Newark, NJ – New Jersey may be setting up for a stronger-than-usual chance at a white Christmas this year, with new NOAA long-range outlooks pointing to a colder and wetter pattern from December 13–26 — the busiest holiday travel stretch for the Northeast.
According to NOAA, New Jersey sits inside a broad “Above Normal” precipitation zone stretching from the Mid-Atlantic through New England. This signals an active storm track capable of sending several systems up the East Coast, some of which could bring accumulating snow if temperatures remain cold enough.
Temperature trends support that possibility. NOAA places much of New Jersey within a “Leaning Below Normal” temperature corridor, indicating colder-than-average air is likely to settle over the region during the second half of December. This is a crucial factor for coastal states like New Jersey, where small temperature swings can flip a storm from rain to a wintry mix — or to snow.
According to NOAA meteorologists, the combination of increased moisture and a colder air mass historically boosts white Christmas odds across the Mid-Atlantic. North Jersey and higher-elevation areas such as Sussex and Morris counties typically have the best chances, but this year’s setup also improves prospects for more populated areas including Newark, Jersey City, and the I-95 corridor.
While individual storms cannot be pinpointed yet, meteorologists highlight the December 18–24 window as potentially active, with multiple systems likely to develop along the East Coast. Any storm tapping into cold air could produce widespread travel impacts right before the holiday.
Residents planning Christmas travel or gatherings should closely monitor updated local forecasts as mid-December approaches and confidence increases regarding storm timing and snowfall amounts.
