Nor'easter Virtually Shuts Down Princeton, Central Jersey Towns

PRINCETON, NJ — Two Central Jersey communities are virtually shut down as the nor'easter snow continues to fall.

Princeton police are advising residents to stay off the roads as it begins cleanup in the wake of a devastating snowstorm that shut down Princeton and West Windsor on Wednesday.

Whiteout conditions resulted in several trees collapsing across town. As of 5:45 p.m., all travel routes through Princeton have been compromised. Vehicles that have been left abandoned on the road will be towed.

Nearby, in West Windsor, authorities described the conditions as "horrible," saying: "Patrols are reporting unsafe travel conditions with a sub layer of ice below the snow layer. Reports are starting to come in with trees across the roadway. As the heavy snow continues to fall, trees will start breaking. Please stay warm and safe if possible. And keep your furry friends close." Read more here: West Windsor Shut Down, Under Limited State Of Emergency: Police

Trees fell on homes in both Middletown and Matawan today, but miraculously nobody was hurt in either incident. Here's a photo supplied by Middletown EMS.

And a Matawan woman said she was working in her sunroom when she heard a giant "crack!" and ran out of the room just as a tree fell. It landed on her deck, but was mere inches from her sunroom. Read more here:

Trees Fall On Homes In Middletown And Matawan

The heavy snow continued Wednesday, and much of New Jersey was experiencing near-whiteout conditions as nearly 2 inches per hour fell in many areas Wednesday afternoon and early evening. Read more: NJ Nor'easter Update: What You Need To Know As Heavy Snow Falls

South Brunswick was also experiencing problems. Read more: Rt. 27 Now Closed At Princeton Border

Also:

• Route 18 northbound local lanes in New Brunswick were closed because of ice.
• The Route 130 overpass over Route 1 was closed in both directions because of extremely slippery conditions. Multiple vehicles had become stuck and disabled. Do not drive tonight unless an emergency, the roads are extremely treacherous. Avoid the area until further notice.
• From Cranford police: "Stay off of the roads. Allow emergency services and DPW to clear the roadways. Heavy Snow will continue to cause trees and wires to fall. Stay indoors if possible. Do not approach downed wires. Instead contact the Cranford Police Department at (908) 272-2222 immediately."
• From Watchung police: "Travel conditions are treacherous. Numerous roads are closed with trees, poles and wires down. PLEASE STAY OFF THE ROADS. State of Emergency declared. Currently the following roads are CLOSED/IMPASSABLE Hillcrest Rd, Watchung Ave, Somerset Street, Mountain Blvd, Bonnie Burn Rd, Hill Hollow, Johnston Dr, Stirling Rd, Drift Road, Ridge Road.."

According to Princeton police, the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) has asked police to remove any abandoned or disabled vehicles from state and interstate roads on Wednesday and Thursday.

As of 7 p.m., Princeton police had responded to 130 calls in four hours for wires and trees down, and over a dozen streets blocked. Cleanup is expected to last through the night and into Thursday. Drivers should not park on any roads in town overnight.

In Princeton, Cherry Hill Road is closed between Route 206 and Clearview because of snow and tree debris. Route 206 is closed between Cherry Valley Road and Cherry Hill Road. Nassau Street is closed at South Harrison Street after a large tree fell across the roadway.

Trees are also reported down on the following roads:

• Robert Road;
• Witherspoon Street;
• State Road;
• Great Road;
• Hamilton Avenue;
• Wilkenson Way;
• Nassau Street;
• Stuart Road West;
• Drake's Corner Road; and
• Rosedale Road.

All traffic lights are out throughout Princeton, on Route 206 and many other local streets. The following roads are closed to traffic:

• Cleveland Lane;
• Witherspoon Street, between Spring and Nassau; and
• Rosedale Road.

The following roads are generally hazardous to drive and walk on:

• Stockton Street;
• Leabrook Lane;
• Moore Street;
• Winant Road;
• Pheasant Hill Road;
• Hutchinson Drive;
• Stuart Road;
• Franklin Avenue;
• Birch Avenue;
• Mount Lucas;
• Clover Lane;
• Valley Road;
• Sycamore Road; and
• Farrand Road.

Bouvant Lane is obstructed.

Other unreported hazards are also likely to exist, police said.

"The safest place to be is anywhere but behind the wheel," Princeton police said in an alert at about 3:30 p.m. "Stay home and stay safe. Stay off the roads."

Earlier in the day, the Harrison Street Bridge was closed after a live power line fell into the road. It reopened at about 2:30 p.m.

As of 7 p.m., there were nearly 15,000 power outages in Mercer County. Follow outages on PSE&G's website. Additionally, Princeton's freeB bus service was suspended as of 1:30 p.m. Two inches of snow had fallen on Princeton by 4 p.m, according to the National Weather Service.

"A snow emergency has been declared," Princeton police said in a Facebook post. "There is no overnight parking on any Princeton road when the roads are snow covered. Residents will have two days from the end of the storm to have sidewalks and walkways clear of snow and ice. Please stay off the roads."

The attached image was provided by the Princeton Police Department