February N.J. Winter Forecast Released, And It May Surprise You

February will finally feel like winter, forecasters predict. But winter won't necessarily arrive in the form you'd expect.

Snow is expected to hit New Jersey in the coming weeks, but rain and severe thunderstorms are in the forecast, too, as temperatures are expected to vary widely. And a big storm that could arrive in the form of another nor'easter could be coming next week.

The reason? The weather is supposed to be warmer than usual, according to AccuWeather, as a jet stream traps cold air in Canada.

Here are some of the events, according to AccuWeather and the National Weather Service, that you should look out for in the coming weeks:

• Two major storms could impact the New Jersey and Pennsylvania area with areas of snow, rain and perhaps severe thunderstorms next week.
• One storm will swing through the central states on Tuesday, Feb. 7, and then could hit the New Jersey and Pennsylvania area on Wednesday, Feb. 8.
• The second major storm is scheduled to affect the South Central states on Thursday, Feb. 9, then finish up along the Atlantic coast on or around Friday, Feb. 10.
• Large swings in temperature are likely as the storms move along. Temperatures could fluctuate by 20 degrees or more from one day to the next in some cases.
• The storms will follow a swath of snow and wintry mix that streaks eastward from the Midwest to the mid-Atlantic states this weekend.

The storms are likely to bring major disruptions to travel and daily activities. The storms will bring the risk of flooding rain and damaging winds to some locations and enough snow to shovel and plow to others. And it could impact your Super Bowl plans.

"Since the storm this weekend will remove much of the cold air from the eastern half of the nation, the first big storm that rolls through next week will be a warm storm for many areas," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Henry Margusity said in a release.

The National Weather Service said that snow should impact the entire state, particularly early Monday morning, and could lead to school delays or closures.

The major storm on Feb. 7-8 is likely to track northeastward and toward the Great Lakes, according to AccuWeather. In New Jersey and Pennsylvania, conditions will be favorable for rain and thunderstorms.

"The storm early next week is likely to bring heavy thunderstorms and the possibility of severe weather to the Southern states," Margusity said.

The National Weather Service is predicting that the system could actually first hit the area on Tuesday morning, and it could lead to school closures and delays.

The second major storm slated for late next week will be less certain than the first, and it could form on the heels of the first as colder air begins to push eastward from the Midwest to the Atlantic coast, according to AccuWeather.

"How quickly the cold air pushes in will determine whether rain changes to snow from the Tennessee and Ohio valleys to the Appalachians and the St. Lawrence Valley," AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok said in the release.

How strong the late-week storm becomes will determine whether flurries or heavy, accumulating snow occurs. The strength of the storm will also determine if severe thunderstorms develop along the southern Atlantic seaboard, according to AccuWeather.

Here is AccuWeather's outlook for the next 25 days:

Patch file photo