UPDATE (4:50 p.m. Tuesday): Light snow could make for slick roads Wednesday morning

The Wednesday morning commute in New Jersey could be tricky with the latest weather forecast calling for 1 to 3 inches of snow for much of the state with the potential for slippery roads, reduced visibility and potentially hazardous conditions during the early rush hour.

The good news is that the snowfall will be short-lived. Precipitation should be gone ahead of the Wednesday evening rush as cold air settles in across New Jersey for a couple of days, according to the National Weather Service.

The northern half of New Jersey could see 1 to 3 inches of snow during the Wednesday morning commute.

The northern half of New Jersey could see 1 to 3 inches of snow during the Wednesday morning commute.

Snowfall totals won’t amount to much - 1 to 2 inches for much of North and Central Jersey with a couple spots where up to 3 inches is possible. South Jersey can expect less than inch of snow as can coastal areas south of Toms River. The weather service said the snow totals could shift slightly either way, depending on when rain changes to snow and whether the ground cools enough for accumulation.

A winter weather advisory is in effect from 3 a.m. to 11 a.m. for Eastern Bergen, Eastern Essex, Eastern Union and Hudson counties, which are covered by the weather service’s New York office. The weather service’s Mount Holly office, which handles the other 16 counties in New Jersey, hasn’t issued any advisories so far. Passaic County, which also is covered by the New York office, is also not under any watches or warnings.

Want more weather news? Enter your email address to be the first to know:

Snow should start in New Jersey around 11 p.m. Tuesday and by 5 a.m. Wednesday, snow could be falling across much of the state.

Snow will begin falling in northwestern New Jersey by 11 p.m. Tuesday and work its way south and east. By 5 a.m snow will overspread North Jersey and most of Central Jersey.

“Road conditions will be on the wet to perhaps slushy side rather than seeing significant snow accumulations,” the weather service said in its Tuesday morning forecasts discussion, noting the well-above normal temperatures on Monday and again Tuesday, which is starting out unseasonably mild.

As of 6:30 a.m. Tuesday, temperatures range from 43 in Sandyston to 62 in the Cape May Court House section of Middle Township, according to the state climatologist’s office. We’re also at 60 in Egg Harbor Township and Woodbine early Tuesday. Most of the state is in the 50s.

There will be periods of light rain on Tuesday beginning late this morning and continuing though the day before temperatures drop sharply this evening and set the stage for the precipitation to change to snow.

The northern half of New Jersey could see 1 to 3 inches of snow during the Wednesday morning commute.

It’ll stay dry and chilly after the snow clears out - wind chill values on Wednesday night into Thursday could dip into the teens and highs on Thursday wills struggle to get above the freezing mark.

Conditions will be somewhat milder on Friday - in the mid 40s, but there’s a chance of another round of rain Friday afternoon and again on Saturday.

CURRENT NEW JERSEY RADAR

7-DAY FORECAST

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.com’s newsletters.