Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in New Jersey, February 24 to 25, 2005

Name: Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in New Jersey, February 24 to 25, 2005
Start: 2005-02-24T04:00
End: 2005-02-25T05:00
Location: New Jersey

February 24 to 25, 2005 · NWS PHI · 21 events in 21 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 21 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: 21

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.

Heavy snow fell across most of New Jersey on the 24th into the 25th. The snow spread from south to north and began during the morning in the southern half of New Jersey and during the afternoon in the northern half of New Jersey. The snow changed to light rain along the immediate coast of Cape May and Atlantic Counties during the evening of the 24th. Otherwise, it fell at a fairly steady clip until it ended during the early morning on the 25th. Accumulations averaged between 3 and 7 inches in most areas. The lightest accumulations were in Warren and Sussex Counties and along the immediate southern New Jersey coast.While there have been heavier snows, the timing could not have been worse. The snow arrived too late to cancel schools and accumulated enough by the evening rush hour to cause traveling headaches. Some schools in far southern New Jersey never opened on the 24th, but most others dismissed early on the 24th. Even some businesses sent their employees home early. After school activities were cancelled. On the morning of the 25th many schools had delayed openings, but all Cumberland County schools were closed as were several schools in Atlantic and Cape May Counties. There were hundreds of weather related accidents, many were minor. Vehicles also slid off roadways. Many municipalities reported double digit accidents and included Dover Township (Ocean County), Bernards Township (Somerset County) and East Brunswick Township (Middlesex County). A multi-vehicle accident on Interstate 295 near Burlington Township (Burlington County) blocked the southbound lanes for hours and caused a five mile traffic snarl. In Mays Landing (Atlantic County), a car slid into a pole and knocked it down. It caused power outages to 1,250 homes and businesses including the Hamilton Mall. In Monmouth County, a 10 vehicle accident on the Garden State Parkway snarled travel during the evening commute. In Loch Arbour (Monmouth County), the driver of a van lost control of his vehicle and it flew into Deal Lake. A nearby resident jumped into the lake and helped rescue the driver. Specific accumulations included 7.5 inches in Brick Township (Ocean County), 7.3 inches at the Atlantic City International Airport and South Seaville (Cape May County), 7.0 inches at the Cape May Court House (Cape May County), Clarksburg (Monmouth County) and Lawrenceville (Mercer County), 6.6 inches in West Windsor (Mercer County), 6.4 inches in Marcella (Morris County), 6.2 inches in Metuchen (Middlesex County), 6.1 inches in South River (Middlesex County), 6.0 inches in Edgewater Park (Burlington County), Skillman (Somerset County), Toms River (Ocean County) and Newport (Cumberland County), 5.9 inches in Hillsborough (Somerset County), 5.8 inches in Mount Laurel (Burlington County), Whitehouse Station (Hunterdon County) and Shamong (Burlington County), 5.7 inches in East Amwell Township (Hunterdon County), 5.6 inches in Somerdale (Camden County), 5.5 inches in Hammonton (Atlantic County) and Glassboro (Gloucester County), 5.0 inches in Absecon (Atlantic County), 4.5 inches in Millville (Cumberland County), 4.0 inches in Cape May (Cape May County), Barry Lakes (Sussex County), Blairstown (Warren County) and Hackettstown (Warren County), 3.0 inches in Wantage (Sussex County) and Hope (Warren County) and 2.0 inches in Ocean City (Cape May County)A southern stream low pressure system formed along the Gulf Coast States on the 23rd and moved northeast. It reached the Alabama/Georgia border shortly after Midnight EST on the 24th, eastern Georgia at 7 am EST on the 24th, just east of Morehead City, North Carolina at 1 p.m. EST on the 24th, about 100 miles east of Elizabeth City, North Carolina at 7 p.m. EST on the 24th and well east of the Delmarva Peninsula by the morning of the 25th. The upper air system that supported the surface low passed across the Middle Atlantic States overnight on the 24th and prolonged the snow slightly longer than would be the case given the storm track. The storm track was too far to the southeast to bring heavy snow into northwestern New Jersey.

