A low pressure system passing to the south of the Delmarva Peninsula and a high pressure system passing across nearby Canada and New England once again combined to give northern and southwestern New Jersey its last winter storm of the season. Accumulations ranged from 1 to 8 inches with the highest amounts in the Passaic and Raritan River Basins. Snow fell heavy at times in those areas during the late morning and early afternoon. Precipitation started as snow during the morning commute throughout the area. Warmer air arriving from the nearby Atlantic near the surface and the southern states aloft started a slow changeover across the region. Precipitation was mixed with sleet from the start in parts of southwestern New Jersey and changed to plain rain during the early afternoon. From the interstate 195 corridor northward precipitation had a hard time changing to plain rain. Precipitation changed to sleet and freezing rain across central New Jersey during the second half of the afternoon as surface temperatures never rose above the freezing mark (32 degrees). Across Northwest New Jersey, this transition did not occur until the evening rush hour. A wintry mix of sleet and freezing rain continued through the evening. The wintry mix was over for all areas by early on the 8th. The heaviest precipitation fell during the day and ice accretions in most areas was less than one tenth of an inch.  Dozens of accidents were reported. Nearly every major thoroughfare in the state reported accidents with numerous accidents reported on the New Jersey Turnpike, Interstates 80, 78, 287 and 295. Many vehicles slid off roads into ditches. A few roads were closed after vehicle downed poles or became impassable because of their hilliness. The only reported fatal accident occurred in the northbound lanes of Interstate 295 in Mount Laurel Township (Burlington County) when a 55-year-old man died while trying to pass a pickup truck and tractor trailer. The collision between the vehicles sent the driver into a median and caused the truck and trailer to jackknife across the highway. In Bernardsville (Somerset County), the driver was able to walk away from an accident in which his vehicle slid through a stop sign at the intersection with U.S. Route 206 into a building. In Hunterdon County, New Jersey State Route 31 was closed because of a jackknifed tractor-trailer. A mini school bus in West Amwell Township overturned and injured its driver. The heavy, wet snow caused the 75 foot tall netting poles to snap at a golf driving range in Raritan Township (Hunterdon County). The accumulating snow did not start until after people were either at work or school. About 100 school districts mainly in the northern half of the state either never opened their doors or sent their children home early. Several school buses slid off roadways or became mired or disabled in the snow. Municipal and school board meetings were canceled.  Specific accumulations included 8.0 inches in Holmdel (Monmouth County), 7.0 inches in Lebanon Township (Hunterdon County), Chatham (Morris County) and North Brunswick (Middlesex County), 6.8 inches in Califon (Hunterdon County), 6.0 inches in Belle Mead and Hillsborough (Somerset County), Long Valley (Morris County) and Flemington (Hunterdon County), 5.5 inches in Princeton (Mercer County) and Stewartsville (Warren County), 5.4 inches in New Brunswick (Middlesex County), 5.0 inches in Somerset (Somerset County), 4.6 inches in Clarksburg (Monmouth County), 3.8 inches in Belvidere (Warren County), 2.5 inches in Wantage (Sussex County), 2.1 inches in Sussex (Sussex County), 2.0 inches in Willingboro (Burlington County) and 1.2 inches in Somerdale (Camden County).The low pressure system moved from the Gulf Coast states on the 6th into the Tennessee Valley the night of the 6th. As the primary low pressure system moved toward Ohio the morning of the 7th, a secondary low pressure system was forming near Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. This second low pressure system became the primary system and moved northeast. It was just east of Wallops Island, Virginia during the evening of the 7th and was well east of the Delmarva Peninsula just past midnight EDT on the 8th.In spite of just trace amounts in the southeast part of the state with this event, the winter 2002-3 was one of the ten snowiest winters on record for most of New Jersey. At the Atlantic City International Airport, the seasonal snowfall of 42.3 inches was the 4th snowiest winter on record. In New Brunswick (Middlesex County), the seasonal snowfall of 51.9 inches was the 9th snowiest winter on record.

Winter Weather in SUSSEX, NEW JERSEY
From 07-APR-03 10:00:00 to 08-APR-03 01:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Winter Weather in WARREN, NEW JERSEY
From 07-APR-03 10:00:00 to 08-APR-03 01:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Winter Weather in WESTERN MONMOUTH, NEW JERSEY
From 07-APR-03 08:00:00 to 07-APR-03 18:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Winter Weather in WESTERN OCEAN, NEW JERSEY
From 07-APR-03 08:00:00 to 07-APR-03 13:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Winter Storm in HUNTERDON, NEW JERSEY
From 07-APR-03 07:00:00 to 07-APR-03 22:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Winter Storm in MIDDLESEX, NEW JERSEY
From 07-APR-03 07:00:00 to 07-APR-03 22:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Winter Storm in SOMERSET, NEW JERSEY
From 07-APR-03 07:00:00 to 07-APR-03 22:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Winter Weather in CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY
From 07-APR-03 08:00:00 to 07-APR-03 13:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Winter Weather in GLOUCESTER, NEW JERSEY
From 07-APR-03 08:00:00 to 07-APR-03 12:30:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Winter Weather in MERCER, NEW JERSEY
From 07-APR-03 07:00:00 to 07-APR-03 21:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Winter Storm in MORRIS, NEW JERSEY
From 07-APR-03 08:00:00 to 07-APR-03 23:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Winter Weather in NORTHWESTERN BURLINGTON, NEW JERSEY
From 07-APR-03 08:00:00 to 07-APR-03 13:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Winter Weather in SALEM, NEW JERSEY
From 07-APR-03 08:00:00 to 07-APR-03 12:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER