BREAKING: Christie Declares State Of Emergency As Blizzard Rolls Into N.J.

Gov. Chris Christie returned to New Jersey Friday and declared a state of emergency as the state prepared for a battering from a massive storm that could bring blizzard conditions and more than a foot of snow.

Christie’s declaration allows the state director of Emergency Management to activate and coordinate the preparation, response and recovery efforts for the storm with all county and municipal emergency operations.

“This is going to be a significant storm mostly in south and central areas,” Christie said during a press conference, saying the storm will be “nowhere near” what New Jersey has dealt with in other storms, such as Superstorm Sandy.

Still, Christie said road crews and other state workers were already working to ensure that the state’s roads were safe, and clear of as much snow and ice as possible.

“This is our 17th snow emergency. We’ve done this before,” he said, adding that NJ Transit will stop service at 2 a.m. and keep the rail service closed until it can ensure that the tracks are safe.

The first flakes arrived in South Jersey around 6 p.m. Friday as some evacuations - voluntary and involuntary - were underway, and Christie returned to the state from the New Hampshire campaign trail. Christie said he felt no need for more evacuations.

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The National Weather Service issued a blizzard warning early Friday, saying reduced visibility with whiteout conditions could make for dangerous roads.

Snow accumulation predictions were also increased Friday. The National Weather Service now says as much as 22 inches could fall during the 36-hour storm.

“Do not travel. If you must travel, have a winter survival kit with you. If you get stranded, stay with your vehicle and wait for help to arrive,” the National Weather Service warns.

Meanwhile, Christie, who first said he did not believe he would head home from the campaign trail in New Hampshire, reversed course and decided to come home.

He denied during the press conference that he changed his mind, however, saying that claim is “inaccurate.” He also took issue with people who say he’s spent too much time out of state, noting that former Gov. Jon Corzine spent a lot of his time in New York.

Christie said he waited until it was clear the storm was coming before deciding to come to New Jersey. “If the storm blew out the sea and I came home, I’d look stupid,” he said.

The weather service, meanwhile warned that the storm’s intensity would make traveling a chore if not impossible.

“Be where you want to be BEFORE the snow starts & be prepared to stay there for 48 hours,” Gary Szatkowski, a National Weather Service meteorologist, said on Twitter.

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ALSO:

• The National Weather Service has provided an hour-by-hour forecast of the nor’easter snowstorm In N.J., including snow amount totals, wind speeds and temperatures, broken down county-by-county. Read more here.
• Local communities have called for evacuations - voluntary and involuntary - where flooding will be an issue. Read more here.
• Jersey Shore communities are facing the possibility of major flooding that could put this nor’easter In New Jersey’s top-5 worst. Widespread coastal flooding with property damage and road closures is expected, especially at high tide on Saturday and Sunday morning. Read more here.
• Video cams are capturing the storm as it arrives in New Jersey, and showing it’s impact on the state’s roads and major highways. Click here to view.
• A number of towns and school districts have cancelled activities, such as SAT testing, because of the potential blizzard. Read more here.
• Most of the snow is expected to start after 11 p.m. on Friday, falling at a rate of 3 inches per hour.
• The state Department of Transportation and NJ Transit say they’ve stockpiled more than 200,000 tons of salt on to help treat parking lots, facilities and roads.
• As the winter snow storm predictions intensify, power outages are possible and utility companies are preparing to keep customers out of the dark, because of power-line damage and outages caused by heavy snow and/or wind. Read more here.
• How to Prevent and Deal With Frozen Pipes: One big headache that can accompany snow and single-digit temperatures is frozen water pipes in unheated basements and crawl spaces of local homes. Read more here.
• All flights at Philadelphia International Airport were canceled for Saturday ahead of the looming blizzard.
• No word yet if Christie or the Port Authority, which controls Newark Liberty International Airport, plan to take similar actions in New Jersey.
• All major airlines have issued waivers for travel allowing passengers to rebook other flights to avoid the storms, and American Airlines has canceled the bulk of its flights in the Northeast ahead of the storm.