Storm description, surface observations, snowfall totals, and images courtesy of the National Climatic Data Center, the National Centers of Environmental Prediction, the Climate Prediction Center, the Hydrometeorological Prediction Center, the Mount Holly National Weather Service Office, the Upton National Weather Service Office, Rutgers University, Plymouth State University, the University of Illinois, the American Meteorological Society, Weather Graphics Technologies, AccuWeather, and the Weather Channel.

Table of Contents Storm Summary Regional Surface Observations National Weather Service Forecasts Surface Maps Satellite Imagery National Surface Weather Maps - Pressure and Fronts Only Continental Surface Weather Maps - Pressure and Fronts Only Sea Level Pressure and 1000 to 500 Millibar Thickness Maps 850 Millibar Maps 700 Millibar Maps 500 Millibar Maps 300 Millibar Maps 200 Millibar Maps National Radar Imagery Regional Radar Imagery Local Radar Imagery Fort Dix Doppler Radar Imagery Storm Photos

Contoured Snowfall Totals from January 5, 2003

STORM DESCRIPTION A potent Alberta Clipper produced heavy snow across extreme southwestern New Jersey and an accumulating snow of 2 to 4 inches across the rest of the southern half of New Jersey.  Accumulations farther north were less than 2 inches.  The largest accumulations were in Salem and Gloucester counties. Synoptic Discussion The low pressure system in Saskatchewan Province on the 3rd, moved southeast to Minnesota on the morning of the 4th, southern Indiana on the morning of the 5th, and was well east of the Delmarva Peninsula on the morning of the 6th.  Historically, Alberta type low pressure systems usually do not produce heavy snow.  But the air at mid-levels of the atmosphere was quite cold and this enhanced the instability with this low pressure system.  While no thunderstorms occured, the instability did produce heavier precipitation. Local Discussion Snow began falling during the early afternoon and was heaviest during the late afternoon.  It ended during the evening.  Accumulations were 3 to 5 inches in Salem County, 2 to 4 inches in Gloucester and Camden counties, 2 to 3 inches in Burlington, Atlantic, Ocean and Cumberland counties, 1 to 2 inches in Mercer, Monmouth, and Cape May counties, and around 1 inch in Hunterdon, Somerset, Middlesex, Union, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Bergen, Warren, and Sussex counties.

New Jersey Snowfall Totals

Individual Snowfall Totals from January 5, 2003

Table of Contents Storm Summary Regional Surface Observations National Weather Service Forecasts Surface Maps Satellite Imagery National Surface Weather Maps - Pressure and Fronts Only Continental Surface Weather Maps - Pressure and Fronts Only Sea Level Pressure and 1000 to 500 Millibar Thickness Maps 850 Millibar Maps 700 Millibar Maps 500 Millibar Maps 300 Millibar Maps 200 Millibar Maps National Radar Imagery Regional Radar Imagery Local Radar Imagery Fort Dix Doppler Radar Imagery Storm Photos

Snow storm, December 5, 2002 Snow and ice storm, December 24-26, 2002 Snow storm, January 5, 2003 Snow storm, January 16-17, 2003 Snow storm, January 29, 2003 Snow storm, February 6-7, 2003 Snow storm, February 16-17, 2003 Snow storm, February 27-28, 2003 Snow and ice storm, March 6, 2003 Snow and ice storm, April 7, 2003 Back to Ray's Winter Storm Archive

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