Watching two minor snow chances over the next three days for NJ

As cleanup from the incredible Blizzard of '26 continues, we look ahead to a few lingering effects Tuesday: A sharp breeze, blowing snow, one more round of spotty coastal flooding, and cold temperatures. Thermometers will only top out around 30 degrees Tuesday afternoon, with a wind chill closer to 20. Our weather pattern remains active and unsettled this week, and there are two storm systems we are watching carefully. The first will be a clipper system early Wednesday, which looks to deliver a quick inch or two of snow to New Jersey. Unfortunately, the timing will coincide with Wednesday morning's commute. The impacts of the second system late Thursday are a little muddier — that looks like a potentially messy mix of rain and snow, mainly impacting South Jersey. There could be some light accumulations and slippery spots through the Thursday evening commute.

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Tuesday NJ weather: Blustery and cold

Well, Tuesday morning is a lot quieter than Monday morning, that is for sure. At least there is nothing falling from the sky.

There is a noticeable chilly wind blowing through New Jersey though, with some gusts around 30 mph. With morning temperatures in the 20s, that is keeping wind chills in the teens.

High temperatures Tuesday will only hit around 30 degrees, give or take. So the wind chill will only max out around 20 degrees. We are back to bundling up — but at least this should be the coldest day of the week.

Expect periods of sun and clouds, which at least will allow for some good snow melt on blacktop and dark-colored surfaces (which are excellent absorbers of solar radiation).

Clouds will thicken up Tuesday evening, as the wind dies down. Temperatures will only fall a few degrees, into the 20s overnight.

Wednesday NJ weather: Early light snow, then sun

A fast-moving, moisture-starved clipper system is responsible for New Jersey's next batch of wintry weather Wednesday morning. Some are really hyping the heck out of this thing. But it will be nothing like the historic nor'easter we just lived through.

However, it won't be "nothing" either. The best chance for light snow driving through New Jersey will be from about 3 a.m. to 9 a.m. Wednesday. Unfortunately, that will perfectly coincide with the Wednesday morning rush hour. The timing is more concerning than the snow totals, which will be limited to an inch or maybe two at most. Having reduced visibility and slippery spots during a commute period is never ideal. The best chance for those light snow accumulations will be in North Jersey.

Once the snow wraps up by late morning Wednesday, the rest of the day will be fine. Sunshine emerges, and temperatures will warm into the lower 40s. It should be a good snow melt day.

Thursday NJ weather: More messy weather possible

As another storm system slides by, Thursday's weather will roll in the opposite direction as Wednesday: A good start, followed by a potentially messy finish.

While sunshine should win out Thursday morning, clouds will fill in pretty quickly Thursday afternoon. High temperatures will reach about 40 degrees, give or take.

Another disturbance will be riding just south of New Jersey through the Thursday afternoon and evening hours. There is some question among model guidance about how much of this storm system will clip New Jersey, and what the temperature profile will be and what kind of precipitation type is most likely.

Let me make a few general statements about how I see late Thursday's weather playing out:
1.) Our weather could get messy, but this will not be a major storm.
2.) Impacts for southern New Jersey look more serious than for northern New Jersey, based solely on the storm track.
3.) There is an opportunity here for "a few inches" of fresh snow accumulation and possibly some light icing, but only if it's cold enough. Remember, this is a daytime event, with high temperatures around 40 degrees.
4.) Just like Wednesday morning's mini-storm, my biggest concern is for timing rather than totals as inclement and wintry weather could coincide with the evening rush hour.
5.) Previous model runs had shown this system lingering into Friday, but now not so much. Just another possibility we will have to watch.

You will notice I have not produced a specific snow map here. Nor have I put a "yellow alert" icon on my 5 Day Forecast. That should tell you my overall level of concern for this storm.

Friday NJ weather: Becoming mostly sunny

Once Friday arrives, we should break into a few days of quieter weather.

Under mostly sunny skies, Friday looks pretty chilly with highs only in the 30s. Saturday will fare better, as we close out February with sunshine, light winds, dry weather, and highs approaching 50 degrees. Not too shabby!

A cold front is set to arrive on Sunday, sending temperatures tumbling. That frontal passage looks dry for now.

Long-range models are suggesting our next storm system worth watching is in the Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday time frame next week. Both the GFS and Euro models have a snow-to-rain event plugged in, with at least some snow accumulations for northern New Jersey.

The details and numbers mean little to nothing at this point. But that will be the next big thing to watch, especially if the forecast starts to trend cooler. (Which has been a "thing" over the past few weeks.)

Winter is not over yet, but we are getting there. Think warm thoughts, and hope for a quick melt to the foot or two of snow that's on the ground. Remember, once we reach the first day of Spring — just 24 days away — the historical chances of significant 6+ snowfall goes way down. I for one can't wait to put away the shovels for the year!

Dan Zarrow is Chief Meteorologist for Townsquare Media New Jersey. Follow him on Facebook for the latest forecast and realtime weather updates.