The first widespread snow of the season is blowing into New Jersey with gusty winds

NEW JERSEY – New Jersey residents will see their first widespread snow of the winter season Wednesday night into Thursday night, blowing into the region from a Canadian storm with strong winds that could trigger snow squalls and create dangerous conditions.

The storm will hit Wednesday evening, bringing “some rain and snow showers as well as strong winds and temperatures remaining below normal,” the National Weather Service said.

North Jersey will see mostly snow, and south will see more of a mix of rain and snow, while coastal areas will see just rain.

Clumps will be easy to pollinate throughout most of the Garden State. However, one to two inches of snow could accumulate in the higher elevations in the northwest part of the state.

The real concern is Thursday morning as conditions could make for a slippery and dangerous commute.

A wind advisory is in effect for all of New Jersey from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday, with strong westerly winds of 20 to 35 mph and gusts up to 55 mph, National Weather Service forecasters said.

With these strong winds and snow showers, especially in North Jersey, roads could become slick. Snow squalls could also form here, reducing visibility.

“A brief blanket of snow, lasting just a few minutes before melting on bridges and overpasses, may be enough to create dangerous conditions for the Thursday morning commute,” AccuWeatherforecasters said.

If you haven’t already secured your loose outdoor items like trash cans or Christmas decorations, now is the time to do so.

“Winds will be howling in the northeast Thursday afternoon and evening,” said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist John Feerick.

Meteorologists warn that this could lead to tree damage and isolated power outages.

And the strong Arctic winds could cause airline delays, according to AccuWeather forecasters.

Here is the latest forecast.

North Jersey

Wednesday: Increasing clouds, with a high near 38. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Wednesday Night: Snow showers likely, mostly after 3am. Cloudy, with a low around 34. Southwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. The chance of precipitation is 60 percent. New snow accumulation of less than an inch possible.

Thursday: A chance of snow showers, mainly before 11am. Partly sunny, with a high near 37. Windy, with a west wind 15 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 50 mph. The chance of precipitation is 50 percent. New snow accumulation of less than half an inch possible.

Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 25. Windy, with a west wind 15 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 45 mph.

Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 34. Windy, with a northwest wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 23.

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high of around 37°C.

Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 25°C.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high around 45°C.

Sunday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 33°C.

Central Jersey

Wednesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 40. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.