A late winter storm dropped heavy snow in Northwestern New Jersey, a wintry mix in the Raritan Basin and the rest of the northern half of New Jersey and snow to rain across the eastern Philadelphia suburbs on the 16th. Numerous accidents occurred and traffic was snarled on Interstates 80 and 287 and U.S Routes 1 and 9 in the northern half of the state. Several vehicles overturned on the New Jersey Turnpike and one overturned on Interstate 295 in Burlington County. Most of the accidents were minor and involved vehicles slipping off of roads and into signs and ditches. In the northern half of the state, some schools were closed. Most others dismissed early. Evening classes and government meetings were cancelled. Snow spread from south to north during the morning of the 16th. As warmer air moved in from the Atlantic Ocean, precipitation changed to rain in the greater Philadelphia Metropolitan Area during the early afternoon of the 16th. Farther north in the Raritan Valley and adjacent parts of northern New Jersey, it took longer for precipitation to change to rain by early evening. Precipitation then changed back to snow later that evening before ending shortly after midnight EST on the 17th. In Northwest New Jersey, precipitation fell mainly as snow, as some sleet occurred during the afternoon and early evening. The snow ended shortly after midnight EST on the 17th. Accumulations ranged from two to eight inches, with the highest amounts in Sussex and Morris Counties.  In Mercer County, serious accidents occurred in five townships. Northbound U.S. Route 1 was closed during the evening in Lawrence Township because of several accidents. In East Windsor Township, a school bus slid into a tree. On the same block, another school bus collided with a car. Nineteen children and two adults suffered cuts and bruises. In Somerset County, Interstate 287 was closed in Bedminster Township because of a serious accident. Several accidents also occurred on Interstate 287 in Bridgewater Township.  Specific accumulations included 7.5 inches in Sparta (Sussex County), 7.0 inches in Whitehouse Station (Hunterdon County), 6.5 inches in Milton (Morris County), 6.3 inches in Belvidere (Warren County), 6.1 inches in Marcella (Morris County), 6.0 inches in Whippany (Morris County), Blairstown (Warren County)  and Barry Lakes (Sussex County), 5.5 inches in Boonton (Morris County) and Newton (Sussex County), 5.0 inches in Flemington (Hunterdon County), Hackettstown (Warren County) and Metuchen (Middlesex County), 4.5 inches in Manalapan (Monmouth County), 4.3 inches in Somerville (Somerset County), 4.0 inches in Wertsville (Hunterdon County), 3.8 inches in Willingboro (Burlington County) and Belle Mead (Somerset County), 3.5 inches in Ewing Township (Mercer County),  New Brunswick (Middlesex County) and Manasquan (Monmouth County), 3.1 inches in Mount Holly (Burlington County), 2.8 inches in Hightstown (Mercer County), 2.2 inches in Somerdale (Camden County) and 1.0 inch in Pennsauken (Camden County).The low pressure system responsible for the snow moved from the Central Plains the morning of the 15th, east to Kansas City, Missouri during the early evening of the 15th, moved through the Tennessee Valley during the first half of the day on the 16th and reached West Virginia during the early afternoon of the 16th. A secondary low pressure system then developed on the low's warm front near Norfolk, Virginia and became the primary low pressure system by early in the evening on the 16th when it was just east of Wallops Island, Virginia. It moved quickly offshore and was southeast of Nantucket, Massachusetts by 1 a.m. EST on the 17th.

Winter Storm in MORRIS, NEW JERSEY
From 16-MAR-04 09:00:00 to 17-MAR-04 03:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Winter Storm in SUSSEX, NEW JERSEY
From 16-MAR-04 10:00:00 to 17-MAR-04 02:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Winter Storm in WARREN, NEW JERSEY
From 16-MAR-04 09:00:00 to 17-MAR-04 02:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Winter Weather in CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY
From 16-MAR-04 06:00:00 to 16-MAR-04 12:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Winter Weather in EASTERN MONMOUTH, NEW JERSEY
From 16-MAR-04 09:00:00 to 16-MAR-04 13:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Winter Weather in HUNTERDON, NEW JERSEY
From 16-MAR-04 09:00:00 to 17-MAR-04 01:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Winter Weather in MERCER, NEW JERSEY
From 16-MAR-04 08:00:00 to 16-MAR-04 16:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Winter Weather in MIDDLESEX, NEW JERSEY
From 16-MAR-04 09:00:00 to 16-MAR-04 17:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Winter Weather in NORTHWESTERN BURLINGTON, NEW JERSEY
From 16-MAR-04 07:00:00 to 16-MAR-04 13:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Winter Weather in SOMERSET, NEW JERSEY
From 16-MAR-04 09:00:00 to 17-MAR-04 02:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Winter Weather in WESTERN MONMOUTH, NEW JERSEY
From 16-MAR-04 09:00:00 to 16-MAR-04 15:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER