In Like A Lion: Snow, Thunder, Freezing Rain In This Week's N.J. Forecast

If the forecast pans out as predicted, March will live up to at least one half of the common saying used to describe its weather.

With thunder and snow predicted for the first week of the month, it will certainly come in like a lion if forecasters are right.

Forecasters with the National Weather Service say the rocky week of weather will start with rain and a chance of thunderstorms Tuesday. The rain will continue into Wednesday, followed by sunshine during the day Thursday.

Then, more winter weather could hit the region as cooler temperatures move in, the NWS said.

There is a 50 percent chance of snow on Thursday evening, the NWS predicts. That chance of snow continues into Friday, when forecasters say there’s a 30 percent chance of snow.

“Perhaps winter’s last hurrah?,” NWS meteorologist Gary Szatkowski tweeted, along with a map that predicts less than an inch of accumulation for later this week.

According to NBC10 the system “could drop some measurable snow on parts of the region.”

Bill Henley, the network’s meteorologist, said the light snow could develop late Thursday into Friday, with the possibility of an impact on the Friday morning commute and school start times. NBC10 has not offered accumulation estimates yet.

The winter weather could continue Saturday, with the NWS calling for a chance of freezing rain overnight.

Here’s the forecast, according to the NWS:

Tuesday night: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Low around 39. Southeast wind 10 to 15 mph becoming southwest after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Wednesday: Showers likely, mainly before 7am. Mostly sunny, with a temperature falling to around 39 by 5pm. Breezy, with a northwest wind 16 to 22 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Wednesday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 22. Northwest wind 8 to 11 mph.

Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 38. Northwest wind around 7 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon.

Thursday night: A chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 25. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Friday: A chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 38. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Friday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 24.

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 41.

Saturday night: A chance of freezing rain after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 28. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 45.