WEATHER ALERT: Get Ready For Snow And Wind, Freehold

The cloud cover has made for a very gray day ahead of the storm that’s headed our way Wedneday night.

The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather warning for Freehold and the surrounding area beginning at 11 p.m. Wednesday through 7 p.m. Thursday, warning of hazardous conditions and calling for up to 10 inches of new snow.

Freehold residents are reminded to move vehicles off the street to make it easier on plow operators to clear them side to side. But given the predictions of when and how the storm will hit, there’s a good chance most of the plowing will be happening during daylight hours -- which means residents will have to be patient.

The service’s Mount Holly office is calling for light rain, changing over to sleet and then snow after midnight as temperatures fall from the high of 48 degrees reached this afteroon. There could be an inch or two of snow on the ground by daybreak on Thursday, with heavier snow starting to fall during the morning commute, making driving conditions challenging.

The snow will continue throughout Thursday, finally tapering off during the evening commute. But as the snow tapers off, the wind will pick up, pushing wind chills below zero by daybreak on Friday.

Here’s an hour-by-hour breakdown through Thursday night:

Wednesday

• 6-9 p.m.: 38 degrees, rain heavier.
• 9 p.m.-midnight: 34 degrees; rain changes to sleet.

Thursday

• Midnight-3 a.m.: 33 degrees; sleet, becoming snow about 1 a.m.
• 3-6 a.m.: 27 degrees, snow, with an inch possible by daybreak
• 6-9 a.m.: 24 degrees, snow increases
• 9 a.m.-noon: 22 degrees, heaviest snowfall, with 5 inches total by noon
• noon-3 p.m.: 21 degrees, snow continues heavy.
• 3-6 p.m.: 21 degrees, about 4 inches more possible, for at least 10 total. Wind picks up, to 14 mph, for wind chill of 8 degrees.
• 6-9 p.m.: 19 degrees, snow tapers off; wind 16 mph, wind chill of 6.
• 9 p.m.-midnight: 14 degrees, wind at 17 mph, wind chill of -1.