A fast moving low pressure system brought heavy snow to New Jersey on the 22nd. It was the heaviest snowstorm of the season for the southeast part of the state. Accumulations averaged between 4 and 8 inches with much uniformity throughout the state.  Snow began falling during the first half of the afternoon. Cold weather the previous two days made it easy for the snow to accumulate. Roads became slippery quickly. Six major accidents occurred within the first hour that the snow started. The worst multi-vehicle accidents occurred in the southern part of the state and involved two fatalities.  In a similar situation to what occurred on the 5th of this month,  schools and businesses closed early and created an early rush hour. Thousands of  accidents occurred. The New Jersey State Police reported 854 accidents and responded to 1,091 calls for assistance alone. There were eleven hit and run accidents investigated. Middlesex County reported 450 accidents, Salem County reported 226 accidents.  People again abandoned their cars when they became stuck. New Jersey transit reported 60 minute delays in the northern part of the state, 90 minute delays in the southern part of the state. Taxi cabs were ordered off the roads in central New Jersey because of hazardous driving conditions. Cell phone lines were clogged. Average commutes took as much as eight times longer than normal. The heaviest snow fell during the latter half of the afternoon and the first half of the evening. It ended shortly after midnight that night.  The southern half of the state had the most serious accidents of the day. The worst accident occurred in Gloucester County on the North-South Freeway (State Route 42) near the Clement's Bridge exit about 130 p.m. EST. Twenty vehicles were involved in separate accidents in about the same location. A 35-year-old man was killed after being thrown from his SUV and was struck by another vehicle. Dozens of people were also injured and hundreds of motorists were stranded. The thoroughfare was closed until 7 p.m. EST.  Farther to the south in Salem County, on Interstate 295, a 30-year-old man was killed around mile marker 3.5 when he left his truck to check on the driver of another vehicle that crashed into the rear of his rig. As he was talking to the other driver, he was struck and pinned by another vehicle that skidded out of control.  One mile south of this fatal accident, a 14 vehicle chain reaction crashed occur. Farther to the north in Mount Laurel (Burlington County), another multi-vehicle accident caused two dozen injuries (one serious) and caused two hour delays on Interstate 295. In Atlantic City proper, 40 minor accidents occurred. In Ocean County, townships reported dozens of accidents during the first hour of snowfall. There were 50 accidents on the Garden State Parkway. People abandoned their vehicles because of the extensive delays. In Mercer County, U.S. Route 1 was closed in Lawrence Township. Elsewhere in the township, up to 20 vehicles slid into ditches. Slew of accidents was the adjective used by practically every township police department in the county.The northern half of the state had its problems also, witnessed by the 450 reported accidents in Middlesex County. In New Brunswick, New Jersey State Route 18 was gridlocked because the plows could not get through. Five ramps into the city were closed because the plows were stuck in traffic. In Somerset and Middlesex Counties, Interstate 287 was closed briefly. Persons abandoned their vehicles. U.S. Route 202 in Somerset County was bumper to bumper its entire length. In Sussex County, County Route 517 was closed in Sparta because of an accident. Evening meetings were cancelled. Specific accumulations included  in Atlantic County: 8 inches in Pomona, 7.4 inches in Estell Manor, 6 inches in Absecon and 5.5 inches in Margate, in Burlington County: 6.8 inches in Wrightstown, 6.7 inches in Marlton, 6 inches in Tabernacle and 5.5 inches in Maple Shade, in Camden County: 7 inches in Mount Ephraim and Cherry Hill, 6.5 inches in Voorhees and 5 inches in Camden, in Cape May County: 7.9 inches in Cape May City, 7 inches in Dennis Township, 6 inches in North Wildwood and 5 inches in Ocean City, in Cumberland County: 6.3 inches in Millville and 5 inches in Seabrook, in Gloucester County: 