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 Fort Dix Doppler Radar Imagery Storm Photos

Contoured Snowfall Totals from December 5-6, 2003

STORM DESCRIPTION The first winter storm of the 2003-2004 season was a strengthening nor'easter that dumped heavy snow across New Jersey on December 5th and 6th.  In much of the state, this was also the heaviest snowstorm of the winter. Synoptic Discussion The primary surface low pressure was over the Gulf Coast on the morning of the 4th and moved northeast to Cape Hatteras by the morning of the 5th.  It moved to just east of the Virginia Capes by the evening of the 5th, just east of Atlantic City on the morning of the 6th, and near Nantucket by the evening of the 6th.  The heavy precipitation with the storm arrived in two parts.  The first was with the primary surface low and occured during the day on the 5th.  The second occured on the 6th as the upper-air component of the storm passed over the state. Local Discussion Snow spread from south to north across the state during the morning of the 5th, finally reaching Sussex County by early afternoon.  The snow fell heavily at times, and was even accompanied by thunder and lightning in Trenton early in the afternoon.  Warmer air moved northward early in the day, allowing the snow to change to rain across Gloucester, Salem, Atlantic, Cumberland, Ocean and Cape May counties.  The snow also mixed with sleet further north in Camden, Burlington, and Monmouth counties, but warm air was unable to advance any further north.  Precipitation tapered off during the late afternoon and evening hours as the primary low pressure began moving past the state.  Two opposite occurances during the night of the 5th allowed light freezing precipitation to occur across southern parts of the state.  First, warmer, drier air moved northward aloft, allowing what precipitation that did occur to melt before reaching the ground.  Second, colder air moved southward at the surface as northerly winds developed behind the surface low pressure, allowing temperatures to fall below freezing across the entire state.  The end result was widespread light freezing rain, freezing drizzle, sleet and snow during the night of the 5th from central New Jersey southward, while further north, precipitation remained in the form of snow.  As the upper-level low pressure system approached the state on the morning of the 6th, temperatures aloft cooled back below freezing and widespread heavy snow developed.  White-out conditions were widespread during the morning and afternoon of the 6th as heavy snow combined with strong and gusty northerly winds behind the strengthening surface low pressure.  Snow finally began to taper off later in the afternoon on the 6th, and most areas of the state saw the snow end during the evening.  Snow accumulations varried widely across the state due to the precipitation-type differences experienced over relatively short distances.  Snow totals ranged from 8 to 22 inches in Bergen County, 10 to 15 inches in Passaic, Essex, Hudson, Union and Middlesex counties, 7 to 14 inches in Sussex, Morris, Warren, Hunterdon, Somerset and Mercer counties, 5 to 15 inches in Monmouth County, 2 to 13 inches in Ocean County, 3 to 10 inches in Burlington County, 4 to 7 inches in Camden and Gloucester counties, 1 to 7 inches in Atlantic County, 2 to 5 inches in Salem and Cumberland counties, and a trace to 2 inches in Cape May County.  Ice accrual was light, with up to two-tenths of an inch reported in a few locations.

New Jersey Snowfall Totals

Individual Snowfall Totals from December 5-6, 2003

Regional Snowfall Totals

Snowfall Totals from 1200Z 08December 2003 (7AM EST 08 December 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 Fort Dix Doppler Radar Imagery Storm Photos

Snow and ice storm, December 5-6, 2003 Snow storm, December 14-15, 2003 Snow storm, January 14-15, 2004 Snow and ice storm, January 17-18, 2004 Snow storm, January 26, 2004 Snow and ice storm, January 27-28, 2004 Snow and ice storm, March 16-17, 2004 Snow storm, March 18-19, 2004 Back to Ray's Winter Storm Archive

Copyright © 2006 by Raymond C Martin Jr. All rights reserved