Winter Weather Advisory Issued for Area

The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for the area including Essex County, from 1 a.m to 4 p.m. Saturday. Accumulation of 4-7 inches is possible starting tonight and into tomorrow morning as the first storm of winter bears down on the region.

Despite this year's complete absence of major snow events so far, public works employees in both townships have had their hands full since the on Oct. 29, and are still clearing tree debris from roads and yards.

"It's been a big help not having a lot of snow on the heels of the snowstorm in October," Verona Public Works employee Rich Malone said Friday. Ahead of the storm, Malone and several other VPW workers were busy readying the township's fleet of maintenance vehicles, securing plows and bright lights to the trucks in anticipation of the storm.

These last-minute preparations cap off a months-long effort preparing the fleet for action, VPW Director, Charles Molinaro, said Friday, noting that the trucks each have their oil changed, and their transmission and engines inspected thoroughly no later than mid-November.

Molinaro, preparing to direct the VPW on what is sure to be a long night, detailed the township's plan of attack for the snowstorm, which is expected to begin late tonight and continue through Saturday morning.

"Right as the first flurries begin to fall, we put the first coating of salt down. When the salt isn't doing the job anymore, the plowing begins. After we've done our first pass on every street in town, we salt again."

Luckily, temperatures next week are expected to soar into the 50s, so whatever snow falls this weekend will probably be gone by Monday evening.

Cedar Grove Township Manager Thomas Tucci said Friday that the CGDPW is ready to hit the streets when the first flakes begin to fall.

"All our trucks are loaded up, the chains are on. Everything is gassed up and the spreaders are loaded. We have over 400 tons of rock salt ready," he said in a phone interview.

As in Verona, Tucci said the crews will hit the road at the first sign of snow, and salt the entire township until it loses effectiveness. After that, the CGDPW will begin plowing, and apply a final layer of salt.

Tucci said the DPW's 10 members will split into two crews, working 16-hour shifts on a rotating basis for the duration of the storm. He urges residents to stay off the road during the height of the storm to allow the road crews to do their job.