N.J. Weather: Chris Christie Declares State Of Emergency For Blizzard, Nor'easter

Read update: BREAKING: N.J. Blizzard Nor'easter Arrives: Traffic Crashes, School Closings, Snow Totals, Speed Restrictions

Gov. Chris Christie has declared a state of emergency now that a blizzard-nor'easter is expected to dump as much as 2 feet of snow over much of New Jersey. The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard warning in 13 counties for a nor'easter that could bury New Jersey with anywhere from 4 to 24 inches of snow.

Christie said the severe winter storm is expected to produce significant snow accumulations, with winds gusting up to 60 miles per hour, freezing temperatures, widespread coastal flooding and hazardous whiteout travel conditions.

Read update: BREAKING: N.J. Blizzard Nor'easter Arrives: Traffic Crashes, School Closings, Snow Totals, Speed Restrictions

NJ Transit has also suspended all bus service because of the storm.

Storm warnings have been issued throughout the state as predicted snow totals continue to increase (see below). More than 1,000 flights at Newark Liberty International Airport have been canceled. The NWS is urging people to stay off the roads.

Read more: N.J. School Closings/Delays List - 3/14/17

A blizzard warning is in effect for Sussex, Warren, Morris, Passaic, Bergen, Hudson, Hunterdon, Essex, Union, Somerset, Middlesex, Monmouth and Mercer counties. That warning — along with a winter storm warning issued for the rest of New Jersey — will be in effect from 8 p.m. Monday to 6 p.m. Tuesday.

"During these threatening conditions, I urge all New Jerseyans to remain off the roads so our first responders and public safety officers can safely and efficiently handle emergency situations," Christie said.

Click here to stay up-to-date on storm developments by subscribing to your local Patch emails.

New Jersey roads are expected to be impassable due to significant amounts of heavy, blowing and drifting snow, low visibility and whiteout conditions, with the highest impact expected from late Monday night through Tuesday afternoon. Forecasted snow accumulations from 5 to more than 20 inches are expected in some areas of the state.

Due to the severe winter storm, New Jersey officials have authorized the closing of state offices on Tuesday for all non-essential employees. Essential employees should report to work on their regular schedule. The state director of emergency management will activate and coordinate the preparation, response and recovery efforts for the storm with all county and municipal emergency operations and governmental agencies.

Read more: Hour-By-Hour Forecast Of Upcoming Nor'easter, Possible Blizzard In New Jersey

Here are more details on the storm:

• HAZARD TYPES...Heavy snow and strong winds.
• ACCUMULATIONS...Snow accumulation of 4 to 6 inches in the southern Jersey Shore area, anywhere from 18 to 24 inches nearly everywhere else.
• TIMING...Snow begins Monday evening from southwest to northeast across the warning area, becoming heavy at times with snowfall rates of one to two inches per hour late Monday night and Tuesday morning. Snow will diminish by Tuesday evening.

Here are some of the potential impacts:

• IMPACTS...The heavy snow will make many roads impassable and may produce widespread power outages due to the weight of the snow on tree limbs and power lines.
• WINDS...Northeast 10 to 20 mph with frequent gusts that could exceed 40 mph.
• VISIBILITIES...One quarter mile or less at times.
• TEMPERATURES...From the mid 20s to lower 30s.
• PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
• A blizzard warning means severe winter weather conditions are expected or occurring. Falling and blowing snow with strong winds and poor visibilities are likely.
• The National Weather Service says: "This will lead to whiteout conditions...making travel extremely dangerous. Do not travel. If you must travel...have a winter survival kit with you. If you get stranded...stay with your vehicle."

Here are the alerted areas:

Here are the projected snow totals:

This amount of snow over such a broad, heavily populated area could bring travel to a standstill as snow clogs streets and highways and heavy snow and wind trigger airline delays and flight cancellations, according to AccuWeather.

For thousands of miles of roads in the region, this will be an unusually cold storm for the middle of March. Much of the snow that falls will accumulate on the roads, according to AccuWeather.

Wind gusts can frequently top 40 mph at the height of the storm, which cannot only create blizzard conditions but may break tree limbs and threaten sporadic power outages, according to AccuWeather.

