The first winter storm of the season dropped four to ten inches of snow across most of New Jersey with slightly lower amounts across the immediate Cape May County coast. In many places in the southern half of the state, this was more snow than fell all of last winter. The snow spread from south to north between 3 a.m. and 8 a.m. EST. The snow began mixing with and changed to sleet and rain during the afternoon in the southeast part of the state. Some sleet mixed with the snow across the other coastal counties. Precipitation fell as snow elsewhere. The heaviest snow fell during the morning in the southern third of the state and during the midday elsewhere in the state. Precipitation ended during the first half of the evening. The first winter storm of the season which also coincided with a work day (Thursday) and caused thousands of accidents statewide. No traffic related deaths were reported. There were nearly 100 accidents on the New Jersey Turnpike including five tractor trailers. There were about 50 accidents by 7 p.m. EST on Interstates 78 and 287. Lakewood (Ocean County) alone reported 60 accidents. Numerous accidents were also reported on the Atlantic City Expressway, State Routes 42 and 55, U.S. Route 22 and Interstate 295. Two hundred forty of the state's five hundred ninety-seven school districts never opened. The rest (mainly in the northern half of the state) dismissed their children early. There were many midday closures of courthouses, county and municipal offices. Rutgers University, Sussex Community College, County College of Morris and Fairleigh Dickinson University all dismissed their students early in the afternoon. The state started dismissing non-essential workers at 1 p.m. EST in Trenton. The New Jersey State Senate and Assembly meeting was canceled. Horse racing and simulcasting was cancelled at Freehold and Monmouth Park. Atlantic City International Airport was closed  for about 35 minutes to clear its main runway. It was reopened at 1010 a.m. EST. The snowy conditions delayed New Jersey Transit trains 15 to 30 minutes and New Jersey Transit buses by up to one hour.  Many evening Freeholder meetings, schools and social functions were cancelled. Clinic, dentist and doctor offices closed early. Many schools were also canceled on the 6th. There were 30 reported accidents on the Atlantic City Expressway between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. EST. The most bizarre accident occurred when a woman driving on the Garden State Parkway, skidded down an embankment and ended on the Expressway. In Monmouth County, a jackknifed tractor trailer closed New Jersey State Route 18 for more than one hour. In Hunterdon County, two serious accidents were reported on eastbound Interstate 78 and stalled traffic for hours during the midday hours. A tractor trailer jackknifed in the middle lane, bounced against a guardrail and struck another tractor trailer. Only one lane was open for three hours. In Morris County, northbound Interstate 287 was closed for two hours after another tractor trailer jackknifed. A 62-year-old Dunellen (Middlesex County) man died after clearing a neighbor's driveway with a snowblower. Specific Accumulations included 9.5 inches in Swedesboro (Gloucester County), 9.2 inches in Lambertville (Hunterdon County), 9.0 inches in New Egypt (Ocean County) and Vernon (Sussex County), 8.5 inches in Moorestown (Burlington County), 8.3 inches in Whitehouse Station (Hunterdon County) and Yardville (Mercer County), 8.2 inches in Mount Holly (Burlington County), 8.1 inches in Piscataway (Middlesex County), 8.0 inches in Sussex (Sussex County), Gillette (Morris County), Hillsborough (Somerset County), Erial (Camden County), Manalapan (Monmouth County) and Delaware Township (Hunterdon County), 7.8 inches in Cream Ridge (Monmouth County), 7.7 inches in New Brunswick (Middlesex County), 7.6 inches in Estell Manor (Atlantic County), 7.5 inches in Stewartsville (Warren County), 7.0 inches in Marcella (Morris County), Mullica Hill (Gloucester County) and Princeton (Mercer County), 6.8 inches in Lindenwold (Camden County), 6.5 inches in Belmar (Monmouth County), 6.4 inches in Newton (Sussex County), 6.2 inches in Tabernacle (Burlington County), 6.0 inches in Long Valley (Morris County), Hackettstown (Warren County), Pottersville (Somerset County) and Woodbine (Cape May County), 5.0 inches at the Atlantic City International Airport, Seabrook (Cumberland County) and Cape May Courthouse (Cape May County) and 3.0 inches in Ocean City (Cape May County). The low pressure system responsible for the winter storm formed over Texas on the 3rd and moved eastnortheast and reached Louisiana the morning of the 4th, Cape Hatteras the morning of the 5th and then accelerated quickly offshore during the day on the 5th.

