Wind, rain storm to blast N.J. Coldest Christmas in 30 years in forecast.

New Jersey is expected to be hit with some nasty weather Thursday night into Friday that includes heavy rain and winds gusts as high as 50 mph ahead of a deep plunge in temperatures that could make it the coldest Christmas in 30 years, forecasters say.

Though only a portion of the Garden State will see a brief shot of wintry precipitation, the winter storm that will impact a large chunk of the United States could still deliver a disruptive punch as New Jerseyans travel ahead of Christmas weekend.

Forecasters say 1 to 2 inches of rain is expected to fall n New Jersey between Thursday and Friday when temperatures climb into the 50s, but the timing of when the precipitation will start and end remains uncertain.

Wind gusts in New Jersey on Friday and Saturday could reach 40 to 50 mph, and maybe even higher along the Atlantic coast, according to AccuWeather.com.AccuWeather.com

The earlier it starts, the higher the chance for some form of wintry mix at onset, the National Weather Services Mount Holly office said in its Tuesday morning forecast discussion. Some mix of snow/rain/freezing rain is briefly possible .. but overall impacts from any snow or ice are not expected to be significant.

Any snow or freezing rain Thursday is most likely to fall north and west of the Interstate 95 corridor. Little to no accumulation is expected though.

The heaviest of the rain is expected to fall overnight into Friday, with the strongest of the winds on Friday. Gusts, especially along the Jersey Shore, are expected to reach 46 mph or greater. If the forecast holds, weather service will likely issue wind advisories ahead of time. Forecasters said inland gusts could also reach 40 mph or more.

Wind gusts up to 50 mph and heavy rain are expected with a late-week storm before temperatures plunge for Christmas weekend.

Temperatures are expected to plunge Friday night into Saturday, dropping into the teens and paving the way for frigid conditions on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Both days will be sunny, but highs will only top out in the 20s and gusty winds will stick around on Saturday. Wind-chill values will be even colder.

Our current forecast high temperatures for Philadelphia on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are in the 20s, the weather service said. The last time that happened was 1989, making this Christmas Eve/Christmas Day potentially the coldest in over 30 years.

AccuWeather.com is concerned about a drop in temperatures Friday night, which could lead to frozen conditions on roads and other potential travel disruptions into Saturday. The weather service, though, called a flash freeze unlikely.

Roads could be slippery Friday night in New Jersey due to sharp drop in temperatures overnight, AccuWeather.com says.AccuWeather.com

The last white Christmas (snow depth or new snowfall of at least an inch) in New York City took place in 2009, according to the weather services New York office.

Ahead of the storm, conditions will be sunny, dry and chilly on Tuesday and Wednesday with highs only in the upper 30s to near 40. Overnight lows both nights will range from the mid-20s to low 30s. Winter officially starts at 4:48 p.m. on Wednesday.Current weather radar

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Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com.