Here’s the date to expect NJ’s first snow of the 2024-25 season

Have you felt that chill in the air this week? I cannot believe I am saying this here in mid-October, but winter will be here before you know it! The Winter Solstice — the official change of seasons, and the shortest day of the year — is just 65 days away on Dec. 21, 2024 at 4:19 a.m.

Pretty soon, it will be time to dig out the shovels and road salt, and brave those snowy, icy roads.

But in actuality? New Jersey's historical "snow season" has already begun. (Cue the dramatic music.)

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Let It Snow!

Since detailed weather recordkeeping began in 1895, measurable snow has been recorded in New Jersey in eight of the 12 calendar months: October, November, December, January, February, March, April, and May.

(Fun fact: Technically, a trace of snow accumulation was reported at Philadelphia International Airport this past July — but that was due to hail from a strong thunderstorm.)

So we have a wide window of possibilities for the snow season start date. When is New Jersey's first snow of the season "supposed to" fall? Well, there are a variety of ways to answer that question, depending what snowfall threshold you use.

Recent Snow Season Starts

Last winter, 2023-24, was not as big of a "dud" as recent seasons. But the southern half of the state saw total snowfall well below normal.

According to the Office of the NJ State Climatologist at Rutgers, there were seven winter storms that dumped at least two inches of snow over New Jersey last year. The first such storm of last season clipped North Jersey on Dec. 11, 2023.

Going farther back in time, the 2022-23 snow season also kicked off on Dec. 11, as about two inches of snow fell across parts of Warren, Sussex, Morris, Passaic, and Bergen counties in North Jersey.

The 2021-22 snow season began on Christmas Eve (Dec. 24), as upwards of two inches of snow accumulated across much of North Jersey.

And 2020-21 featured an early start, with a rare October snowfall on Oct. 30.

So when will it snow?

To be clear, I am NOT giving a short-term, plan-your-week kind of weather forecast here. In fact, do not expect any snow any time soon — it is going to be too warm and too dry.

Instead, this is my annual deep dive into some facts, statistics, and big storms based on New Jersey's historical snowfall record.

To be even clearer, the "answer" to the headline of this article? On average, for most of the state, the first substantial snow event occurs around mid to late December<?b>. Right around the actual Winter Solstice. (Keep reading for more.)

Dan Zarrow is Chief Meteorologist for Townsquare Media New Jersey. Check out Dan's weather blog or follow him on Facebook for your latest weather forecast updates.