Winter Storm Watch For Wayne, Passaic County As Snowy Weather Looms

WAYNE, NJ — A winter storm, with the potential to dump almost a foot of snow in parts of North Jersey, looks set to bring at least several inches of snow to Wayne Township this weekend.

The National Weather Service issued a winter storm watch for counties in North Jersey, and the New York City metro area (including Passaic Co.), from Saturday evening through Sunday afternoon.

Snow will develop Saturday evening, transitioning to rain or a wintry mix at times, and could be heavy at times. Total snow accumulations of 5 to 10 inches are possible in interior portions of northeast New Jersey based on the storm's track, per the NWS.

AccuWeather forecasters added that travel could be very difficult, as drivers have not had to contend with a storm like this in some time.

"Any accumulating snow can result in significant travel slowdowns, but this storm may have greater impact than others of similar magnitude because it has been such a long time since more than 1 inch of snow has accumulated in these areas – it can take people a bit of time to once again get used to driving in and otherwise dealing with the snow," said Chief Meteorologist Jon Porter.

As of New Year's Day, it has been 683 days since the New York City area received at least 1 inch of snowfall — which was on Feb. 16, 2022.

The storm will drop drenching rain along areas of the Gulf Coast from late Thursday night to Friday, before moving northeast to the mid-Atlantic coast where it will strengthen before arriving in New Jersey on Saturday afternoon. The storm will remain in the area through Sunday.

Forecasters are also following another major winter storm that could shift from the Central States and hit New Jersey later in the week on Tuesday, Jan. 9, and Wednesday, Jan. 10.

Here is the latest Wayne Township forecast from the National Weather Service:

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 37. Wind chill values between 15 and 25. Northwest wind 7 to 9 mph.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 23. West wind 3 to 6 mph.

Saturday: Snow likely, mainly after 5pm. Cloudy, with a high near 37. Calm wind becoming east 5 to 8 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Saturday Night: Snow likely before 8pm, then rain and snow. Low around 30. Wind chill values between 20 and 25. East wind 9 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100 percent. New snow accumulation of 3 to 5 inches possible.

Sunday: Rain and snow, becoming all snow after 11am. High near 36. Northeast wind 9 to 11 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 22 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.

Sunday Night: A 50 percent chance of snow before 8pm. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with a low around 28.

Related article — Snowfall Totals Rise For Weekend Storm: Latest Timeline For NJ Impacts