Winter Storm and Winter Weather in New Jersey, January 23, 1998

A low pressure system, that moved into the Ohio Valley the morning of the 23rd, brought a wintry mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain to West Central and Northwest New Jersey and a more substantial winter storm to Sussex County. Prior to precipitation starting, a high pressure system built into northern New England on the 22nd and 23rd. This brought enough cold air to the area for precipitation to start as snow shortly after midnight on the 23rd. Due to the low's location, winds were from the east near the ground and this brought in warmer air from the Atlantic Ocean. In West Central New Jersey precipitation changed over quickly to freezing rain and sleet as accumulations were two inches or less. All precipitation was falling as plain rain by the mid-morning hours. Snow persisted longer farther north and accumulations were heavier. The change to sleet, freezing rain and rain took until the daylight hours in Northwest New Jersey (except Sussex County) and precipitation did not fall as plain rain in all areas until noon. In Sussex County, snow was falling in the northwest corner of the county well into the afternoon of the 23rd and the last vestige of freezing rain was not scoured completely until around 8 p.m. EST that evening. A prolonged period of freezing rain occurred elsewhere in the county during the day. Untreated roadways, especially in Sussex County were treacherous.Snowfall accumulations prior to the changeover included 5 inches in High Point (Sussex County), 4 inches in Wantage (Sussex County), 3.7 inches in Montague (Sussex County), 2 inches at the Delaware Water Gap (Warren County) and Hightstown (Mercer County) and 1.5 inches in Rockaway Township (Morris County) and White House Station (Hunterdon County).A series of weak secondary low pressure systems developed along the primary low's cold front and this prolonged the precipitation as rain through the evening of the 23rd.