N.J. weather: More snow is on the way, with up to 8 inches expected in parts of state

With winter storm watches upgraded to warnings across most of New Jersey, weather forecasters predict as much as 8 inches of snow could fall Sunday in some parts of the Garden State, warning that travel could be treacherous.

But some snowfall projections — especially in coastal areas — have been lowered from earlier forecasts, because warmer air might allow rain and sleet to mix in with the snow.

Starting around sunrise on Sunday, heavy snowfall is expected to hit much of New Jersey, with higher amounts in Central Jersey, according to the National Weather Service. The snow expected to blanket the state will lead to dangerous traveling conditions, meteorologists said.

The heaviest snow is expected between 6 and 10 a.m., when visibility may be reduced to a quarter-mile and snowfall rates could reach 1 inch per hour, according to the Weather Service.

As of Saturday morning, winter storm warnings and advisories were in effect for 15 counties, including Bergen, Burlington, Camden, Essex, Gloucester, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Morris, Monmouth, parts of Passaic, Salem, Somerset and Union counties. Most of the watches last through 7 p.m Sunday.

Along the coast, snowfall will be dependent on the timing and duration of a wintry mix of snow and rain, the weather service said. Though as of Saturday morning, the exact location of the heaviest snow is still uncertain, snowfall as much as 8 inches were possible in a narrow bands of the state.

According to the weather service office in Mount Holly, most of the heaviest snowfall will be concentrated around the I-95 corridor.

The winter precipitation is expected to first hit South Jersey in the Vineland area, around 3 a.m. before moving north around 4 a.m. to areas including Toms River, moving to Central Jersey between 4 and 5 a.m., before finally hitting North Jersey around 7 a.m., according to the weather service.

Snow is expected to start in Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Passaic and Union counties a bit later Sunday morning, around 9 a.m., according to the National Weather Service in Mount Holly.

The weekend snowfall is not expected to be as heavy as the slow-moving winter storm earlier this week that blanketed northern counties with 20 to 30 inches.

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Rodrigo Torrejon may be reached at rtorrejon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @rodrigotorrejon.