Chance Of Snow This Week In New Jersey

A weather pattern shift is expected this week in New Jersey, bringing below-normal temperatures and the possibility of snow, according to forecasters. As of right now, there is a chance of some snow Friday night into Saturday, the National Weather Service says.

It is still too early to know if the snow will in fact materialize, and if it does, how much will fall. Keep your eyes on the forecast if you have weekend travel plans.

AccuWeather meteorologists say they are monitoring the possibility of a storm that could graze the Northeast coast with snow or rain. "The Northeast may be the next stop for this snow next weekend, especially if the storm gains strength," according to an AccuWeather news release.

The below-normal temperatures are a result of a "major" pattern change, the National Weather Service says.

"Whether any snow events in the middle of December come from additional clipper storms sweeping from the Midwest to the Northeast or major storms tracking northeastward from the South Central states will depend on the jet stream pattern," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.

But before we get to Friday, there will be some rain falling on both Tuesday and Wednesday and temperatures will drop steadily headed toward the end of the week.

Here is the latest forecast via the National Weather Service:

Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 51. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 42. Southeast wind 3 to 7 mph.

Tuesday: Showers likely, mainly after noon. Cloudy, with a high near 59. South wind 9 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Tuesday Night: Showers. Low around 44. South wind 10 to 13 mph becoming west after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Wednesday: A chance of showers before noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 49. West wind 11 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 30.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 43.

Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 28.

Friday: A chance of rain after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 40. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Friday Night: A chance of rain before 9pm, then a chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 28. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Saturday: A chance of rain and snow. Partly sunny, with a high near 41. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Saturday Night: A chance of rain and snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 27. Chance of precipitation is 30%.