Winter Storm in SOUTHEASTERN BURLINGTON, NEW JERSEY
From 05-DEC-02 05:00:00 to 05-DEC-02 18:00:00 (EST)
Crop damage: 0
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Winter Storm in WESTERN ATLANTIC, NEW JERSEY
From 05-DEC-02 04:00:00 to 05-DEC-02 13:00:00 (EST)
Crop damage: 0
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY
From 05-DEC-02 04:30:00 to 05-DEC-02 19:00:00 (EST)
Crop damage: 0
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in EASTERN MONMOUTH, NEW JERSEY
From 05-DEC-02 06:00:00 to 05-DEC-02 19:00:00 (EST)
Crop damage: 0
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in GLOUCESTER, NEW JERSEY
From 05-DEC-02 04:00:00 to 05-DEC-02 19:00:00 (EST)
Crop damage: 0
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in HUNTERDON, NEW JERSEY
From 05-DEC-02 06:00:00 to 05-DEC-02 19:00:00 (EST)
Crop damage: 0
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in WARREN, NEW JERSEY
From 05-DEC-02 07:00:00 to 05-DEC-02 19:00:00 (EST)
Crop damage: 0
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in MERCER, NEW JERSEY
From 05-DEC-02 05:30:00 to 05-DEC-02 19:00:00 (EST)
Crop damage: 0
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in MIDDLESEX, NEW JERSEY
From 05-DEC-02 06:00:00 to 05-DEC-02 19:00:00 (EST)
Crop damage: 0
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in MORRIS, NEW JERSEY
From 05-DEC-02 07:00:00 to 05-DEC-02 19:00:00 (EST)
Crop damage: 0
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in NORTHWESTERN BURLINGTON, NEW JERSEY
From 05-DEC-02 05:00:00 to 05-DEC-02 19:00:00 (EST)
Crop damage: 0
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in SALEM, NEW JERSEY
From 05-DEC-02 03:00:00 to 05-DEC-02 19:00:00 (EST)
Crop damage: 0
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in SOMERSET, NEW JERSEY
From 05-DEC-02 06:00:00 to 05-DEC-02 19:00:00 (EST)
Crop damage: 0
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in SUSSEX, NEW JERSEY
From 05-DEC-02 08:00:00 to 05-DEC-02 19:00:00 (EST)
Crop damage: 0
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in WESTERN MONMOUTH, NEW JERSEY
From 05-DEC-02 06:00:00 to 05-DEC-02 19:00:00 (EST)
Crop damage: 0
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Winter Storm in CUMBERLAND, NEW JERSEY
From 05-DEC-02 04:00:00 to 05-DEC-02 13:00:00 (EST)
Crop damage: 0
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Winter Storm in EASTERN ATLANTIC, NEW JERSEY
From 05-DEC-02 04:00:00 to 05-DEC-02 12:00:00 (EST)
Crop damage: 0
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Winter Storm in EASTERN OCEAN, NEW JERSEY
From 05-DEC-02 05:00:00 to 05-DEC-02 20:00:00 (EST)
Crop damage: 0
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Winter Storm in WESTERN CAPE MAY, NEW JERSEY
From 05-DEC-02 03:00:00 to 05-DEC-02 12:00:00 (EST)
Crop damage: 0
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Winter Storm in WESTERN OCEAN, NEW JERSEY
From 05-DEC-02 05:00:00 to 05-DEC-02 20:00:00 (EST)
Crop damage: 0
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Winter Weather in EASTERN CAPE MAY, NEW JERSEY
From 05-DEC-02 03:00:00 to 05-DEC-02 12:00:00 (EST)
Crop damage: 0
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC