Livingston Prepares For Blizzard: Closures, Trash, Snow Shoveling, Power Outages

LIVINGSTON, NJ — New Jersey is under a state of emergency as a severe winter storm bears down on the state, including Livingston.

The National Weather Service is predicting that up to two feet of snow may fall in Livingston on Sunday and Monday (see local forecast below). Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s state of emergency declaration took effect at noon on Sunday.

“I am announcing speed restriction of 35 miles-per-hour, which will take effect at 3 p.m.,” Sherrill said. “A commercial vehicle ban will also take effect at 3 p.m. [Sunday] on all our highways – except the Turnpike.”

>> READ MORE: Highway Speed Restrictions, Travel Bans In Place As Brutal Blizzard Barrels Into NJ

The National Weather Service has issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook for Livingston, with a Blizzard Warning for the township lasting until 6 p.m. on Monday.

Here’s the 48-hour local forecast for Livingston, as per the NWS:

Sunday Afternoon - Snow. Steady temperature around 33. Wind chill values between 20 and 25. Northeast wind 10 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Total daytime snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.

Sunday Night - Snow. The snow could be heavy at times. Areas of blowing snow after 1am. Low around 27. Wind chill values between 15 and 20. Windy, with a north wind 16 to 26 mph, with gusts as high as 45 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 10 to 16 inches possible.

Monday - Snow, mainly before 1pm. The snow could be heavy at times. Areas of blowing snow before 4pm. High near 35. Wind chill values between 15 and 25. Windy, with a north wind 20 to 28 mph, with gusts as high as 45 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of 3 to 5 inches possible.

Monday Night - Mostly cloudy, with a low around 20. Wind chill values between 10 and 15. Northwest wind 15 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.

LIVINGSTON BATTENS DOWN THE HATCHES

All township offices in Livingston will be closed on Monday, Feb. 23. All offices will reopen on Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 8:30 a.m. if weather conditions permit.

The Livingston Public Library is also closed until Tuesday due to the snow.

Emergency services, including police, fire and DPW, will remain operational as usual.

Here are some other things to know ahead of the snowfall, Livingston town officials say:

GARBAGE AND RECYCLING

Recycling and garbage will not be collected on Monday, Feb. 23.

Next week will be treated the same as a recycling week with a Monday holiday. All recycling collection zones will be pushed back one day, collected Tuesday through Saturday, officials said.

For garbage, the next collection for Monday’s area will be the next regularly scheduled pickup, Thursday, Feb. 26.

DOWNED WIRES

Report downed wires immediately to your electrical utility at one of the phone numbers shown below and contact the Livingston Police Department at 973-992-3000.

Always stay at least 30 feet away from downed wires, even if you believe they are no longer carrying electricity. Use extra caution in areas where downed lines are tangled with trees or other debris. Drivers approaching intersections with inoperable traffic signals should treat those intersections as four-way stops.

HOMEBOUND RESIDENTS

Livingston residents who may need help evacuating their home during an emergency should complete a Homebound Residents Form. The form is available at livingstonnj.org/Homebound. Any resident who needs help evacuating their home in an emergency should call 911.

POWER OUTAGES

In the event of a power outage, report the outage to your electric utility:

JCP&L Customers:

• by calling 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877),
• by clicking the “Report Outage” link on firstenergycorp.com,
• or by texting OUT to LIGHTSS (544487).

PSE&G Customers:

• by calling 1-800-436-PSEG (7734),
• by clicking the "Report Outage" link on nj.pseg.com/outageandgasleaks,
• or by texting OUT to PSE&G (47734).

GENERATORS

If you have a generator, keep it outside and not in the basement, garage, or another part of the house to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. In addition, make sure the generator is placed at a safe distance from any windows or doors by following the manufacturer’s instructions.

SNOW REMOVAL

Do Not Plow, Shovel, or Blow Snow into the Street - Ordinance 274-6 states that residents and their contractors must keep their snow off of Township streets. Police may issue summonses to anyone shoveling, blowing, or plowing snow into the street.

Clear Snow & Ice From Sidewalks - Ordinance 274-6 states that the owner, occupant, or tenant of a property is responsible for clearing snow and ice from the sidewalks on or adjacent to their property. According to the ordinance, once it has been 12 hours since daylight on the day after the snow occurs, the owner, occupant, or tenant of a property with uncleared sidewalks could be subject to a fine of up to $500 per day for each day the sidewalk is not cleared of snow and ice. If homeowners are unable to clear their own property, then it is recommended that they contact a landscaping or snow removal service company.

Remove Snow & Ice from Handicapped Parking Spaces - Ordinance 274-11 states that property owners must remove snow and ice from Handicapped Parking Spaces within 48 hours of the end of snowfall. Police may issue summonses to any property owner who does not do so.

Clear the Snow off of Your Car Before Driving - Snow flying off of cars while being driven poses a serious potential danger to other drivers. New Jersey State law states that snow must be cleared off of vehicles prior to driving.

Dig Out Fire Hydrants on Your Property - Residents are asked to dig out a 3-foot clearance all around fire hydrants, so firefighters can access them in case of emergencies.

Park Cars Off of Streets To Allow Curb-to-Curb Plowing - It is vitally important that ALL vehicles be removed from any road or street that has an accumulation of one inch or more of snow, until 24 hours after the storm has passed or until the roadway is cleared, to allow access for plowing the streets. Portable basketball hoops located within the street or directly adjacent to the curb are an obstruction for plows clearing the roads, and should be removed prior to snow storms.

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