Good morning! I'm Aaron Jolly. And welcome to the New Jersey Weather Podcast — it's Sunday, February 22nd.

Folks, I'm not one for hyperbole, but this is the real deal. We're about to get slammed by a blizzard that meteorologists will be talking about for years. Right now, you're at 35 degrees. By tonight, you'll be buried under two feet of snow with winds strong enough to knock down power lines.

Here's how this unfolds. Light rain starts mid-morning, changing to all snow by 2 P.M. Statewide. Then the storm goes nuclear. Between 6 P.M. Tonight and 6 A.M. Monday, you're looking at snowfall rates of one to three inches per hour — that's faster than plows can keep up. Winds gust to 45 to 60 miles an hour. That's hurricane force. Visibility drops to zero in whiteout conditions.

Down along the coast, you've got a second problem. High tide tonight around 9 P.M. Brings one to two feet of coastal flooding. Water will be in the streets, possibly in homes. If you live near the shore, move your car to higher ground now.

North Jersey, you're looking at 14 to 20 inches tonight, with another 9 to 13 inches Monday. Central Jersey, 15 to 21 inches tonight, plus 9 to 13 Monday. South Jersey, 13 to 19 inches tonight, 19 degrees to 14 Monday. Wind chills drop to the teens.

The week ahead? Tuesday brings bitter cold and sunshine. Wednesday through Friday, we start the slow melt with highs in the low 40s and a rain-snow mix. Saturday finally gives us a break — sunny and 45 degrees.

Don't travel unless it's an emergency. This is the kind of storm where you hunker down and wait it out.

Alright. If this heads-up helped you prep, share it with someone who needs to hear it.

That's your forecast — we'll be back tomorrow.