7.3 inches in Williamstown, 6.9 inches in Glassboro and 5.5 inches in Verga; in Hunterdon County: 8.5 inches in Alexandria, 7.3 inches in Tewksbury, 7.2 inches in Wertsville, 7 inches in White House Station and 6 inches in Lambertville, in Mercer County: 6.5 inches in Hamilton Square, 6.4 inches in Princeton and 5.3 inches in Hightstown, in Middlesex County: 6.2 inches in New Brunswick and 5.5 inches in Metuchen, in Monmouth County: 7 inches in Manasquan, 6 inches in Howell and 4.5 inches in Freehold, in Morris County: 7.1 inches in Chatham, 6.6 inches in Marcella, 6.5 inches in Morristown and 6 inches in Rockaway, in Ocean County: 7 inches in South Toms River and Manahawkin, 6.5 inches in Brick and Plumstead and 6 inches in Harvey Cedars, in Somerset County: 7 inches in Hillsborough and Neshanic, 6.8 inches in Somerville and Bridgewater and 6 inches in Pottersville, in Sussex County: 6.5 inches in Wantage, 5.5 inches in Green Township and 5 inches in Lafayette, in Warren County: 8 inches in Washington, 7.8 inches in Belvidere and 7.5 inches in Stewartsville and Hackettstown.The low pressure system responsible for the heavy snow developed along the Red River Valley in the Southern Plains on Wednesday the 21st. By Thursday morning the 22nd, it was located over northern Alabama. It moved quickly offshore and by the morning of the 23rd, it was more than 300 miles east of the Delmarva Peninsula. The quick movement of the low pressure system prevented heavier snow from occurring. But it was compensated by a higher than normal snowfall to water equivalent ratio. In the so-called average snowstorm the ratio of snowfall to water equivalent is usually 10 to 1. For example, 10 inches of snow would melt down to about one inch of water (or rain).  In this storm, partially because the air mass over the region was considerably colder than normal, the snowfall to water equivalent ratio was closer to 20 to 1.

Heavy Snow in CUMBERLAND, NEW JERSEY
From 22-FEB-01 13:00:00 to 22-FEB-01 23:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in EASTERN ATLANTIC, NEW JERSEY
From 22-FEB-01 13:00:00 to 23-FEB-01 00:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in EASTERN CAPE MAY, NEW JERSEY
From 22-FEB-01 13:00:00 to 22-FEB-01 23:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in EASTERN MONMOUTH, NEW JERSEY
From 22-FEB-01 14:00:00 to 23-FEB-01 01:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in BURLINGTON, NEW JERSEY
From 22-FEB-01 13:00:00 to 23-FEB-01 00:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY
From 22-FEB-01 13:00:00 to 23-FEB-01 00:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in EASTERN OCEAN, NEW JERSEY
From 22-FEB-01 13:30:00 to 23-FEB-01 01:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in GLOUCESTER, NEW JERSEY
From 22-FEB-01 13:00:00 to 23-FEB-01 00:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in HUNTERDON, NEW JERSEY
From 22-FEB-01 14:00:00 to 23-FEB-01 02:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in MERCER, NEW JERSEY
From 22-FEB-01 13:30:00 to 23-FEB-01 00:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in MIDDLESEX, NEW JERSEY
From 22-FEB-01 14:30:00 to 23-FEB-01 01:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in MORRIS, NEW JERSEY
From 22-FEB-01 14:30:00 to 23-FEB-01 02:30:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in SALEM, NEW JERSEY
From 22-FEB-01 13:00:00 to 23-FEB-01 00:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in SOMERSET, NEW JERSEY
From 22-FEB-01 14:30:00 to 23-FEB-01 02:30:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in SUSSEX, NEW JERSEY
From 22-FEB-01 15:00:00 to 23-FEB-01 03:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in WARREN, NEW JERSEY
From 22-FEB-01 15:00:00 to 23-FEB-01 02:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in WESTERN ATLANTIC, NEW JERSEY
From 22-FEB-01 13:00:00 to 23-FEB-01 00:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in WESTERN CAPE MAY, NEW JERSEY
From 22-FEB-01 13:00:00 to 22-FEB-01 23:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in WESTERN MONMOUTH, NEW JERSEY
From 22-FEB-01 14:00:00 to 23-FEB-01 01:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in WESTERN OCEAN, NEW JERSEY
From 22-FEB-01 13:30:00 to 23-FEB-01 01:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER