A major and for parts of eastern New Jersey record breaking winter storm and blizzard affected the state on Sunday the 26th and Monday the 27th. Snowfall averaged around two feet for the shore counties as well as Middlesex and Morris Counties in New Jersey with drifts often at least twice that high. Snowfall across southwest New Jersey averaged around one foot and in northwest New Jersey around six inches. A state of emergency was declared in New Jersey. Intermittent light snow fell across southeast New Jersey prior to dawn on the 26th, but the winter storm associated snow started to spread into the area between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. EST on the 26th. The snow backed northwest into the state and reached the central AND southwest part of the state between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. EST, the Raritan and Passaic Basins between 11 a.m. and Noon EST and throughout Sussex County by 1 p.m. EST on the 26th. Heavier snow bands started moving into the southeast part of the state during the middle of the morning on the 26th and they expanded and moved northwestward during the afternoon. As the afternoon progressed, winds also increased and blizzard conditions occurred across eastern New Jersey from Atlantic County northward. The heavy snow bands and blizzard conditions persisted through the evening across east central New Jersey. Snowfall rates under these bands reached two to three inches per hour. The heavy snow bands weakened during the first couple of hours on the 27th and the snow itself ended around 7 a.m. EST. Strong to high winds continued to hamper snow plow operations through the 27th. President Barack Obama approved federal disaster reimbursement related to the winter storm and blizzard in Atlantic, Burlington, Cape May, Cumberland, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean and Somerset Counties.
Senate President Steven Sweeney declared a State of Emergency for New Jersey on the evening of the 26th. It was lifted at 6 p.m. EST on the 27th. Several county and local municipalities also declared states of emergencies or snow emergencies. A total travel ban was in effect in Atlantic County. Bus service was suspended throughout the state as of 830 p.m. EST on the 26th and did not resume until the 28th. While the overall number of accidents were low, about 2,300 motorists were stranded on average for 10 to 12 hours. The Red Cross opened shelters in the eastern part of the state. In addition, stranded motorists used town halls, rest stops and movie theaters as shelters. Rail service ran on an enhanced weekend schedule on the 27th. State offices were closed on the 27th. Many county offices were also closed on the 27th as were all courthouses in the southeastern part of the state. Shopping malls were either closed or had delayed openings on the 27th. Malls in Monmouth County did not open until the 28th at the earliest. The Sea Streak Manhattan Ferry service from Monmouth County ran on a modified schedule on the 27th. The Cape May-Lewes Ferry cancelled all Delaware Bay crossings before 3 p.m. EST on the 27th. Athletic competitions were either postponed or cancelled. Blood supplies ran low. Trash schedules were delayed about a day and recycling schedules were delayed up to one week.
Monmouth County was one of the most affected counties by the blizzard as many roadways were closed and remained closed through the 27th because of drifting. An eleven mile stretch of New Jersey State Route 18 remained closed for a couple of days. The weight of the snow caused a roof collapse at the Naval Weapons Station Earle in Colts Neck. An overturned vehicle in Tinton Falls resulted in an injury. A train struck an abandoned vehicle in Red Bank, but no injuries were closed. Major roadways such as Interstate 195 (8 foot drifts) and New Jersey State Routes 18, 35, 36, 66 and 138 were closed into the 27th. Long Branch emergency personnel alone responded to about 700 calls. In Ocean County, about 150 vehicles were disabled in Toms River. In Middlesex County, about fifty vehicles were abandoned in South Brunswick. In Atlantic County, all departures from Atlantic City International Airport were cancelled on the 26th. The Route 52 Bridge between Somers Point and Ocean City in Cape May County was closed for about 24 hours until 11 a.m. EST on the 27th. The Garden State Parkway was closed in Egg Harbor Township because of a jack-knifed tractor-trailer. On the plus side, because people were trapped, there was a strong occupancy rate at the casinos. Cape May County suspended all tolls on bridges. A travel ban was in effect in Millville (Cumberland County). One of the worst reported accidents was a multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 295 in Columbus in Burlington County.
The snowfall at Atlantic City International Airport was a record breaking 20.1 inches. This was a new single snowstorm record surpassing the previous record of 20.0 inches during the President's Day II snowstorm of February 16 to 17 in 2003.
Other representative snowfall included (alphabetically by county name) in Atlantic County, 20.0 inches in Absecon, 16.5 inches in Estell Manor and 16.3 inches in Folsom; in Burlington County, 19.0 inches in Chesterfield, 16.5 inches in Tabernacle, 10.0 inches in Maple Shade and 9.2 inches in Medford; in Camden County 12.0 inches in Pennsauken, 10.2 inches in Somerdale and 9.8 inches in Berlin; in Cape May County 25.0 inches in Eldora, 21.0 inches in North Cape May and 15.0 inches in Woodbine; in Cumberland County, 18.7 inches in Vineland, 11.5 inches in Cedarville and 8.1 inches in Upper Deerfield, in Gloucester County 13.5 inches in Malaga and 12.0 inches in Swedesboro; in Hunterdon County 6.0 inches in Wertsville, 4.5 inches in Flemington and 4.0 inches in Lebanon; in Mercer County, 16.0 inches in Princeton Junction, 13.5 inches in Hamilton Square and 10.1 inches in Ewing; in Middlesex County, 25.0 inches in Edison, 23.2 inches in Cheesequake and 19.5 inches in New Brunswick; in Monmouth County 25.0 inches in Colts Neck, 24.0 inches in Neptune, 22.0 inches in Red Bank and 20.0 inches in Holmdel; in Morris County 29.0 inches in Lincoln Park, 16.0 inches in Boonton, 12.8 inches in Jefferson and 11.0 inches in Marcella; in Ocean County 30.0 inches in Brick, 26.0 inches in Bayville, 22.0 inches in Berkeley, 21.0 inches in Manahawkin and 17.0 inches in Whiting; in Salem County, 4.8 inches in Woodstown; in Somerset County 16.5 inches in Hillsborough, 13.2 inches in Millstone, 8.6 inches in Branchburg and 7.1 inches in Bridgewater; in Sussex County 8.0 inches in Vernon, 7.0 inches in Newton, 6.0 inches in Sussex and Wantage and 5.0 inches in Lafayette and in Warren County 7.0 inches in Hackettstown, 4.1 inches in Washington, 3.5 inches in Phillipsburg and 3.0 inches in Blairstown.
The onshore flow preceding the passage of the low pressure system caused minor tidal flooding around the time of the early afternoon high tide on the 26th in Cape May County and the overnight high tide on the 26th from Atlantic County northward. At Cape May (Cape May County), the high tide just reached the minor tidal flooding level of 6.7 feet above mean lower low water.  At Atlantic City (Atlantic County), the high tide reached 6.55 feet above mean lower low water. Minor tidal flooding starts at 6.0 feet above mean lower low water. At Sandy Hook (Monmouth County), the high tide reached 7.13 feet above mean lower low water. Minor tidal flooding starts at 6.7 feet above mean lower low water.
The low pressure system responsible for the winter storm entered the United States in southern California on December 22nd. It moved across the southern Rockies and reached the northern Gulf of Mexico on Christmas Day. It was still a relatively weak low pressure system, but as it moved across the Gulf of Mexico, it started to strengthen. At 7 p.m. EST on the 25th, the low had deepened to 1004 millibars in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. From there, the low made a turn to the northeast while the intensification process increased. At 1 a.m. EST on the 26th, it was a 1001 millibar low, just east of Georgia, at 7 a.m. EST on the 26th a 992 millibar low just east of Wilmington, North Carolina and at 1 p.m. EST on the 26th a 986 millibar low about 100 miles east of Virginia Beach, Virginia. During the next six hours as the upper level support neared, the low's intensification rate peaked and at 7 p.m. EST on the 26th, the surface pressure fell to 972 millibars as it passed about 100 miles east of Long Beach Island, New Jersey. Overnight, the surface low was captured by the upper level low and this slowed its forward progress. At 1 a.m. EST on the 27th, the 970 millibar surface low was located about 50 miles southeast of Montauk Point, New York and at 7 a.m. EST, the 962 millibar low was located just southeast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The surface pressure bottomed at 961 millibars at 10 a.m. EST on the 27th and from there it slowly weakened as it passed south of Nova Scotia. The surface pressure of this winter storm dropped 31 millibars from 1 a.m. EST on the 26th to 1 a.m. EST on the 27th, well exceeding the meteorological definition of a bombing low pressure system (24 millibar drop in 24 hours).

Winter Weather in WARREN, NEW JERSEY
From 26-DEC-10 12:00:00 to 27-DEC-10 06:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Heavy Snow in EASTERN OCEAN, NEW JERSEY
From 26-DEC-10 10:00:00 to 27-DEC-10 07:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Heavy Snow in EASTERN MONMOUTH, NEW JERSEY
From 26-DEC-10 11:00:00 to 27-DEC-10 07:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Heavy Snow in EASTERN ATLANTIC, NEW JERSEY
From 26-DEC-10 07:00:00 to 27-DEC-10 07:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Heavy Snow in WESTERN ATLANTIC, NEW JERSEY
From 26-DEC-10 07:00:00 to 27-DEC-10 07:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Heavy Snow in WESTERN MONMOUTH, NEW JERSEY
From 26-DEC-10 11:00:00 to 27-DEC-10 07:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 100.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Blizzard in SOUTHEASTERN BURLINGTON, NEW JERSEY
From 26-DEC-10 15:30:00 to 27-DEC-10 21:30:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Heavy Snow in EASTERN CAPE MAY, NEW JERSEY
From 26-DEC-10 07:00:00 to 27-DEC-10 06:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Heavy Snow in WESTERN CAPE MAY, NEW JERSEY
From 26-DEC-10 07:00:00 to 27-DEC-10 06:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Heavy Snow in MERCER, NEW JERSEY
From 26-DEC-10 11:00:00 to 27-DEC-10 07:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Heavy Snow in NORTHWESTERN BURLINGTON, NEW JERSEY
From 26-DEC-10 10:30:00 to 27-DEC-10 07:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Winter Weather in HUNTERDON, NEW JERSEY
From 26-DEC-10 11:00:00 to 27-DEC-10 06:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Blizzard in WESTERN MONMOUTH, NEW JERSEY
From 26-DEC-10 16:00:00 to 27-DEC-10 00:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: AWOS

Blizzard in MIDDLESEX, NEW JERSEY
From 26-DEC-10 16:00:00 to 27-DEC-10 00:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Heavy Snow in SOUTHEASTERN BURLINGTON, NEW JERSEY
From 26-DEC-10 09:00:00 to 27-DEC-10 07:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Heavy Snow in WESTERN OCEAN, NEW JERSEY
From 26-DEC-10 10:00:00 to 27-DEC-10 07:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Blizzard in EASTERN ATLANTIC, NEW JERSEY
From 26-DEC-10 15:00:00 to 26-DEC-10 19:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: ASOS

Blizzard in WESTERN ATLANTIC, NEW JERSEY
From 26-DEC-10 15:00:00 to 26-DEC-10 19:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: ASOS

Blizzard in WESTERN OCEAN, NEW JERSEY
From 26-DEC-10 16:00:00 to 27-DEC-10 00:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: AWOS

Blizzard in EASTERN OCEAN, NEW JERSEY
From 26-DEC-10 16:00:00 to 27-DEC-10 00:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Blizzard in EASTERN MONMOUTH, NEW JERSEY
From 26-DEC-10 16:00:00 to 27-DEC-10 00:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Heavy Snow in SALEM, NEW JERSEY
From 26-DEC-10 11:00:00 to 27-DEC-10 06:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Heavy Snow in CUMBERLAND, NEW JERSEY
From 26-DEC-10 08:00:00 to 27-DEC-10 06:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Heavy Snow in CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY
From 26-DEC-10 10:30:00 to 27-DEC-10 06:30:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Heavy Snow in GLOUCESTER, NEW JERSEY
From 26-DEC-10 11:00:00 to 27-DEC-10 06:30:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Heavy Snow in MIDDLESEX, NEW JERSEY
From 26-DEC-10 11:00:00 to 27-DEC-10 07:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Heavy Snow in SOMERSET, NEW JERSEY
From 26-DEC-10 11:00:00 to 27-DEC-10 07:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Heavy Snow in MORRIS, NEW JERSEY
From 26-DEC-10 12:00:00 to 27-DEC-10 07:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Heavy Snow in SUSSEX, NEW JERSEY
From 26-DEC-10 12:00:00 to 27-DEC-10 07:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter