Near-Blizzard Conditions, Extreme Cold Headed This Way

If you're thinking it's time to stock up on milk and bread, this might be a good time to do it. The North Jersey area will be inundated with as much as 9 inches of snow, along with freezing rain, sleet, whipping winds, and temperatures in teens and single digits starting early Thursday.

WeatherWorks in Hackettstown is predicting that the messy weather will start early Thursday morning, with light snow and freezing rain that will create icy patches and coat roadways. Snowfall is expected to be intermittent during the day, leaving as much as an inch before the storm picks up later in the day.

The core of the storm will hit the area by late Thursday in time to cause problems for the evening commute, said Sean Rowland, a WeatherWorks meteorologist.

Heavy snow will start, along with gusting winds that will create snow drifts and hazardous conditions on roads. Temperatures are expected to drop into the teens and lower before the snow ends Friday morning.