Classes, Flights Canceled, Code Blue in Effect as County Prepares for Blizzard

The Camden County Library System is closed this weekend, classes at area colleges have been canceled and a Code Blue is in effect as Camden County prepares for a blizzard that threatens to dump up to 18 inches of snow on South Jersey this weekend.

“The storm is only hours away from arrival and I want to be clear that we are strongly discouraging travel during this weather event. Vehicles should be tucked into driveways and away from plows so we can be as efficient and effective as possible with our snow clearing operation,” Camden County Freeholder Susan Shin Angulo, liaison to the Camden County Department of Public Works said. “This will be an all hands on deck initiative, we have cancelled all employee vacations and will be utilizing every individual and truck to combat this storm system. During the duration of this event employees will be on the job to keep roadways clear and have already preemptively been applying brine solution to the county roadways.”

The latest forecast shows increasing clouds and snow starting between 6 and 9 p.m. tonight. The snow will quickly become heavy with one to two inch accumulations per hour.

Friday night wind gusts will begin to build to 35-45 mph. Saturday will give way to periods of snow and sleet with a high of 30 degrees and a daytime accumulation of four to eight inches.

At night the sleet mix will turn back to all snow, diminishing in the early morning hours of Sunday with a low temperature of 20 degrees.

The forecasted deluge of snow should end between 12 and 18 inches on Sunday morning.

Regional travel has already been significantly impacted with the cancellation of all flights out of Philadelphia International Airport. In addition,Saturday classes at Rutgers-Camden have been cancelled and the Camden County Library System will be closed for the weekend. Camden County College has also cancelled all events and classes on Saturday and Sunday.

The Cooper River Boathouse and the Cooper River Ice Rink will also be closed for the duration of the storm event.

The South Jersey Interscholastic Swimming Association high school coaches invitational meets scheduled for Gloucester Tech on Saturday have been postponed to next Saturday, Jan. 30, according to nj.com.

Division A will still swim at 10 a.m., followed by Division B at 4 p.m.

A Code Blue Emergency has been declared across the county, beginning at 6 p.m. Friday night and concluding 7 a.m. Monday morning.

In Collingswood, warming centers can be found at the following locations:

• Collingswood Borough Municipal Building, 678 Haddon Avenue;
• Collingswood Fire House, 20 West Collings Avenue;
• Collingswood Library, 771 Haddon Avenue; and
• Collingswood Senior Center, 30 West Collings Avenue

At the public works complex in Lindenwold, more than 90 pieces of equipment stand ready to clear county roadways. When the weather becomes treacherous, personnel will be dispatched to 12 winter maintenance districts to address salt and plow 1,200 lane miles of roadways across Camden County. The county’s response plan calls for crews to be dispatched only to the zones where they are needed.

In light of the high winds and heavy snow, crews will ensure all chainsaws and chippers are tuned up for tree removal operations. Also, all mechanics will be called in to make sure plows and trucks stay on the road during the duration of the storm.

“As always, when the weather turns hazardous we recommend that motorists remain cautious and give themselves extra time to reach their destinations,” Shin Angulo said. “Anyone on the roadways during these times should be prepared to encounter slick road conditions. Remember to leave at least six car lengths behind our DPW vehicles while they work, and move any cars off the street and into a driveway while we continue our plowing operations. Remember that it is illegal in New Jersey to plow or shovel snow from private property into roadways.”

Officials are reminding residents to take advantage of the county’s snow removal program, which is available to help seniors and disabled individuals get out of their homes for necessities such as prescriptions or medical appointments.

The program uses Camden County Jail inmates who are carefully screened, non-violent offenders who are guarded at all times on the job site by corrections officers.

In the event that the weather causes isolated power outages, residents should immediately call your utility company so they can identify the location and coordinate crews to restore your power. This storm has the potential to bring down trees and power lines residents need to be extra cognizant of any power failures. Below are numbers and contact info for the two power providers in Camden County:

• PSE&G: 1-800-436-PSEG (7734)
• PSEG website: http://pseg.com/home/customer_service/outage_info/index.jsp
• Atlantic City Electric: 1-800-833-7476
• Atlantic City Electric website: http://www.atlanticcityelectric.com/home/
• South Jersey Gas: 1-800-582-7060
• South Jersey Gas website: http://southjerseygas.com/

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