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 Feb 24, 3:30 AM EST, 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 24, 3:30 AM EST, 30 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 23, 4:30 PM EST, 11 hours 30 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
430 PM EST WED FEB 23 2005

DEZ001>004-MDZ008-012-015-019-020-NJZ001-007>010-012>027-PAZ054-055-
060>062-067>071-241100-
ATLANTIC NJ-ATLANTIC COASTAL CAPE MAY NJ-BERKS PA-BUCKS PA-CAMDEN NJ-
CAPE MAY NJ-CARBON PA-CAROLINE MD-CECIL MD-CHESTER PA-
COASTAL ATLANTIC NJ-COASTAL OCEAN NJ-CUMBERLAND NJ-DELAWARE PA-
DELAWARE BEACHES DE-EASTERN MONMOUTH NJ-GLOUCESTER NJ-HUNTERDON NJ-
INLAND SUSSEX DE-KENT MD-KENT DE-LEHIGH PA-MERCER NJ-MIDDLESEX NJ-
MONROE PA-MONTGOMERY PA-MORRIS NJ-NEW CASTLE DE-NORTHAMPTON PA-
NORTHWESTERN BURLINGTON NJ-OCEAN NJ-PHILADELPHIA PA-QUEEN ANNES MD-
SALEM NJ-SOMERSET NJ-SOUTHEASTERN BURLINGTON NJ-SUSSEX NJ-TALBOT MD-
WARREN NJ-WESTERN MONMOUTH NJ-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ALLENTOWN...ATLANTIC CITY...BETHLEHEM...
CAMDEN...DOVER...NEW BRUNSWICK...NEWARK...PERTH AMBOY...
PHILADELPHIA...READING...TRENTON...VINELAND AND WILMINGTON
430 PM EST WED FEB 23 2005

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST
PENNSYLVANIA, DELAWARE, THE NORTHERN MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE AND NEW
JERSEY, EXCLUDING THE FIVE NORTHEAST COUNTIES.

.DAY ONE...

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA,
CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY, THE MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE, AND ALL
OF DELAWARE FOR THURSDAY INTO THURSDAY NIGHT. A SNOW ADVISORY IS IN
EFFECT FOR THE REST OF EAST-CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA AND NORTHERN NEW
JERSEY. SNOW IS EXPECTED THROUGHOUT THE REGION THURSDAY INTO THURSDAY
NIGHT WITH THE HEAVIEST ACCUMULATIONS IN THE WARNING AREA.
PLEASE REFER TO THE WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE WWUS41 FOR FURTHER
DETAILS.

NO OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME IN THE OUTLOOK
PERIOD.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER SNOWFALL INFORMATION WILL BE NEEDED THURSDAY INTO THURSDAY
NIGHT.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

19 heavy snow, 2 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Eastern Cape May

When: February 24, 4:00 AM EST to February 25, 5:00 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, Western Cape May

When: February 24, 4:00 AM EST to February 25, 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, Cumberland

When: February 24, 7:00 AM EST to February 25, 5:00 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: February 24, 7:00 AM EST to February 25, 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)

Heavy Snow, Western Atlantic

When: February 24, 7:00 AM EST to February 25, 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)

Heavy Snow, Southeastern Burlington

When: February 24, 8:00 AM EST to February 25, 4:00 AM EST
Where: Southeastern Burlington forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 39.878, -74.668 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Salem

When: February 24, 10:00 AM EST to February 25, 5:00 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, Gloucester

When: February 24, 10:30 AM EST to February 25, 5:00 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, Camden

When: February 24, 11:00 AM EST to February 25, 5:00 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, Eastern Ocean

When: February 24, 11:00 AM EST to February 25, 5:00 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, Northwestern Burlington

When: February 24, 11:00 AM EST to February 25, 5:00 AM EST
Where: Northwestern Burlington forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 39.878, -74.668 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Western Ocean

When: February 24, 11:00 AM EST to February 25, 5:00 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: February 24, 12:00 PM EST to February 25, 5:00 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, Mercer

When: February 24, 12:00 PM EST to February 25, 5:00 AM 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, Western Monmouth

When: February 24, 12:00 PM EST to February 25, 5:00 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)

Heavy Snow, Hunterdon

When: February 24, 1:00 PM EST to February 25, 5:00 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, Middlesex

When: February 24, 1:00 PM EST to February 25, 5:00 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, Somerset

When: February 24, 1:00 PM EST to February 25, 5:00 AM EST
Where: Somerset forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 40.564, -74.616 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Morris

When: February 24, 2:00 PM EST to February 25, 5:00 AM EST
Where: Morris forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 40.862, -74.544 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Sussex

When: February 24, 3:00 PM EST to February 25, 4:00 AM EST
Where: Sussex forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 41.140, -74.690 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Warren

When: February 24, 3:00 PM EST to February 25, 4:00 AM EST
Where: Warren forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 40.857, -74.997 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

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

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in New Jersey in 2005 Every state in 2005 This day in weather history Warnings in New Jersey, February 2005

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: 5437434, 5437447, 5437432, 5437433, 5437446, 5437445, 5437443, 5437437, 5437431, 5437436, 5437442, 5437449, 5437435, 5437439, 5437448, 5437438, 5437440, 5437444, 5437441, 5436995, 5437075.