Heavy Snow: Here it Comes Again

Ever since the groundhog saw his shadow on Feb. 2 and predicted six more weeks of snow, it's felt like this folklore tale has been nothing but fact.

It all started two weeks ago when over a foot of snow got dumped on the Scotch Plains-Fanwood area. Then last week we were surprised with a few inches more.

Now, here it comes again.

SP-F residents should expect a new snow storm to pass over our area starting early Thursday morning. The National Weather Service says the significant storm system will intensify as it tracks Northeast from Near Cape Hatteras Thursday morning to south of Cape Cod by Thursday evening. The storm will then perform a loop over the tri-state area Thursday night and Friday, ending up south of Cape Code again by Saturday morning.

As of 3 p.m. Wednesday, the weather service had predicted anywhere between 12 and 18 inches of snow for the Scotch Plains-Fanwood area, with higher amounts the further north you get.

The snow is expected to develop around rush hour tomorrow morning and continue through Friday, with the heaviest precipitation falling from mid-morning Thursday to the evening. The weather service says the snow will gradually become less steady and lighter, before tapering off into Friday evening.

The winter storm warning is in effect from 6 a.m. Thursday to 6 p.m. Friday.

No word yet on school closings, but be sure to stay tuned to Patch for the latest information.

NJ Transit announced Thursday afternoon that it will offer full systemwide cross-honoring starting at 5 a.m. Thursday. This allows customers to use their ticket or pass on an alternative travel mode—rail, bus or light rail.