Snow way! Temp drops below zero … in deep South Jersey

The weekend snow totals inverted the usual pattern, the heftiest amounts to the south and east of the city.

And the Monday morning low temperatures paralleled that inverted look.

Accumulations of 6 to 9 inches were common in South Jersey and southern Delaware, and they had quite a chilling effect after the sun went down Sunday.

Calm winds and a dense snowpack were ideal for efficiently radiating any solar heat into space.

In Millville, the temperature dropped all the way to 4 below zero, said Walter Drag, meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Mount Holly.

Mount Holly, where about 6 inches fell, got down to 2, and Georgetown, Del., also had a 2-degree record, tying a record for the date.

West of the Delaware, the snow totals were less impressive, and so were the Monday morning lows.

Normally polar Doylestown couldn't get lower than 6, and Pottstown, 7, according to the hourly reports.

At Philadelphia International Airport, where 2 inches of snow remained on the ground on Monday morning, the low bottomed out at a balmy 12.

The airport station, which is in a tough environment near runways, the Delaware River, and a swamp, hasn't seen a zero reading in 23 years.

It won't see any for awhile either. Temperatures are forecast to go above freezing at lunchtime tomorrow, and stay there until at least Sunday morning.

Although short-lived, the last four days have been seriously wintry, with temperatures averaging better than 8 degrees below normal, with close to 5 inches of snow.

Said Drag, "It's a refreshing reminder of what winter can be."