Many snowstorms have hit the state in December and the first few weeks of January. But are accumulation numbers running higher than normal?

Two towns in Sussex County — Walpack and Sandyston — reported overnight low temperatures of -16 degrees between 7 and 8 a.m. Wednesday morning before Walpack dropped a bit more, down to -17 degrees one hour later, according to data from the Rutgers NJ Weather Network, overseen by the state climatologist’s office.

This week, the National Weather Service issued a new type of alert to better inform the public about the conditions we are experiencing.

New Jersey will experience the coldest conditions of the winter so far over the next couple of days with temperatures below freezing until Friday, forecasters say. Highs will only reach the upper teens and low 20s on Tuesday and Wednesday before plunging into the single digits overnight with widespread wind chill values between 5 and -5 degrees,

An unusual weather phenomenon known as thundersnow was reported near Essex County Sunday evening, according to the National Weather Service. The rare weather event was reported around 6:17 p.m.

The NWS extends a Cold Weather Advisory for the region including parts of Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and southeast Pennsylvania.

The quick moving snowstorm brought frigid temperatures to New Jersey, with wind making it feel like single digits. The cold is expected to last all week.

The snow started falling in the early afternoon and will become heavier in the early evening, the National Weather Service reported.

“The safety of our plungers is always No. 1 on our minds,” said Jeremy Davis, who helps run the annual Polar Bear Plunge at Seaside Heights for Special Olympics New Jersey. “If it dips below freezing and becomes too dangerous, we would certainly have to make alternate plans.”

Snow will start falling between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. in North Jersey and could begin as a brief wintery mix before turning to snow by early afternoon.

By the time March, April, and May come along, even the most ardent snow-lovers can suffer from winter weather fatigue. After all the shoveling and plowing and salting and slipping and sliding and bundling up, the flip from winter to spring is usually a welcome one.

This new type of weather warning was activated because of the dangerously cold temperatures and wind-chill readings in northeastern Pennsylvania.