Middletown Prepares For Major Winter Storm: Latest Forecast, How Town Is Preparing

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — Middletown Twp. is preparing as the biggest winter storm of the season barrels towards New Jersey.

On Monday, the Township acquired 500 tons of rock salt, which Middletown's Dept. of Public Works is using to pre-treat the roads, said Mayor Tony Perry.

Starting at 7 a.m. Friday, Public Works trucks began brining and pre-treating all the major roads in the Township. They will continue to do that through midnight Friday and through the weekend.

The snow is expected to start at 1 a.m. Sunday and end early Monday morning. The heaviest snowfall will take place Sunday morning into Sunday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service. There will also be ice, freezing rain and sleet, which will make driving dangerous. Ice accumulations will be around one tenth of an inch.

• Sunday’s road conditions will be extremely hazardous. Widespread road closures are to be expected.
• Monday's road conditions will be very difficult with plow crews working around the clock to clear the streets.
• Power outages are possible if widespread icing and or heavy snow occurs.

Most of New Jersey will see 12 to 18 inches of snow in the storm; Middletown is in the area expected to get 16 inches of snow.

"I've heard six to 10 inches, and 13 - 18 inches, and everything in between," Perry said Friday morning.

At 3 p.m. Friday, Middletown's emergency operations center will open and remain open through the duration of the storm. The mayor, the director of TOMSA, Middletown's sewerage authority, the head of Public Works and Jessica Alfone, the school superintendent, will meet at 3 p.m. Friday where they will discuss preparations for the storm. This discussion will include whether schools will be closed Monday, a decision the school district has not made yet.