Heavy Snow, Somerset
- When
- January 20, 5:00 AM EST to 9:00 PM EST
- Where
- Somerset forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 40.564, -74.616 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow in New Jersey, January 20 to 21, 2000
A pair of low pressure systems, one that moved from the Northern Plains into western Pennsylvania before dissipating and a second one that developed near Wilmington, North Carolina the morning of the 20th produced a steady, heavy snow across the southeast part of New Jersey. This was the first widespread accumulating snow of the winter season.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 20 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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 20
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 pair of low pressure systems, one that moved from the Northern Plains into western Pennsylvania before dissipating and a second one that developed near Wilmington, North Carolina the morning of the 20th produced a steady, heavy snow across the southeast part of New Jersey. This was the first widespread accumulating snow of the winter season. The low intensified, but moved offshore to the eastnortheast relatively quickly. This prevented substantial accumulations from occurring and also stopped heavy snow from spreading farther northwest into the state. Accumulations were 3 to 6 inches to the southeast of the New Jersey Turnpike and generally 1 to 3 inches across the rest of the state. Snow spread across the state between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m. EST on the 20th and fell at a steady rate throughout the day. The snow ended from the northwest part to the southeast part of the state during the evening, but took until a little after midnight to clear the southeast coast. The first snow of the season caused numerous accidents, over 100 accidents alone were reported in Middlesex County. Within Middlesex County, in Edison, a bus driver suffered serious injuries in a three vehicle crash that caused major traffic backups. In Ocean County, the southbound Garden State Parkway was closed from 7 a.m. through 330 p.m. EST after a tanker truck overturned and spilled fuel onto the roadway. Accumulations included (going from southeast to northwest in the state): in Cape May County, 5 inches in Ocean City, 4.8 inches in Cape May City and Wildwood; in Atlantic County, 6 inches in Margate and 5 inches in Egg Harbor Township and Estell Manor; in Cumberland County, 5 inches in Millville and Bridgeton; in Salem County, 5.5 inches in Salem; in Gloucester County 3.5 inches in Swedesboro and 3.3 inches in Verga; in Camden County 4 inches in Cherry Hill and 3.9 inches in Somerdale; in Burlington County 5 inches in Tabernacle and the McGurie AFB, 4.7 inches in Mount Laurel and 3.6 inches in Maple Shade; in Ocean County 5.8 inches in Manahawkin and 3.5 inches in Toms River; in Mercer County 3.5 inches in Hightstown and 2.8 inches in Princeton; in Monmouth County 4 inches in Howell and 3 inches in Manasquan and Marlboro; in Middlesex County 3 inches in Woodbridge and Milltown; in Somerset County 2.7 inches in Somerville and 2.6 inches in Basking Ridge; in Hunterdon County 3.1 inches in Flemington and 2.7 inches in Califon; in Morris County 3.5 inches in Rockaway and 3 inches in Whippany and Long Valley; in Warren County 2.2 inches in Phillipsburg and 2 inches in Belvidere and in Sussex County 3 inches in Stockholm, 2.2 inches in Wantage and 2 inches in Sussex.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
20 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy Snow, Sussex
- When
- January 20, 5:00 AM EST to 9:00 PM EST
- Where
- Sussex forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 41.140, -74.690 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Warren
- When
- January 20, 5:00 AM EST to 9:00 PM EST
- Where
- Warren forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 40.857, -74.997 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Western Monmouth
- When
- January 20, 5:00 AM EST to 9:00 PM EST
- Where
- Western Monmouth forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 40.288, -74.158 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Burlington
- When
- January 20, 5:00 AM EST to January 21, 1:00 AM EST
- Where
- Burlington forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 39.878, -74.668 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Camden
- When
- January 20, 5:00 AM EST to January 21, 1:00 AM EST
- Where
- Camden forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 39.804, -74.960 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Cumberland
- When
- January 20, 5:00 AM EST to January 21, 1:00 AM EST
- Where
- Cumberland forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 39.328, -75.129 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Eastern Atlantic
- When
- January 20, 5:00 AM EST to January 21, 1:00 AM EST
- Where
- Eastern Atlantic forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 39.469, -74.634 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Eastern Cape May
- When
- January 20, 5:00 AM EST to January 21, 1:00 AM EST
- Where
- Eastern Cape May forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 39.085, -74.850 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Eastern Ocean
- When
- January 20, 5:00 AM EST to January 21, 1:00 AM EST
- Where
- Eastern Ocean forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 39.866, -74.250 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Gloucester
- When
- January 20, 5:00 AM EST to January 21, 1:00 AM EST
- Where
- Gloucester forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 39.717, -75.142 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Salem
- When
- January 20, 5:00 AM EST to January 21, 1:00 AM EST
- Where
- Salem forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 39.577, -75.358 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Western Atlantic
- When
- January 20, 5:00 AM EST to January 21, 1:00 AM EST
- Where
- Western Atlantic forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 39.469, -74.634 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Western Cape May
- When
- January 20, 5:00 AM EST to January 21, 1:00 AM EST
- Where
- Western Cape May forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 39.085, -74.850 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Western Ocean
- When
- January 20, 5:00 AM EST to January 21, 1:00 AM EST
- Where
- Western Ocean forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 39.866, -74.250 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Eastern Monmouth
- When
- January 20, 5:00 AM EST to 9:00 PM EST
- Where
- Eastern Monmouth forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 40.288, -74.158 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Hunterdon
- When
- January 20, 5:00 AM EST to 9:00 PM EST
- Where
- Hunterdon forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 40.567, -74.912 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Mercer
- When
- January 20, 5:00 AM EST to 9:00 PM EST
- Where
- Mercer forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 40.283, -74.702 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Middlesex
- When
- January 20, 5:00 AM EST to 9:00 PM EST
- Where
- Middlesex forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 40.440, -74.409 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Morris
- When
- January 20, 5:00 AM EST to 9:00 PM EST
- Where
- Morris forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 40.862, -74.544 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- 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
- Heavy Snow in Delaware, January 20, 2000
- Cold in South Carolina, January 20, 2000
- Heavy Snow in New York, January 20, 2000
- Heavy Snow in Pennsylvania, January 20, 2000
- Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Virginia, January 20, 2000
- Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Maryland, January 20, 2000
- Winter Storm in North Carolina, January 20, 2000
- Heavy Snow in New York, January 20 to 21, 2000
- Heavy Snow in North Carolina, January 20, 2000
- Heavy Snow in Pennsylvania, January 20, 2000
- Heavy Snow in Ohio, January 20, 2000
- Winter Storm and Winter Weather in West Virginia, January 20, 2000
More
Every storm in New Jersey in 2000Every state in 2000This day in weather historyWarnings in New Jersey, January 2000
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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5128726, 5128727, 5128728, 5128729, 5128730, 5128731, 5128732, 5128733, 5128833, 5128834, 5128835, 5128836, 5128837, 5128838, 5128839, 5130322, 5130323, 5130324, 5130325, 5130326.