Princeton Schools, Town Announce Closures Ahead Of Storm

PRINCETON, NJ — Princeton municipal offices and the Princeton Public School District will be closed on Tuesday after Gov. Chris Christie issued a State of Emergency declaration ahead of Tuesday's expected storm.

For the schools, the closure includes both schools and offices. It includes events during the day as well as any events scheduled in our buildings during the evening.

Stuart Country Day School in Princeton will be closed on Tuesday. Rider University, which is on spring break, will also close both the Lawrenceville and Princeton campuses for staff on Tuesday.

As of Monday evening, Princeton University said it is monitoring the forecasts and the storm's progress. If there is a closure or delay, an update about University operations, classes and exams Tuesday will be sent by 6 a.m. via the Princeton Telephone and E-Mail Notification System (PTENS) to the phones and e-mail addresses that are listed in HR Self-Service or TigerHub. The information will also be posted on the University homepage and on the SNOW line, 609-258-SNOW (7669).

In the municipality, state and local government offices will be closed, but it does not apply to essential personnel.

State, county, and local police agencies are authorized to tow any vehicles left parked or abandoned on any public road.

The State of Emergency will be in effect from midnight Monday through 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 15.

Additionally trash collection scheduled for Tuesday, March 14, in Princeton has been rescheduled for Thursday, March 16. Organics won't be picked up on Wednesday, March 15. Instead, they will be picked up on March 22.

All Mercer County offices will also be closed on Tuesday. All branches of the Mercer County Library, facilities of the Mercer County Park Commission, offices of the County Clerk and Surrogate, the Mercer County Board of Social Services, the Senior Nutrition Program, Mercer County Connection and the Mercer County Administration Building will be closed. County services such as the Sheriff’s Office and the Correction Center will remain open and will follow normal schedules.

Mercer County Office of Emergency Management will continue to monitor the storm, and all essential emergency functions such as road maintenance and law enforcement will continue. Passengers flying out of Trenton-Mercer Airport should check with their carrier.

Mercer County was added to the National Weather Service’s Blizzard Warning as of 3 p.m. Monday afternoon. A very strong winter storm could be life threatening for those who do not pay attention to safety precautions Tuesday morning.Low pressure developing off the Carolina coast this evening will become an intense storm as it moves east of New Jersey midday Tuesday.

Swaths of excessive precipitation will develop along and west of the track of the storm. Near blizzard conditions are likely for a few hours in eastern Pennsylvania and portions of northern New Jersey where snowfall rates of 2 to 4 inches per hour are expected.

The warning is in effect from 8 p.m. Monday night to 6 p.m. Tuesday evening.