Bitter Cold and Snow?

Old man winter is preparing a one-two punch yet again this week: Bitter cold today. Snow possible by late tomorrow night.

The mercury barely stayed above zero degrees this morning. The Lakehurst Naval Base recorded a low temperature of 1 degree at 7 a.m., while Belmar had a 3 degree low 7 a.m. The National Weather Service is forecasting an afternoon high of only 22 degrees across the area.

Meteorologist Jim Rinaldi of the Radio Forecast Network says that the worst of the arctic outbreak is over. "The high pressure system responsible for the arctic air is moving off to the east and with the return flow from the south and southeast it should be some 15 degrees warmer tonight than last night.  Still very cold but better than zero or below," he said in an email.

With the cold air comes safety risks as well. The CDC claims that frostbite is still a very real threat. They remind the public to cover their skin as much as possible, and to also try to limit outdoor activity to a minimum. Any exposed skin can suffer from frostbite in just thirty minutes.

In the meantime, State Farm is warning about frozen pipes. They say that a trickle of hot and cold water could prevent your pipes from freezing. A warm water drip over night should take place on an outside wall. They also remind us to open cabinet doors so heat can get to uninsulated pipes under skins and appliances near exterior walls.

Of course as the cold air retreats this week, it will add more trouble to the weather forecast. Rinaldi says that forecasters are watching the storm that will form along the gulf coast that will move to and up the east coast, but a lot of uncertainty remains. "There are numerous possibilities as far as track goes: It could go out to sea, it could ride just offshore bringing heavy snow to much of the region, it could ride north hugging the coast and bring a mixed bag of precipitation that changes to snow, or it could ride inland and bring flooding rains to the area," he said.

Rinaldi, who forecasts the conditions for over 30 radio stations across the country, is losing plenty of sleep over the storm system. "Numerous factors lead me to favor a more western track (resulting in more of a mix/rain situation), but at this point, I would say prepare for anything," he said.

Authorities are doing just that. Ron Morano of Jersey Central Power and Light reports that they are in fact prepared for anything. "We're continuing to monitor the weather," he said in a telephone interview. "It's too early to make any decisions, but we're prepared to implement our storm plans as necessary."

Morano urges the public to heed the advice of emergency management officials.

In the meantime, those looking for relief will have to wait longer. Rinaldi reports that the cold and stormy pattern should continue for atleast a few weeks.

National Weather Service forecast for Crestwood Village:

Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a temperature rising to around 28 degrees by 5 a.m. Calm wind becoming south around 6 mph. 

Tuesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 39 degrees. Southwest wind between 5 and 8 mph.

Tuesday Night: A chance of snow after 4 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 30 degrees. The chance of precipitation is 30 percent and possible snow accumulation is less than a half inch.

Wednesday: The chance of precipitation is 90 percent, but it may not all be snow. Snow may fall before 9 a.m., though change to a rain and snow mixture between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. before becoming all rain as the temperature hits a high near 38 degrees. New precipitation amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible. 

Wednesday Night: Rain, snow and sleet expected to become snow after 2 a.m. Low around 30 degrees. Windy. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent. New precipitation amounts between one quarter and half of one inch possible.