A major winter storm dropped heavy snow across all of New Jersey except for Sussex County. The heaviest snow fell along and east of the Interstate 95 corridor.   Snowfall averaged around 3 inches in Sussex County, 6 to 12 inches across the rest of northwest New Jersey, the Raritan Basin and Cape May County and 12 to 24 inches (with some locally higher amounts) across the rest of central and southern New Jersey. The 23.2 inches of snow that fell at the Philadelphia International Airport was the second heaviest snowfall on record.
Snow began around 1 a.m. EST across extreme southern New Jersey, but took a long time to spread north. Snow began around 7 a.m. EST along the Interstate 195 corridor, around Noon EST in the Raritan Basin and during the afternoon in northwest New Jersey. The snow mixed with sleet at times during the day on the 19th in southeast New Jersey and changed to sleet for a while in Cape May County. The snow fell at its heaviest between 6 a.m. EST and 6 p.m. EST across the southern fourth of New Jersey, between 10 a.m. EST and 10 p.m. EST across the northern half of southern New Jersey and during the afternoon and early evening across the Raritan Basin and north of Interstate 195 in central New Jersey. The snow ended between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m. EST at both ends of the state, but lingered through 8 a.m. EST in the central third of the state.

A train engineer was injured after his New Jersey Transit Train struck a transit bus that became stuck on the tracks in Pennsauken (Camden County). All riders on the bus were evacuated before that occurred. New Jersey Transit suspended bus service during the evening of the 19th.  In Salem County, in Upper Pittsgrove, a motorist was injured after his vehicle flipped over. New Jersey River Line Transit Service was suspended around Camden into the 21st. In Monmouth County, the weight of the snow caused the collapse of a sports center bubble. The weight of the snow also caused the collapse of a 35 foot awning at a home in Toms River (Ocean County).
The winter storm postponed many planned local and high school sporting events. It came at an inopportune time for retailers as the Saturday (the 19th) before Christmas is usually one of the busiest shopping days of the year. Many malls in the southern half of New Jersey closed early. Many southern municipalities declared states of emergency. Since this storm occurred on the weekend, the number of traffic accidents was down. Nevertheless, there were 77 reported accidents in Burlington County and accidents snarled traffic on Interstates 295 and 676 in Cameden County.  AAA Mid Atlantic said that the volume of calls for a Saturday was 64 percent higher than normal; many were stranded motorists. Many school districts either closed schools or had two hour delayed openings on the 21st. Schools in Cumberland County remained closed through the planned start of the winter recess. Some churches cancelled services on the 20th. Trash pick-ups were also delayed. The winter storm also caused service interruptions on the 19th and 20th on the Cape May/Lewes Ferry.

Representative snowfall included 25.7 inches in Folsom (Atlantic County), 25.0 inches in Swedesboro (Gloucester County), 24.8 inches in Tabernacle (Burlington County), 24.0 inches in Atco (Camden County) and Newport (Cumberland County), 23.5 inches in Jackson (Ocean County) and Pittsgrove (Salem County), 22.5 inches in Colts Neck (Monmouth County), 22.0 inches in Hammonton (Atlantic County), 20.5 inches in Turnersville (Gloucester County), 19.5 inches in Cherry Hill (Camden County), 19.0 inches in Moorestown (Burlington County), 18.5 inches in Beachwood (Ocean County), 16.0 inches in Bridgeton (Cumberland County), 14.0 inches in Manalapan (Monmouth County), 12.1 inches at the Atlantic City International Airport, 12.0 inches in Princeton (Mercer County), 11.5 inches in Seaville (Cape May County), 10.3 inches in Flemington (Hunterdon County), 10.0 inches in North Brunswick (Middlesex County), 9.5 inches in Hillsborough (Somerset County), 7.6 inches in Stewartsville (Warren County), 6.5 inches in Parsippany (Morris County) and Hackettstown (Warren County), 5.0 inches in West Cape May (Cape May County) and 3.9 inches in Sparta (Sussex County).
The nor'easter responsible for the winter storm formed in the western Gulf of Mexico on the morning of the 17th. It moved northeast along the northern Gulf of Mexico and was just south of Mobile, Alabama at sunrise on the 18th. From there it moved northeast and continued to intensify and reached Savannah, Georgia around 7 p.m. EST on the 18th, near Cape Hatteras, North Carolina at 7 a.m. EST on the 19th. It continued to move northeast on the 19th and into the 20th and by sunrise on the 20th was located about 400 miles east of Seaside Heights, New Jersey.

Winter Storm in WESTERN ATLANTIC, NEW JERSEY
From 19-DEC-09 01:00:00 to 20-DEC-09 01:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Winter Storm in EASTERN ATLANTIC, NEW JERSEY
From 19-DEC-09 01:00:00 to 20-DEC-09 01:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Winter Storm in WESTERN CAPE MAY, NEW JERSEY
From 19-DEC-09 01:00:00 to 20-DEC-09 01:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Winter Storm in EASTERN CAPE MAY, NEW JERSEY
From 19-DEC-09 01:00:00 to 20-DEC-09 01:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Winter Storm in CUMBERLAND, NEW JERSEY
From 19-DEC-09 01:00:00 to 20-DEC-09 01:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Heavy Snow in SALEM, NEW JERSEY
From 19-DEC-09 01:00:00 to 20-DEC-09 08:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Heavy Snow in GLOUCESTER, NEW JERSEY
From 19-DEC-09 02:00:00 to 20-DEC-09 08:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Heavy Snow in CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY
From 19-DEC-09 03:00:00 to 20-DEC-09 08:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Heavy Snow in NORTHWESTERN BURLINGTON, NEW JERSEY
From 19-DEC-09 04:00:00 to 20-DEC-09 08:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Heavy Snow in SOUTHEASTERN BURLINGTON, NEW JERSEY
From 19-DEC-09 03:00:00 to 20-DEC-09 08:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Heavy Snow in WESTERN OCEAN, NEW JERSEY
From 19-DEC-09 04:00:00 to 20-DEC-09 08:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 50.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Heavy Snow in EASTERN OCEAN, NEW JERSEY
From 19-DEC-09 04:00:00 to 20-DEC-09 08:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Heavy Snow in MERCER, NEW JERSEY
From 19-DEC-09 06:00:00 to 20-DEC-09 08:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Heavy Snow in WESTERN MONMOUTH, NEW JERSEY
From 19-DEC-09 07:00:00 to 20-DEC-09 07:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 100.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Heavy Snow in EASTERN MONMOUTH, NEW JERSEY
From 19-DEC-09 07:00:00 to 20-DEC-09 07:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Heavy Snow in MIDDLESEX, NEW JERSEY
From 19-DEC-09 12:00:00 to 20-DEC-09 07:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Heavy Snow in SOMERSET, NEW JERSEY
From 19-DEC-09 13:00:00 to 20-DEC-09 07:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Heavy Snow in HUNTERDON, NEW JERSEY
From 19-DEC-09 13:00:00 to 20-DEC-09 07:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Heavy Snow in MORRIS, NEW JERSEY
From 19-DEC-09 14:00:00 to 20-DEC-09 06:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Heavy Snow in WARREN, NEW JERSEY
From 19-DEC-09 14:00:00 to 20-DEC-09 06:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Winter Weather in SUSSEX, NEW JERSEY
From 19-DEC-09 15:00:00 to 20-DEC-09 03:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter