Winter Storm and Heavy Snow in New Jersey, January 19 to 20, 2002

Name: Winter Storm and Heavy Snow in New Jersey, January 19 to 20, 2002
Start: 2002-01-19T09:30
End: 2002-01-20T04:00
Location: New Jersey

January 19 to 20, 2002 · NWS PHI · 19 events in 19 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 19 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 19

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 weak low pressure system that moved through the Gulf Coast States and exited quickly off the North Carolina coast had sufficient moisture and came close enough to the state to give the northern half of the state snow and the southern half of the state a wintry mix of snow, sleet and rain for most of the 19th. Across the southwest part of the state, snow began falling during the morning of the 19th and fell at a steady clip through sunset. Around that time, it mixed with and even changed to sleet and freezing rain between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. EST before changing back to snow during the late evening and overnight. Across the southeast part of the state, snow also began falling during the morning of the 19th. It changed to sleet and rain during the second half of the afternoon. In some areas, the precipitation changed back to snow toward midnight EST before it tapered off and ended overnight. Across the northern half of the state, snow fell mainly between noon and midnight EST. Most accumulations were between 3 and 5 inches. Lighter amounts accumulated in the southeast part of the state.Bridges, overpasses and untreated roadways became very treacherous. Numerous accidents were reported, especially for a Saturday. In Cape May County, a 73-year-old woman passenger died when the vehicle she was in struck a concrete culvert. In Atlantic County, minor crashes were occurring every few minutes. In Gloucester County, over 20 accidents were reported as vehicles crashed into trees, poles, creeks and other vehicles. In Middlesex County, an SUV driver was seriously injured after it flipped over in North Brunswick. That was one of about 85 accidents reported across the county. Specific accumulations included 5.2 inches in Butler (Morris County), 5.0 inches in High Point (Sussex County) and Hillsborough (Somerset County), 4.8 inches in Whitehouse (Hunterdon County), 4.5 inches in Marlton (Burlington County) and Hamilton Square (Mercer County), 4.3 inches in Moorestown (Burlington County), 4.2 inches in Princeton (Mercer County), Marcella (Morris County), 4.0 inches in Howell and Neptune (Monmouth County), Milltown (Middlesex County), Flemington (Hunterdon County) and Swedesboro (Gloucester County), 3.9 inches in Chatham (Morris County), 3.7 inches in New Brunswick (Middlesex County), 3.6 inches in Belvidere (Warren County), 3.5 inches in Quinton (Salem County) and Beachwood (Ocean County), Lindenwold (Camden County), 3.3 inches in Estell Manor (Atlantic County), 3.2 inches in Bridgewater (Somerset County), 3.1 inches in Newton (Sussex County), 3.0 inches in Somerdale (Camden County), 2.0 inches in Toms River (Ocean County) and Millville (Cumberland County), 1.9 inches in Cape May (Cape May County), 1.3 inches in Absecon (Atlantic County), The low pressure system responsible for the wintry mix developed in the Gulf Coast States during the evening of the 18th. By the morning of the 19th, it was located in northern Mississippi. At 11 a.m. EST the primary low moved into Tennessee as a secondary formed near Wilmington, North Carolina. At 5 p.m. EST it moved to just east of Elizabeth City, North Carolina and then accelerated to a position south of Cape Cod at midnight EST on the 20th.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 19, 4:45 AM EST, 4 hours 45 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 19, 4:45 AM EST, 4 hours 45 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
445 AM EST SAT JAN 19 2002

CURRENT FORECAST CONTINUES WITH ONLY MINOR CHANGES.

00Z ETA/AVN/NOGAPS/CANADIAN CONTINUE TO SUPPORT SURFACE LOW
DEVELOPMENT AND STRONG WAA PATTERN OVER THE MID-ATLANTIC.  MODEL
TRENDS OVER THE PAST 24 HOURS HAVE SUPPRESSED THE SURFACE LOW TRACK
AND PRECIPITATION EVER SO SLIGHTLY SOUTHWARD. HOWEVER...EXAMINATION
OF CURRENT SURFACE OBSERVATIONS OF SNOWFALL BREAKING OUT TO THE WEST
SHOWS HEAVIER SNOW EXTENDING A LITTLE FURTHER NORTH THAN FORECAST BY
EITHER ETA/AVN.  06Z MESOETA SHOWS 2NDRY PRECIPITATION MAXIMA OVER
CENTRAL NJ/SOUTHEAST PA DURING THE HEIGHT OF THE SNOW EVENT.  00Z
AVN SHOWED 200 KT JET MAXIMA FOR 00Z THIS EVENING OVER THE NORTHEAST
U.S....WITH OUR FORECAST AREA WELL POSITIONED BENEATH THE ENTRANCE
REGION TO THE JET.  EXPECT GREATER THAN 10:1 SNOW/LIQUID RATIO IN
THE NORTHWEST PORTION OF THE FORECAST AREA TO ACHIEVE EXPECTED SNOW
AMOUNTS.  GIVEN LATEST MESOETA...STILL EXPECT PERIODS OF HEAVY SNOW
THIS AFTERNOON WITH A SEVERAL HOUR PERIOD OF TWO INCH ACCUMULATIONS
PER HOUR.

