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NJ Snowfall Maps - UPDATED for 2016-17

Isotherm

By Isotherm,
in New York City Metro

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  • 11 months later...
PB GFI

PB GFI

Posted
Posted

Here's the finished product for 2013-14's map. If there's an area you believe is inaccurate, bring it to my attention.

http://www.lightinth...com/nj-snowfall

You can scroll down to the bottom to see this year.

Sorry man I was plus 70 in colts neck. I know you were lower but there were freehold and marlboro guys here that were plus 70 as well.

I respectfully disagree with you on this one here

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Isotherm

Isotherm

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Good stuff. Man, what a brutal winter. 

 

 

Otherwise great work. Not fair to nit pick. Just bringing to you're attention

 

 

Thanks guys.

 

PB - glad you told me.

 

I extended the 65-70" zone slightly further east and added a 70-75" area across portions of Freehold. For our town, I think a sharp uptick is fair as one heads close to the border of Freehold township.

 

http://www.lightinthestorm.com/nj-snowfallhttp://www.lightinthestorm.com/nj-snowfall

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PB GFI

PB GFI

Posted
Posted

Thanks guys.

 

PB - glad you told me.

 

I extended the 65-70" zone slightly further east and added a 70-75" area across portions of Freehold. For our town, I think a sharp uptick is fair as one heads close to the border of Freehold township.

 

http://www.lightinthestorm.com/nj-snowfallhttp://www.lightinthestorm.com/nj-snowfall

Hey man. That looks great. Good work

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Isotherm

Isotherm

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Excellent Map Tom and GFI don't worry to much about the totals; +\- 5" in the epic winter we had is really just noise. Also like to thank everyone who took the measurements for your areas.

 

 

Good work on the sliver of slightly lower amounts in coastal Monmouth.  I had 51.5 inches in Neptune, while amounts were 15 to 20 inches higher over interior Monmouth as indicated.

 

 

Thanks guys! And yes it was a very interesting season gradient wise. Quite a few events, in the early part of December, and again February, featured that rapid drop-off in totals toward the Belmar area.

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  • 1 year later...
Guest Pamela

Guest Pamela

Posted
Posted

Considering the fact that its about 12,000 miles from the equator to the North Pole...the contrast in sensible weather between Cape May and the area around High Point...maybe 120 miles apart...is nothing short of amazing.  Sure there is an altitude difference and a proximity (and lack thereof) to a large body of water...but I think one of the biggest factors is simply the fact that the general winter storm track is so close to the region on a consistent basis from December through March that being on the wrong (i.e. south or east side) is the sine qua non in the climate contrast between north and south Jersey. 

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IsentropicLift

IsentropicLift

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Considering the fact that its about 12,000 miles from the equator to the North Pole...the contrast in sensible weather between Cape May and the area around High Point...maybe 120 miles apart...is nothing short of amazing.  Sure there is an altitude difference and a proximity (and lack thereof) to a large body of water...but I think one of the biggest factors is simply the fact that the general winter storm track is so close to the region on a consistent basis from December through March that being on the wrong (i.e. south or east side) is the sine qua non in the climate contrast between north and south Jersey. 

New Jersey like New York has one of the most diverse climates in the country, and that says a lot considering how small NJ is. We have the mountains in the Northwest which average almost as much snowfall as the major ski resorts in Upstate NY and the lowlands in the Southeast which might as well be part of Virginia. With all of that being said, the last few years have definitely favored the immediate coast which has benefited Central and Southern NJ with well above average snowfall.

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Isotherm

Isotherm

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Thanks guys!

 

 

Considering the fact that its about 12,000 miles from the equator to the North Pole...the contrast in sensible weather between Cape May and the area around High Point...maybe 120 miles apart...is nothing short of amazing.  Sure there is an altitude difference and a proximity (and lack thereof) to a large body of water...but I think one of the biggest factors is simply the fact that the general winter storm track is so close to the region on a consistent basis from December through March that being on the wrong (i.e. south or east side) is the sine qua non in the climate contrast between north and south Jersey. 

 

 

I was thinking that as well looking over the maps. I would consider parts of NW NJ, "snow town" territory. If you live in the higher terrain of Passaic and Sussex counties (1,000ft+) you're essentially guaranteed 35-40"+ every winter, with some years upwards of 100", and the median near 55" or so. Meanwhile, Cape May's average snowfall is similar to Reagan National, a sub-tropical climate.

 

I agree, as you noted, it is due in large part to the latitude transition from 39N near Cape May to 41N in NW NJ. That is tight-gradient zone given our location between the equator and the pole; the polar jet stream often running through the state. It makes for very interesting and challenging winter forecasting, as the rain-snow line tends to impact at least some part of the state.

 

I will also say that Rhode Island, Connecticut and Mass have similar tight gradients, with < 30" averages in the shore towns, and 70"+ in the NW. Rhode Island, for such a small state, transitions from about 25-30" in the islands to 70"+ in the hills, over a stretch of 50 miles or so. CT snowfall goes from near 30" to 100" in the mountains.

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tamarack

tamarack

Posted
Posted

Thanks guys!

