Jersey City Weather Forecast: Why January Always Feels Like a Gamble

Jersey City Weather Forecast: Why January Always Feels Like a Gamble

Honestly, if you've lived in Jersey City long enough, you know the vibe. One minute you’re walking down Newark Ave in a light jacket, and the next, you’re digging through the closet for that heavy parka because a "glancing blow" from a coastal storm decided to dump four inches of slush on your doorstep.

That’s basically where we are today, January 18, 2026. If you look out the window right now, it’s a whole lot of gray. The current jersey city weather forecast is sitting at a crisp 33°F, but with that north wind kicking at 3 mph, it feels more like 30°F. Humidity is high—94% high—which gives the air that heavy, damp chill that sinks right into your bones.

What’s Happening Right Now?

We are officially in a Winter Weather Advisory. The National Weather Service isn't playing around; it’s in effect until midnight. We're looking at a 100% chance of snow throughout the daytime.

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Don't expect a blizzard, but don't ignore it either. The high today is only hitting 34°F. That’s just enough for things to get messy. As the sun goes down, the low drops to 26°F. Any slush on the ground? Yeah, that’s going to turn into a nice sheet of ice by Monday morning.

The Week Ahead (And Why It Matters)

The "one-two punch" everyone’s talking about is real. We had a bit of a tease on Saturday, but Sunday is the main event for our little corner of Hudson County. Most of the tri-state is seeing anywhere from 2 to 5 inches. Because the storm track shifted slightly north at the last second, Jersey City is right in the crosshairs for measurable accumulation.

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  • Sunday Night: Snow showers continue (about a 33% chance) as the storm winds down.
  • Monday (MLK Day): Things clear up significantly. It'll be mostly sunny with a high of 33°F. Great for a walk, terrible for the ice.
  • Tuesday: This is the real kicker. The temperature is going to tank. We’re looking at a high of only 22°F and a low that could hit single digits (around 9°F) overnight.

Why January is Such a Mess

January is statistically the coldest and cloudiest month in Jersey City. Historically, the average high is 40°F, but we’re trending a bit colder this year. We usually see about 6.3 inches of snow for the whole month, so this single storm is doing a lot of the heavy lifting for the 2026 season.

There's this weird thing with the "urban heat island" effect too. Sometimes we watch the snow pile up in Hoboken or Union City while we just get rain near the waterfront. But today? The cold air is locked in. The freezing line shifted offshore just enough to keep us in the "snow" zone rather than the "cold rain" zone.

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What You Should Actually Do

If you have to commute tomorrow, basically give yourself double the time. The NYC Department of Sanitation has already issued a "Snow Alert," and since we’re right across the river, our road crews are in the same boat.

  1. Check your pipes. With Tuesday's low hitting 9°F, this is the first real "burst pipe" threat of the year.
  2. Clear the sidewalk early. If you wait until Monday morning, that 26°F overnight low will turn today’s snow into a block of concrete.
  3. Layer up. Forget the fashion; you need a base layer if you're heading out Tuesday.

The rest of the week looks relatively calm—mostly sunny on Wednesday and Thursday with highs creeping back into the mid-30s—but for now, it's all about surviving the Sunday slush. Stay warm out there.