AFTER PRECIPITATION EXITS THE AREA TONIGHT...QUIET WEATHER MOVES IN
FOR SUN.  WENT BELOW FWC/MAV TEMPERATURE GUIDANCE FOR BOTH SUNDAY
MAXIMA AND SUN NIGHT MINIMA GIVEN EXPECTED SNOW COVER.

NEXT SYSTEM TO AFFECT THE AREA ON MONDAY HAS BEEN PERSISTENT IN THE
MODELS AND ALTHOUGH IT STILL LOOKS LIKE IT WILL MAINLY BE OFF THE
COAST...IT IS CLOSE ENOUGH AND PERSISTENT ENOUGH TO INTRODUCE CHANCE
POPS FOR MON SOUTH AND EAST OF PHL.

NEXT SYSTEM FOR MID-WEEK LOOKS WETTER AND WARMER.

AS FOR TODAY...THINK SNOW.

FCSTID = 15
MPO   26  22  32  18 /  90 100   0  10
ABE   28  24  34  21 / 100 100   0  10
RDG   28  24  34  21 / 100 100   0  10
PHL   32  25  37  27 / 100 100   0  10
12N   28  22  33  21 / 100 100   0  10
SMQ   31  26  36  26 / 100 100   0  10
TTN   31  26  36  26 / 100 100   0  10
MIV   33  27  38  26 / 100 100   0  10
ACY   35  29  37  31 / 100 100   0  10
ILG   32  26  37  26 / 100 100   0  10
DOV   33  27  38  26 / 100 100   0  10
GED   35  28  38  27 / 100 100   0  10
ESN   33  27  38  26 / 100 100   0  10

.PHI...
DE...WINTER STORM WARNING FOR SATURDAY FOR ZONE DEZ001.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SATURDAY FOR ZONES DEZ002>004.

MD...WINTER STORM WARNING FOR SATURDAY FOR ZONES MDZ008...MDZ012...
MDZ015.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SATURDAY FOR ZONES MDZ019>020.

NJ...WINTER STORM WARNING FOR SATURDAY FOR ZONES NJZ001...
NJZ007>010...NJZ012>020...NJZ026.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SATURDAY FOR ZONES NJZ021>025.

PA...WINTER STORM WARNING FOR SATURDAY FOR ZONES PAZ054>055...
PAZ060>062...PAZ067>071.

.MARINE...HEADLINE FOR SCA MAY BE NEEDED FOR TONIGHT LOWER DE BAY
AND NJ/DE COAST

SZATKOWSKI

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

10 sleet, 8 heavy snow, 1 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Sleet, Cumberland

When: January 19, 9:30 AM EST to January 20, 4:00 AM EST
Where: Cumberland forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 39.328, -75.129 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Sleet, Salem

When: January 19, 9:30 AM EST to January 20, 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)

Sleet, Gloucester

When: January 19, 10:00 AM EST to January 20, 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)

Winter Storm, Burlington

When: January 19, 11:00 AM EST to January 20, 2:00 AM EST
Where: Burlington forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 39.878, -74.668 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Sleet, Camden

When: January 19, 11:00 AM EST to January 20, 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)

Sleet, Eastern Atlantic

When: January 19, 11:00 AM EST to January 20, 4:00 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)

Sleet, Eastern Cape May

When: January 19, 11:00 AM EST to January 20, 4:00 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)

Sleet, Western Atlantic

When: January 19, 11:00 AM EST to January 20, 4:00 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)

Sleet, Western Cape May

When: January 19, 11:00 AM EST to January 20, 4:00 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, Eastern Monmouth

When: January 19, 12:00 PM EST to January 20, 1:00 AM 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 19, 12:00 PM EST to January 20, 1:00 AM 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, Sussex

When: January 19, 12:00 PM EST to January 20, 1:00 AM 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 19, 12:00 PM EST to January 20, 1:00 AM 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 19, 12:00 PM EST to January 20, 1:00 AM EST
Where: Western Monmouth forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 40.288, -74.158 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Sleet, Eastern Ocean

When: January 19, 12:00 PM EST to January 20, 4:00 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)

Sleet, Western Ocean

When: January 19, 12:00 PM EST to January 20, 4:00 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, Middlesex

When: January 19, 1:00 PM EST to January 20, 1:00 AM 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 19, 1:00 PM EST to January 20, 1:00 AM EST
Where: Morris forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 40.862, -74.544 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Somerset

When: January 19, 1:00 PM EST to January 20, 1:00 AM EST
Where: Somerset forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 40.564, -74.616 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Sleet: Sleet accumulating half an inch or more.
Winter Storm: A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
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

Every storm in New Jersey in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in New Jersey, January 2002

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: 5277803, 5277894, 5277893, 5277793, 5277802, 5277804, 5277891, 5277895, 5277896, 5277794, 5277795, 5277799, 5277800, 5277801, 5277892, 5277897, 5277796, 5277797, 5277798.