 

 

 

 

I was thinking that as well looking over the maps. I would consider parts of NW NJ, "snow town" territory. If you live in the higher terrain of Passaic and Sussex counties (1,000ft+) you're essentially guaranteed 35-40"+ every winter, with some years upwards of 100", and the median near 55" or so. Meanwhile, Cape May's average snowfall is similar to Reagan National, a sub-tropical climate.

 

I agree, as you noted, it is due in large part to the latitude transition from 39N near Cape May to 41N in NW NJ. That is tight-gradient zone given our location between the equator and the pole; the polar jet stream often running through the state. It makes for very interesting and challenging winter forecasting, as the rain-snow line tends to impact at least some part of the state.

 

I will also say that Rhode Island, Connecticut and Mass have similar tight gradients, with < 30" averages in the shore towns, and 70"+ in the NW. Rhode Island, for such a small state, transitions from about 25-30" in the islands to 70"+ in the hills, over a stretch of 50 miles or so. CT snowfall goes from near 30" to 100" in the mountains.

 

I'd say the gradient was strong in all of the northeast.  PWM's avg snowfall is about 65", while 90 miles NNW and 1,500 feet higher, Rangeley runs over 120".  Not as big ratios but huge difference in inches.  And if one included Sugarloaf summit...

 

As a NNJ expat, with the grandkids now living in SNJ, I found the maps extremely interesting.  I did some interpolating for three locations:  NE Morris Cty where I grew up, south-central Gloucester Cty where family lives, and NW Atlantic Cty where the nearest longtime coop with snowfall records (Hammonton) is located.  For each of the three, the 15-year avg from your map sequence was 20%+ higher (30% for NE Morris) than the NJ-avg map, reinforcing the sense that recent winters have been good, on avg.  That extrapolating also tended to confirm my thinking that Hammonton's snowfall measurement isn't catching all the flakes - in the 10 years of your 15 for which that coop has full records (obs on all the days, anyway), the maps interpolate to 26" while the obs avg 20.8".  Most recent two years were the most egregious with 31.6" and 18.9" at the coop, and the map putting its location in the high 50s for 13-14 and right on the 30" line this past year.

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Isotherm

Isotherm

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Great maps. Those two/three dud winters since 2001 make me really appreciate the solid winters we have been having for the most part, since the start of the millennium.

 

 

Awesome job Iso ! Thank you for those maps. This is probably the perfect home for jackpot snowfall amounts : http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/531-Pocasset-Road-508-Edw-Vernon-Twp-NJ-07422/2105209409_zpid/1,400'+

 

 

Thanks! Agree, I think the best spot is probably extreme NE Sussex County in Highland Lakes or the highest elevations of West Milford in Passaic County. They are close enough to the coast to receive major snow from nor'easters. Anecdotally, there seems to be a significant difference in the magnitude of coastal storms that Passaic County gets versus NW Sussex County. So even though High Point averages more, my guess would be that a greater percentage of their snowfall comes from snow showers, with slightly lower amount of "monster" events.

 

I'd say the gradient was strong in all of the northeast.  PWM's avg snowfall is about 65", while 90 miles NNW and 1,500 feet higher, Rangeley runs over 120".  Not as big ratios but huge difference in inches.  And if one included Sugarloaf summit...

 

As a NNJ expat, with the grandkids now living in SNJ, I found the maps extremely interesting.  I did some interpolating for three locations:  NE Morris Cty where I grew up, south-central Gloucester Cty where family lives, and NW Atlantic Cty where the nearest longtime coop with snowfall records (Hammonton) is located.  For each of the three, the 15-year avg from your map sequence was 20%+ higher (30% for NE Morris) than the NJ-avg map, reinforcing the sense that recent winters have been good, on avg.  That extrapolating also tended to confirm my thinking that Hammonton's snowfall measurement isn't catching all the flakes - in the 10 years of your 15 for which that coop has full records (obs on all the days, anyway), the maps interpolate to 26" while the obs avg 20.8".  Most recent two years were the most egregious with 31.6" and 18.9" at the coop, and the map putting its location in the high 50s for 13-14 and right on the 30" line this past year.

 

 

Thanks! Yeah, I actually think the Hammonton site might be non-operational. Dr. Robinson does not include snowfall as an element on the data site for Hammonton:

 

http://climate.rutgers.edu/stateclim_v1/monthlydata/index.php?stn=283662&elem=maxt

 

 

The past 15 years have certainly been kind to snow lovers in NJ, especially north of 40N, where we've only seen 4 sub average winters since 2000. So 73% of years were above normal since 2000 - very impressive.

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snywx

snywx

Posted
Posted

Thanks! Agree, I think the best spot is probably extreme NE Sussex County in Highland Lakes or the highest elevations of West Milford in Passaic County. They are close enough to the coast to receive major snow from nor'easters. Anecdotally, there seems to be a significant difference in the magnitude of coastal storms that Passaic County gets versus NW Sussex County. So even though High Point averages more, my guess would be that a greater percentage of their snowfall comes from snow showers, with slightly lower amount of "monster" events.

 

 

 

 

 

Very true.. Same goes for here in Orange county. Eastern part of the county does well with coastals yet here on the western side we fare better with rotting lake effect bands and clippers etc. I am 10 miles due north of Vernon township 

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