School Closures, Snow Totals In Holmdel-Hazlet During Nor’easter

HOLMDEL-HAZLET, NJ - A “major" nor'easter hit the Holmdel-Hazlet area on Monday, producing over 13.5 inches of snow as of Monday evening and 30 mph winds, prompting municipal and school closures.

The National Weather Service labeled the "major" system a "nor'easter" since it's expected to produce strong, sustained damaging winds and precipitation over a 24-hour period on Monday and into Tuesday.

The storm was expected to be fierce enough to cause power outages and more was expected to arrive overnight and into Tuesday (see the forecast below).

A winter storm warning for the area was issued at 2:55 a.m. on Feb. 1 until 1 p.m. Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service. Locals should expect heavy snow, additional snow accumulations of 10 to 15 inches and wind gusts as high as 40 mph.

A coastal flooding warning was also issued for Middlesex, Western Monmouth, Eastern Monmouth, Ocean, and Southeastern Burlington counties on Feb. 1 from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Feb. 2 by the National Weather Service.

In Hazlet, residents are welcome to park vehicles in the Hazlet Pool Club lot so plows can clear the streets. Township ordinance 372-1 allows residents 12 hours of daylight after the snowfall to clear sidewalks, according to the Hazlet Township Police Department.

Regarding the expected snowstorm coming...Keeping the roads clear and safe is of utmost importance. Please help the DPW clear your neighborhood streets by moving parked cars off the roadway. Residents are welcome to move vehicles to the Swim Club lot or any other township lot. pic.twitter.com/aHgaP3rHwB
— Township of Hazlet (@TwpofHazlet) January 30, 2021

The Holmdel Township School District announced a snow day on Monday, following in the footsteps of nearby districts in Freehold Township, Manalapan-Englishtown, Belmar and Neptune Township. All Holmdel Township Public School buildings will be closed on Feb. 2, with students attending a four-hour virtual learning day.

The Hazlet Township Public School District operated on an all-remote schedule on Monday with a snow day on Tuesday.

The Holmdel Recycling Center will be closed on Feb. 1 and Feb. 3 due to the inclement weather. The center will reopen on Feb. 5.

In Hazlet, curbside recycling pickup is canceled on Tuesday with no makeup date. The township recycling yard will be closed Monday and Tuesday.

Hazlet Township’s town hall, library and municipal court are also closed Monday.

“The safest place to be is at home tonight and tomorrow, if at all possible,” said Hazlet Township Mayor Tara Clark, according to a statement posted to the municipal website. “Beginning this morning, our township DPW crews have been applying de-icing materials. They will be on the roads throughout this snowstorm. Please remove vehicles from streets to allow plows to do their job.”

State officials said they have more than 400 pieces of road equipment available to make the roads safe, even though fewer people are taking to the roads because of the coronavirus. Monmouth county officials have also announced the deployment of 250 trucks and equipment to prepare roads ahead of the storm.

"My fellow Commissioners and I advise anyone who needs to travel during this storm to proceed with caution and allow for extra time to get where they are going as roadways will be slippery," said Commissioner Director Thomas A. Arnone, liaison to the Monmouth County Department of Public Works and Engineering.

“If you come across County snow and ice control trucks and equipment, make sure to give them room to do their work."

Power outage updates and estimated restoration times, cause and crew status can be viewed on JCP&L’s live map: http://spr.ly/NJOutageMap. If a power outage occurs, you can report the outage to First Energy at 1-888-544-4877 (1-888-LIGHTSS).

Here is the latest forecast:

Monday night: Snow before 9 p.m., then rain and snow between 9 p.m. and midnight and snow after midnight. Low temperatures around 29. North winds at 15 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent. New snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches is possible.

Tuesday: Snow will be likely with high temperatures near 34. North winds around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.

Tuesday night: A chance of rain showers, snow showers and freezing rain before 11 p.m., then a chance of snow showers between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. Cloudy, with low temperatures around 25. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.