This time, the hype could prove true.
Forecast models are leaning toward a legitimate chance of a significant winter storm affecting the area from Sunday night into Tuesday, meteorologists said.
The three major forecast models – the American, Canadian and European models – all trended toward a forecast favoring more snow for the Shore area as a small clipper system moves through Sunday night. The clipper system, once offshore, may intensify and turn into a coastal storm that could dump accumulating snow on the area as temperatures dip.
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The National Weather Service was officially predicting between four and six inches of snow between Sunday night and Tuesday for the Shore area, though the forecast was likely to rise as updated forecast models are considered by meteorologists.
Dan Skeldon, a noted meteorologist for The Press of Atlantic City, predicted early Sunday morning that significant snowfall could occur even in the coastal areas of southern New Jersey. Light snow, he said in a social media post, will begin overnight Sunday into Monday. Then: “Steadier and potentially heavy snow later Monday afternoon, Monday night, into part of Tuesday. Increasingly windy too.”
Skeldon’s forecast was six to 12 inches of snow, however depending on the generally-reliable European forecast model, totals could be bumped up to a foot of snow or more.
Temperatures are predicted to remain in the range where accumulating snow will be possible. Overnight between Sunday and Monday, the low will dip to 22 degrees. Monday’s high will be 31 degrees and the overnight low between Monday and Tuesday will be 21 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.
While it appears measurable snow is likely, forecasts advising of blizzard-like conditions are premature, forecasters say.