WEATHER UPDATE: Nor'easter To Strike New Jersey With Snow, Freezing Rain Friday

Yes, the last storm was supposed to be bad. This one will be worse, forecasters say.

A nor’easter that could bring nearly a half-a-foot of snow to New Jersey is slated to strike the region beginning late Friday, and last until Saturday morning.

The snow will fall at a rate of an inch-per-hour at times in most of New Jersey before mixing with sleet and a period of freezing rain prior to daybreak, according to the South Brunswick police.

Also, there may be a few hours of icy patches before the temperatures warm above freezing on Saturday. Thereafter, the rain will lighten up during Saturday afternoon and taper off towards evening as snow showers or a wintry mix.

Watch for a re-freeze on Saturday night.

SAT testing in Ramsey, Paramus, Jersey City and elsewhere were canceled because of the storm. Click here to find out if your district is still having the SAT: SAT Test Center closings here.

The National Weather Service has issued a “Winter Weather Advisory,” in effect from 9 p.m. Friday to 10 a.m. Saturday, for snow and freezing rain covering nearly all of New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania.

The National Weather Service also issued a “Hazardous Weather Outlook,” saying a ”significant coastal storm” will to track up the East Coast Friday night and through Saturday. The snow will probably mix in, or change to rain Saturday morning. Slick travel will develop late Friday night and into Saturday.

The worst of Winter Storm Iola will hit the heart of the Interstate 95 corridor from the northeast corner of Maryland through Philadelphia to Trenton and New Brunswick, according to the National Weather Service.

The National Weather Service said snow accumulations will be 2 to possibly 4 inches, along with around a 10th-of-an-inch of ice. Winds will move northeast at 5 to 10 mph. Temperatures will drop to drop to around 30.

A Weather Channel forecast, meanwhile, shows North Jersey getting the brunt of the storm with 5 to 8 inches of snow, the middle of the state getting 3 to 5 inches and South Jersey getting 1 to 3 Friday night into Saturday morning.

RELATED STORIES:

• Getting Around The Nor’easter Hitting New Jersey On Friday
• WEATHER ALERT: Winter Storm Iola To Slam New Jersey Saturday

“Unlike many storms this winter, this particular one has the potential to bring a foot of snow to some locations, where rain fails to mix in,” said AccuWeather.com Chief Meteorologist Elliot Abrams.

How much snowfall versus how much rainfall the state will get depends “on the exact track of what will become a significant coastal storm,” AccuWeather reports. Iola will likely dump “enough snow ... to shovel and plow in this area.”

Although it is possible New Jersey gets all rain instead of snow, forecasters say ”roads will be slippery during much of the storm ... [and] airline delays are likely with the potential for cancellations.”

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