Gusty winds, school delays, slippery commutes after a snowstorm in New Jersey

NEW JERSEY – The Garden State’s first widespread snowfall of the season brought squalls and delays to the area and will be followed by a very windy day with gusts up to 55 mph.

A brisk commute is planned for the morning. Earlier, a “dangerous snow squall” was spotted in Warren and Hunterdon counties en route to Pennsylvania, the National Weather Service said, although the threat of snow squalls will decrease as the morning progresses. Gusty winds were also seen in Morris County, moving toward Somerset County.

Snow squall warnings were issued for Sussex, Passaic, Warren, Hunterdon, Somerset, Mercer and Middlesex counties through 10:15 a.m

“Rain showers will transition to snow showers along I-95 Thursday morning and midday. In most cases the snow showers will only result in wet roads. However, there will be a sudden drop in visibility, and that alone can increase the risk of accidents,” AccuWeather meteorologist Alyssa Glenny said.

There was only a little snow in most areas. According to the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network, two inches of snow fell in Randolph in Morris County and nearly two inches in Holland Township in Hunterdon County.

Some schools in North and Central Jersey experienced delays Thursday morning. The full list can be found below.

The biggest concern Thursday will be the strong winds in the wake of the storm, as showers will sweep across the state during the first half of the morning. A wind warning is issued statewide from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., with gusts up to 55 mph in coastal areas and 50 mph inland areas. The worst of this is expected late morning into the afternoon, according to meteorologists with the National Weather Service.

Strong winds like these could send Christmas decorations flying, trigger power outages and break large tree branches.

Temperatures will also drop to the low to mid 30s by sunset, and the cool wind should make it feel a good 10 degrees colder.

The following counties have a delayed opening Thursday, according to NJ Advance Media.

Hunterdon County

• Bethlehem
• California
• Clinton Public School
• Clinton Township
• Franklin
• High bridge
• North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional
• Tewksbury
• union

Sussex County

• Andover Regional
• Frankford
• Fredon
• Green community
• Hamburg
• Hardyston
• climax
• Hopatcong
• Kittatinny
• Montague
• Ogdensburg
• Sparta
• still water
• Sussex Wantage
• Vernon
• Wallkill Valley