Here is the forecast:

• Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 35. Light and variable wind.
• Monday night: Snow likely, mainly after 2am. The snow could be heavy at times. Increasing clouds, with a low around 27. Northeast wind 5 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New snow accumulation of 3 to 5 inches possible.
• Tuesday: Snow, mainly before 5pm. The snow could be heavy at times. High near 32. Breezy, with a north wind around 25 mph, with gusts as high as 36 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 10 to 14 inches possible.
• Tuesday night: A chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 22. Northwest wind 10 to 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.
• Wednesday: A chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 33. Northwest wind 10 to 17 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

NJ Transit and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said they are taking a number of steps to prepare for the storm.

• Rail cars and locomotives have been winterized and NJ Transit has undergone a preventative maintenance program for heaters and other equipment to prepare for the cold weather.
• Jet-engine-powered snow blowers are available to remove ice and snow from NJ Transit tracks and critical switching areas.
• Trains are equipped with snowplows to clear snow from the rails, and rail Operations have 20,000 pounds of salt
• Melters are able to liquefy 500 tons of snow an hour at the Port Authority airports, and plows and hundreds of pieces of snow equipment are available for bridges and tunnels.
• Tons of salt and sand are available for airport roads, parking lots, bridges and tunnels
• Plow-equipped trains and snow-melting materials can clear the agency's PATH station tracks and facilities.

Out of an abundance of caution and safety, NJ Transit is making service changes for Tuesday, March 14, due to the forecasted severe winter weather expected to hit the region. NJ Transit encourages all customers to prepare their transportation needs in advance of the storm, if they must travel.

All bus and access link service will begin shutting down at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday morning. Customers should expect those services to remain suspended for the duration of Tuesday’s service day. Service is anticipated to resume on Wednesday as weather and road conditions allow.

All but one rail line will operate on a weekend schedule on Tuesday for as long as weather conditions allow trains to operate safely. Customers should be aware that weekend rail service does not extend west of Raritan on the Raritan Valley Line, west of Dover on the M&E Line or west of Bay Street on the Montclair-Boonton Line. The Atlantic City Rail Line will operate on a regular weekday schedule. Pascack Valley Line trains will add Teterboro and Woodcliff Lakes stops, and Train 2125 will operate as a local making all station stops.

Hudson-Bergen Light Rail will operate on a weekend schedule with the addition of service, operating every 20 minutes, between Tonnelle Ave. and Hoboken Terminal. Newark Light Rail will operate on a Saturday schedule. RiverLINE service will operate on a Sunday schedule.

Systemwide Cross-Honoring in Effect: To give customers additional travel options – if they must travel – during expected winter weather conditions, NJ Transit will offer full system-wide cross-honoring, enabling customers to use their ticket or pass on an alternate travel mode — rail, light rail, PATH or ferry.

As a reminder, on Tuesday, March 14, all bus service will be suspended. For example, customers who normally take the bus from Rutherford to the Port Authority Bus Terminal may use their bus pass or ticket on the train from Rutherford to New York Penn Station. Similarly, customers who normally take the bus between Atlantic City and Lindenwold may use the Atlantic City Rail Line instead at no additional charge. NY Waterway and Billybey ferries will accept NJ Transit tickets and passes.

All customers are strongly advised to check njtransit.com before traveling for up-to-the-minute service information before starting their trip. NJ Transit will have a special winter storm section on the homepage of its website.

NJ Transit will continue to monitor the weather conditions and impacts to services as the storm progresses. For the latest travel information, customers should visit njtransit.com, access NJ Transit’s Twitter feed at @NJTRANSIT or listen to broadcast traffic reports. Additionally, NJ Transist will provide the most current service information via the My Transit alert system (www.njtransit.com/mytransit), which delivers travel advisories for your specific trip to your smartphone. Service information is also available by calling (973) 275-5555.

Rail and light rail crews and equipment are on standby to quickly respond to downed trees, power outages or other issues that may arise. In addition, NJ Transit will be positioning locomotives at strategic locations across the rail system to rapidly respond in the event of a disabled train. NJ Transit’s employee Emergency Response Team will be at Newark Penn Station, Secaucus Transfer and Penn Station New York to assist customers who must travel on Tuesday.

Patch file photo