Honestly, if you were planning on a pristine, postcard-perfect winter wonderland in New Jersey this weekend, I’ve got some "meh" news for you. We are looking at a classic Garden State "wintry mix" situation. You know the drill: that awkward phase where the sky can't decide if it wants to be Elsa’s ice palace or a cold, soggy car wash.
Basically, the atmosphere is acting like a confused teenager. One minute it's freezing, the next it’s just slightly above freezing, and the result is usually a slushy mess on the Parkway.
The Saturday Setup: Rain, Snow, and Everything In Between
Friday starts off deceptively nice. Most of the state, including the Mount Holly area, is seeing sunny skies with a high of 36°F. It’s crisp. It’s manageable. But don’t let that blue sky fool you into leaving your snow brush in the garage. By tonight, things shift. We’re looking at a 20% chance of rain and snow as the sun goes down and the temperature dips to 22°F.
Saturday is where the real "fun" begins.
💡 You might also like: Why the 2013 Moore Oklahoma Tornado Changed Everything We Knew About Survival
If you’re in Mount Holly or the surrounding South Jersey suburbs, Saturday, January 17th, brings a high of 41°F. That’s the danger zone. When the thermometer hits 41, that 40% chance of precipitation becomes a messy cocktail of rain and snow. It’s the kind of weather that’s too warm for a good sledding hill but too cold to actually enjoy being outside. Expect the heaviest "slop" before 1 p.m., after which many spots will likely see a transition to straight rain as that warm air nudges in.
Sunday: The Chill Returns
Once the Saturday system pulls out, we get a fresh slap of reality. Sunday, January 18th, sees temperatures drop back down. We’re looking at a high of 35°F with snow showers likely during the day.
The chance of precipitation sits at 35%. It’s not a blizzard—don't go panic-buying all the bread and milk at Wegmans just yet—but it’s enough to make the roads slick. Northwest winds at 8 mph will keep that bite in the air. By Sunday night, it clears up, but the low plunges to 21°F.
📖 Related: Ethics in the News: What Most People Get Wrong
Why the "Black Ice" Warning Matters
The National Weather Service and local outlets are particularly worried about the freeze-thaw-freeze cycle this weekend. When Saturday’s rain and slush meet Sunday morning’s sub-freezing temperatures, you get the Jersey driver’s worst nightmare: black ice.
It’s that invisible, glass-like coating that forms on bridges, overpasses, and those shaded stretches of the I-295. Since temperatures will be fluctuating wildly from the low 40s to the low 20s, the runoff from Saturday's rain is guaranteed to turn into a skating rink by Sunday night.
What the Experts Are Saying
Gary Szatkowski, a well-known retired meteorologist from the NWS Mount Holly office, has often noted how these "marginal" events are the hardest to forecast and often the most dangerous for motorists. The difference between a wet road and an icy one is literally one or two degrees.
👉 See also: When is the Next Hurricane Coming 2024: What Most People Get Wrong
According to the latest data from NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center, there is a high risk of heavy snow (more than 4 inches) for some parts of the region on Friday and Saturday, though for most of New Jersey, we are on the southern edge of the real heavy stuff. We’re mostly looking at a coating to an inch of slush.
Survival Tips for the Jersey Weekend
If you absolutely have to be on the roads, keep these things in mind:
- Check the shaded spots: Even if the sun is out on Sunday, the North-facing side of hills and underpasses will stay frozen.
- Watch the wind: Southwest winds on Saturday at 9 mph might feel mild, but they’ll shift Northwest on Sunday, bringing in that Arctic air.
- The Monday Deep Freeze: If you think Sunday is cold, wait for Monday. The forecast shows a low of 15°F. Anything that hasn't been salted by then will be a permanent fixture until Tuesday.
The rest of the month doesn't look much better. Long-range forecasts from the Almanac suggest January will finish out sunny but bitter cold, with another "rainy and milder" stint around the 25th. It’s the classic Mid-Atlantic winter rollercoaster.
Stay inside if you can, grab a Taylor Ham (or Pork Roll, I'm not starting that fight today) sandwich, and let the salt trucks do their thing.
Check your local municipal website for "Snow Emergency" parking rules, as even an inch of slush can trigger plowing operations in some North Jersey towns. If you haven't checked your tire pressure lately, do it now; these 20-degree drops are notorious for triggering that annoying "low pressure" light on your dashboard.