Up to 4 inches of snow expected in North Jersey from late-winter storm

North Jersey is expected to get as much as 4 inches of snow from a storm that forecasters said would hit the state starting Wednesday morning and might cause flooding in areas at the shore that were ravaged by by superstorm Sandy.

Officials in two shore communities, Toms River and Brick Township, asked residents to voluntarily evacuate in advance of the storm, saying many homes are in danger because protective sand dunes damaged when Sandy made landfall in late October have not been fully repaired.

The center of the latest storm is expected to pass just south of the state and head out to sea, but will bring 2 to 4 inches of snow to North Jersey, most of it falling Wednesday afternoon through Thursday morning, said Joey Picca, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

Snow is forecast to start falling in North Jersey early Wednesday morning, with a mix of snow and rain expected in areas that are the farthest east, Picca said. The precipitation will turn to all snow across the entire region by evening and will continue steadily through Thursday morning, he said.

Wind gusts are forecast to reach 40 mph in North Jersey at the height of the storm on Wednesday night, Picca said. At the shore, forecasters said, 60 mph gusts and 20-foot-high waves on the Atlantic Ocean are expected to create moderate to major flooding in some areas.

The weather service issued a winter storm warning for the state from 4 a.m. Wednesday until 3 a.m. Thursday and a coastal flood warning from 1 to 8 a.m. Thursday for the Atlantic coast, and for the Barnegat, Raritan and Delaware bays. The same storm was responsible for a foot of snow that fell in parts of the Midwest on Tuesday.

Forecasters said some dunes at the Jersey Shore could be breached and some property damage is possible. They called for wet and heavy snow across the state, creating the potential for power outages caused by tree limbs falling on wires.

Michael Drewniak, a spokesman for Governor Christie, said state officials are monitoring the storm and would “mobilize resources as needed.”

“There is concern; there always is when you have a significant storm bearing down and, let’s face it, we’re all still a little shell-shocked from Sandy,” Drewniak said. “Let’s hope there’s more hype to this than what actually occurs.”

Christie is scheduled to travel to Florida Thursday to attend fundraisers for his reelection bid, said his campaign spokesman, Michael DuHaime. He also is scheduled to speak at the Republican National Committee's quarterly finance meeting in Miami Friday night — a gathering of top donors to the party and politicians who are considered presidential contenders.

Officials in Brick are anticipating high tides 2 feet above normal over the next few days, said Sgt. Keith Reinhard of the township police. “A complete wash-over of the beaches is likely Wednesday night, and beach erosion will be an issue due to the persistent high tides and rough surf,” he said.

Shore residents expressed nervousness over the prospect of more flooding in an area where many homes were damaged during Sandy. One Long Beach Township resident, Pat Newman, said her house was largely spared, but a dune that protected the area was badly damaged, with 6 feet taken off the top.

“They pushed sand up there to try to fill some in, but we’re still not back to where we were,” she said.

In North Jersey, snow is expected to taper off on Thursday but precipitation may continue, probably in the form of rain, through Friday afternoon as the storm lingers off the coast, said Picca, of the weather service.

The region’s forecast for Saturday is for sunny skies and a high temperature of 49 degrees.

Staff Writer Melissa Hayes contributed to this article, which includes material from The Associated Press. Email: koloff@northjersey.com