Code Blue For Burlington County Thursday Night

With snow in the forecast, Burlington County will be under a Code Blue Weather Emergency Thursday night.

The Burlington County Health Department and Office of Emergency Management have declared a Code Blue Weather Emergency effective 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 28, through 9 a.m. on Friday, March 1, due to the freezing temperatures in the forecast.

County officials will assess weather conditions again on Friday to determine if additional precautions are needed.

A minor clipper system is expected to move through the area between 2 and 4 a.m. delivering periods of moderate snow that will later turn into a mix of snow and sleet as temperatures rise. Snowfall will be steady at first and most of the accumulation is expected within the first two hours.

The expectation is for most of the precipitation to end around 9 a.m. with some possible small isolated spots of sleet at different times in the afternoon.

A Code Blue declaration is made in Burlington County when winter weather conditions pose a threat of serious harm to individuals without shelter. When a Code Blue is enacted it provides for short-term emergency shelters to those in need.

Individuals in need of shelter, or for more information about Code Blue, can call 2-1-1. Callers will be prompted to press 2-1 for homeless individuals, then asked for the first three letters of their county or county code. For Burlington County, please press 2-8-7.

During a Code Blue declaration, residents are encouraged to stay indoors in heated areas. Caution should also be taken with pets during freezing temperatures.

For general cold weather precautions, check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website: https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/winter/.