You’ve probably looked out the window this week and wondered if the climate just gave up on the Jersey Shore. One day it's a coastal flood, the next you’re digging out your car in Moorestown while your cousin in Cape May only sees a few "wet flakes" that disappear before they hit the pavement.
South Jersey snow totals are never just one number. Honestly, they’re a chaotic mess of microclimates, ocean temperatures, and the sheer luck of where a coastal low decides to pivot. If you live south of I-195, you know the drill: the "snow line" is basically a moving target that ruins everyone’s weekend plans.
The 2025-2026 Season So Far: A Tale of Two Decembers
This winter has been weird. Not "it’s a little chilly" weird, but "we had a four-year snow drought end in a single weekend" weird. For those of us in Burlington and Camden counties, the storm on December 14, 2025, was the big one we’d been waiting for. It felt like forever since the January 2022 nor'easter, and then suddenly, Moorestown is sitting under 7.2 inches of fluffy white stuff.
It wasn't just a dusting.
It was a legitimate "get the snowblower out" event.
Mount Holly recorded 6.6 inches during that mid-December blast, while Marlton saw about 6.5. But go further south? Total different story. While the Moorestown folks were sledding, Millville and Upper Deerfield only managed to scrape together 3.0 inches. And if you were down in Ocean City? A measly 0.3 inches. That’s basically just a cold rain with an attitude.
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The variation is wild. You can drive thirty minutes and go from a winter wonderland to just... wet asphalt.
Why The "Snow Line" Always Messes With Your Head
Ever notice how the meteorologists at the National Weather Service in Mount Holly sound a bit stressed when a coastal low starts moving up from Georgia? That’s because of the "Miller A" storm track. Basically, if a storm stays too far out at sea, we get nothing. If it hugs the coast, the warm Atlantic air turns everything into a slushy mess for everyone living near the Parkway.
Last winter (2024-2025) was a perfect example of South Jersey being the "snow champion" of the state for once—a title we usually lose to the Highlands. In February 2025, Cape May actually topped the charts with 8.8 inches. Imagine that. The place known for salt water taffy had more snow than some spots in Sussex County.
Recent Totals at a Glance (The Big Hits)
If you're looking for the hard numbers from the most recent significant events, here is how the 2025-2026 season has shaken out for different pockets of the region:
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- The Northern Fringe (Burlington/Mercer): Moorestown (7.2"), Mount Holly (6.6"), and Cinnaminson (4.7") saw the heaviest accumulation during the December 14 peak.
- The Mid-Zone (Camden/Gloucester): Cherry Hill grabbed 6.0", while Pitman saw 5.6". This was the most snow these areas had seen in nearly four years.
- The Deep South (Cumberland/Cape May): Millville hit 3.0", but the immediate coast remained the "snow graveyard" with most spots under an inch.
The Average Snowfall Myth
If you Google "average annual snowfall for New Jersey," you’ll see a number like 23 inches. Don't believe it. That number is a blend of the 40+ inches they get up north and the 13 inches they get in Cape May.
For South Jersey, the "average" is a lie because it’s built on extremes. Some years we get a "Snowmageddon" where we’re buried under 30 inches in a single month. Other years, like the 2023-2024 stretch, we barely see enough to cover the grass.
Dr. David Robinson, the NJ State Climatologist at Rutgers, has pointed out that while our winters are getting shorter, the storms we do get tend to pack more moisture. That means when the temperature finally drops low enough, the snow totals can explode.
What's Happening Right Now (January 2026)
As of mid-January 2026, we’re back in the thick of it. The latest system on January 17th is winding down, but there’s a coastal low creeping up for Sunday that has everyone on edge again. The current forecast from Mount Holly suggests another 1 to 4 inches for the I-95 corridor and South Jersey.
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The "jackpot" this time looks to be the urban corridor—think Camden and Pennsauken—where 2 to 4 inches are expected. But again, if you’re down by the KMIV (Millville) or KACY (Atlantic City) terminals, expect it to start as rain. That rain-to-snow transition is the ultimate buzzkill for snow lovers. It eats away at the totals before the cold air can even get a foothold.
How To Track These Totals Like A Pro
If you actually want to know what happened in your backyard, stop looking at the general Philadelphia news and start looking at CoCoRaHS (Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network). These are real people with high-tech gauges in their yards reporting to the state climatologist.
When you see a report like "Hammonton... 4.5 inches," that’s usually coming from a trained spotter or a CoCoRaHS volunteer. It’s way more accurate than a guy at an airport five miles away.
Preparing for the "Big One"
Since we’ve already broken the multi-year drought this season, the ground is primed. We’ve got a deep freeze coming after this Sunday’s storm, with wind chills expected to hit the single digits by Monday night.
- Watch the "Refreeze": Even if we only get 2 inches, the plummeting temperatures on Monday will turn every slushy puddle into a sheet of black ice.
- Check the "Snow-to-Liquid Ratio": Not all snow is created equal. A "heavy, wet snow" has a low ratio (maybe 5:1), meaning it’s a heart-attack-inducing mess to shovel. Fluffy "dry" snow (15:1) is what we saw in December, which is much easier on the back but blows around like crazy.
- Monitor the Coastal Lows: If you see a storm tracking from the Carolinas toward the "70/40" point (70 degrees West, 40 degrees North), start buying the bread and milk. That’s the classic trajectory for a South Jersey burial.
South Jersey snow is a game of inches and degrees. We’re currently in one of the most active patterns we've seen in half a decade, so keep the shovel by the door. You’re going to need it before February is through.
Actionable Next Steps:
Keep a close eye on the National Weather Service Mount Holly (PHI) briefings over the next 24 hours. If the Sunday coastal low shifts even 20 miles to the west, those predicted 1-4 inch totals for the I-95 corridor could easily double. Ensure your salt supplies are replenished before Monday's deep freeze, as temperatures are projected to stay below freezing for several days, making ice removal nearly impossible once the sun goes down.