Blizzard Warnings Cover South Jersey Including Vineland Feb. 22 and 23

Vineland and much of Cumberland County are under a winter storm warning for Sunday, Feb. 22 through Monday, Feb. 23, while the National Weather Service has issued blizzard warnings for Atlantic, Cape May, Ocean and coastal Monmouth counties that will bring whiteout conditions along the shore. The state’s emergency posture is clear: Gov. Mikie Sherrill declared a state of emergency effective at noon on Feb. 22 for all 21 counties.

The NWS Westampton office and the Mount Holly office issued the county-level products that differ slightly in start times and scope. Westampton’s bulletin put a blizzard warning for shore communities from 1 p.m. Sunday to 6 p.m. Monday and a winter storm warning for the rest of South Jersey from 10 a.m. Sunday to 6 p.m. Monday. AccuWeather’s Vineland point listing reproduces a Blizzard Warning beginning 10:00 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 22 and ending 6:00 p.m. Monday, illustrating how point forecasts may show different start times; Dailyvoice and local notices list Cumberland County under the winter storm warning.

Snow totals vary by county in NWS and media forecasts. Mount Holly and Asbury Park Press highlight Monmouth and Ocean counties with the highest potential - 18 to 24 inches through Monday - while nj.com quoted the NWS saying Atlantic and Cape May could see total accumulations between 12 and 20 inches. Westampton’s forecast for South Jersey more broadly calls for 10 to 18 inches. Forecasters warned that "snowfall rates could exceed 2 inches per hour" and the heaviest snow is expected Sunday night into Monday morning, which could "significantly impact both the Monday morning and Monday evening commutes."

Wind and visibility concerns heighten the threat along the coast. Forecasts cite gusts up to 55 mph in shore areas and up to 40 mph inland or along the Delaware River; nj.com reproduced the NWS advisory phrase "Blizzard conditions expected. Total snow accumulations between 12 and 20 inches. Winds gusting as high as 50 mph." The NWS definition in that advisory explains that blizzard warnings are used when gusts are greater than or equal to 35 mph and falling or blowing snow reduces visibility to less than one quarter mile for three hours or more, and it adds "Do not travel. If you must travel, have a winter survival kit with you. If you get stranded, stay with your vehicle and wait for help to arrive."

Coastal flooding is a parallel hazard for shore communities: Westampton issued a coastal flood watch for Sunday evening into late Sunday night and warned one to two feet of inundation above ground level is possible in low-lying areas near shorelines and tidal waterways. Local emergency services have begun circulating briefings; Vineland Fire Department shared its latest briefing overview, and state officials are preparing for worst-case impacts. As Asbury Park Press quoted a local official, "There is that potential, but we're preparing for the worst case scenario."

Expect travel to be "very difficult to impossible" across the region and restricted to emergencies along the shore, the NWS and media outlets said, with hazardous conditions likely to affect Monday commutes. Gov. Sherrill’s state-of-emergency declaration is effective noon Feb. 22; Vineland residents should monitor updates from the Vineland Fire Department and the NWS Westampton and Mount Holly offices for county-specific start times, shelter information and street-level advisories.