New Jersey, 1997

Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in New Jersey, December 10 to 11, 1997

December 10 to 11, 1997 · NWS PHI · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

A low pressure system that moved through the Delmarva Peninsula coastal waters brought heavy snow to Sussex County and a wintry mix of precipitation across the rest of Northwest New Jersey. Snow began across the region during the morning on the 10th.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
5

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS PHI wrote it up.

A low pressure system that moved through the Delmarva Peninsula coastal waters brought heavy snow to Sussex County and a wintry mix of precipitation across the rest of Northwest New Jersey. Snow began across the region during the morning on the 10th. Enough warm air at higher levels of the atmosphere moved into the area for precipitation to change over to a rain and freezing rain mixture by sunset on the 10th, except for Sussex County where precipitation remained mainly snow. The heaviest precipitation was over by midnight on the 10th, but lighter snow and/or flurries lingered until around sunrise on the 11th. Snowfall accumulations averaged around 6 inches in Sussex County and 1 to 3 inches elsewhere. The wintry precipitation caused accidents throughout the area, although no serious ones were reported. Specific accumulations included 6 inches in Wantage and Sussex (Sussex County), 5.5 inches in Montague (Sussex County), 5 inches in Newton (Sussex County), 3 inches in Long Valley (Morris County), 2.4 inches in Chatham (Morris County), 2 inches in Boonton (Morris County) and Pottersville (Somerset County) and 0.8 inches in Flemington (Hunterdon County) and Stewartsville (Warren County).

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 winter weather, 1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Hunterdon

When
December 10, 9:00 AM EST to December 11, 7:00 AM EST
Where
Hunterdon forecast zone
Coordinates
40.567, -74.912 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Morris

When
December 10, 9:00 AM EST to December 11, 7:00 AM EST
Where
Morris forecast zone
Coordinates
40.862, -74.544 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Somerset

When
December 10, 9:00 AM EST to December 11, 7:00 AM EST
Where
Somerset forecast zone
Coordinates
40.564, -74.616 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Warren

When
December 10, 9:00 AM EST to December 11, 7:00 AM EST
Where
Warren forecast zone
Coordinates
40.857, -74.997 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Sussex

When
December 10, 10:00 AM EST to December 11, 8:00 AM EST
Where
Sussex forecast zone
Coordinates
41.140, -74.690 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Winter Weather
Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.
Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in New Jersey in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in New Jersey, December 1997

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5624425, 5624426, 5624427, 5624428, 5624424.