WEATHER ALERT: Speed Restrictions, Accidents As Snow Hits New Jersey

Snow hit New Jersey on Wednesday, though much of it stayed in South Jersey as commuters dealt with slick roads and speed restrictions on the Garden State Parkway and New Jersey Turnpike.

Two to four inches of snow was still expected to fall on much of the state before Thursday at 9 a.m. following a period of cold weather -- both of which could make a mess of the morning commute.

Snow was moving north and was supposed to fall on most of the state by 7 a.m., according to the National Weather Service. Weather Channel radar shows snow moving toward Essex, Morris and Bergen counties.

The National Weather Service has issued alerts, saying patchy black ice is possible into the rush hour since temperatures are supposed to fall below freezing from eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Some districts had already taken precautions and canceled activities on Wednesday night, or delayed openings on Thursday. Click here for more details.

Speed restrictions of 45 mph were imposed on the New Jersey Turnpike, from the Delaware Memorial Bridge to north of Exit 8A in South Brunswick, and on the Garden State Parkway from Cape May to north of Exit 100B in Tinton Falls, Monmouth County.

Outside of the swath of heavy snow, the main time for travel problems along the I-95 corridor from Philadelphia to New York City on Wednesday will be during the evening and overnight hours, AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist Dave Dombek said in a release.

“The snow will struggle to accumulate within this zone during the day due to above-freezing temperatures and melting,” Dombek said. “During the evening, the worse it can get for travelers as temperatures fall.”

Other possible weather-related accidents include:

• The footwalk on the Ben Franklin Bridge between New Jersey and Philadelphia was closed in both directions Wednesday night.
• There was an accident on I-295 northbound approaching Exit 36 in Mount Laurel Twp. The right shoulder was blocked
• There was an accident with injuries on U.S. 206 involving a pedestrian in Mansfield.

Residual moisture from some scattered light showers may remain on area roadways and sidewalks. As a result, patchy ice is possible, according to the National Weather Service.

If you will be out Thursday morning, use extra caution. There may be some ice on roadways, walkways, and parking lots, according to the National Weather Service.

The National Weather Service has also issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook, saying a period of accumulating snow is expected across much of the region Wednesday afternoon and evening, and last until 7 a.m. Thursday.

The snow could lead to slippery travel, which may adversely affect the Wednesday evening commute. Amounts are expected to range from one to two inches, according to the National Weather Service.

RELATED STORIES:

• UPDATE: Season’s Biggest Snowstorm Will Dump On New Jersey Wednesday
• WATCH: Video Shows Truck Crash, Nearly Flip On New Jersey Turnpike
• Black Ice, Freezing Rain Cause 38-Car Pileup on NJ Turnpike

In preparation for the winter weather, roads in Barnegat, N.J. and elsewhere were pretreated with a brine or salt solution on Tuesday. This treatment of the roads will continue early Wednesday morning.

The storm comes after a wintry mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain soaked the region on Sunday morning, and much of that rain and wetness froze on New Jersey roads on Monday.