Winter Storm in New Jersey, March 21 to 22, 1998

A coastal low pressure system and its driving upper air system produced a winter storm across Morris County. Precipitation started as rain before dawn on the 21st, but as cold air was drawn into the region from New York State and Canada, precipitation slowly changed over from rain to sleet early in the morning in the northwest hills of the county and took most of the day for the change over to occur in the far southeastern parts of the county. The change to snow followed a similar slow path. Periods of snow persisted through the night of the 21st and were enhanced toward daybreak on the 22nd in the eastern parts of the county as the upper level low guiding the surface low pressure system (nearing Cape Cod the morning of the 22nd) moved through the region. Accumulations averaged around 6 inches and included 7 inches in Butler, 6 inches in Jefferson Township, 5 inches in Marcella and 4 inches in Chatham. The low pressure system that caused the winter storm moved northeast from North Carolina early in the morning on the 21st, to just east of Delaware the evening of the 21st to Cape Cod the morning of the 22nd. The upper level low steering the surface system moved through New Jersey during the early morning on the 22nd.