Nasty winter storm forecast now includes snow, ice, heavy rain, 50 mph gusts for N.J.

The first legitimate snowstorm of the winter for New Jersey on Wednesday will deliver a coating to 2 inches of snow for most of the state accompanied by a nasty mix of ice, drenching rain, wind gusts up to 50 mph and some coastal flooding.

• How much snow will you get? Check our map for snowfall totals in your town.

A winter weather advisory has been issued by the National Weather Service for Sussex, Morris, Warren and western Passaic counties where slippery roads and challenging commutes are likely Wednesday morning and evening.

The northern half of New Jersey and spots along the Delaware River near Philadelphia could see a coating to a couple inches of snow from a winter storm on Wednesday. Northwestern counties could see 2 to 6 inches of snow with the potential for ice in Sussex County as well.

The advisory runs from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. in Warren and Morris, where 1 to 3 inches of snow and a light glaze of ice is expected before a changeover to rain later in the day. In Sussex, forecasters say the 2 to 4 inches will accumulate during the day, along with some light icing and wind gusts of up to 30 mph.

The advisory runs until midnight in western Passaic where as much as 5 inches of snow might fall. The weather service’s official forecast for West Milford predicts 3.2 inches of snow.

Northwestern New Jersey is expected to see 2 to 5 inches of snow from a winter storm on Wednesday that could drop a coating to 2 inches of snow across the northern half of the state. Heavy rain and strong winds up to 50 mph along the Jersey Shore are also in the forecast.Jake May

“A burst of snow with snowfall rates potentially exceeding one inch per hour is expected early (Wednesday),” the weather service said Tuesday. “The snow will continue into the early afternoon before changing briefly to a wintry mix, then to plain rain by early evening.

In the northeastern counties of Bergen, Essex, Hudson and Union as well as in eastern Passaic, less than an inch of snow is likely, the New York office of the weather service said. Any snow that falls in the morning will change to rain by early afternoon.

Northwestern New Jersey is expected to see 2 to 5 inches of snow from a winter storm on Wednesday that could drop a coating to 2 inches of snow across the northern half of the state. Heavy rain and strong winds up to 50 mph along the Jersey Shore are also in the forecast.Jake May

In general, an inch to an inch and a half-of rain is expected in most of New Jersey with precipitation beginning around 7 a.m.

Middlesex, Mercer, Somerset and Hunterdon counties are likely to receive less an inch of snow. The rest of the state will deal with just rain except in areas of Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Salem counties close to the Delaware River, where less than an inch is also expected.

Snow is also unlikely to stick to roads along and southeast of the Interstate 95 corridor, the weather service said.

AccuWeather.com is still calling for 1 to 3 inches of snow in the northwest portion of the state.

The northern half of New Jersey and spots along the Delaware River near Philadelphia could see a coating to a couple inches of snow from a winter storm on Wednesday. Northwestern counties could see 2 to 6 inches of snow with the potential for ice in Sussex County as well.

Windy conditions will be an issue across the state with gust of 25 to 35 mph in most places. Along the Jersey Shore gusts could reach as high as 50 mph. A gale watch has been issued along the coast.

Minor coastal flooding will also be a factor. It’s expected along the Atlantic Ocean in Monmouth and Ocean counties as well as along the Raritan Bay in Middlesex and Monmouth. Moderate flooding is even possible in communities along the bay from Perth Amboy to Sandy Hook.

Along with the threat of some snow and ice, winds will gust on Wednesday up to 50 mph along the Jersey Shore with 30 to 35 mph gusts inland.

While Thursday will be dry, windy conditions will continue with 15 to 25 mph winds gusting to 25 to 35 mph. Conditions will be cloudy with highs in the 40s. Winds will lighten Thursday night as temps drop into the 20s.

The lead-up to Wednesday’s storm will be quit in New Jersey with sunny skies and temps in 40s on Tuesday. We’ll have sunny skies and highs in the 40s but winds will pick up in the afternoon — they’ll increase to 15 to 20 mph with gusts as high as 20 to 30 mph.

A dry weekend with temps a little above normal is likely.

The northern half of New Jersey and spots along the Delaware River near Philadelphia could see a coating to a couple inches of snow from a winter storm on Wednesday. Northwestern counties could see 2 to 6 inches of snow with the potential for ice in Sussex County as well.

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Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com.

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