potential for rain/snow showers and possibly some snow squalls between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.," the National Weather Service said. "Winds will increase behind the front with gusts up to 45 mph this afternoon."

While accumulating snow is not expected to cause road hazards, the wind and snow mix could pose dangers to motorists. Snow squalls, often associated with strong cold fronts, move in and out quickly, and typically last less than an hour. The sudden white-out conditions combined with falling temperatures produce icy roads in just a few minutes, the National Weather Service said.

Although snow accumulations are typically an inch or less, the added combination of gusty winds, falling temperatures and quick reductions in visibility can cause extremely dangerous conditions for motorists.

If a snow squall warning is issued for in the area, avoid or delay motor travel until the squall passes through your location, the National Weather Service said.