Governor Mikie Sherrill declared a statewide state of emergency Friday ahead of what she warned could be the most significant winter storm New Jersey has seen in nearly a decade.
“I’ve just declared a state of emergency,” Sherrill said. “This is not an average winter storm. This is a storm the likes of which we haven’t seen in probably about a decade.”
The state of emergency takes effect at 5 p.m. Saturday and applies to all 21 counties.
“Beginning Saturday evening and continuing into Monday, New Jersey is expected to see heavy snowfall and severe conditions, and my top priority is the safety of our residents,” Sherrill said in a statement. “We are prepared for this moment, but we do need the people of New Jersey to keep themselves safe as well.”
Sherrill urged residents to stay off the roads, particularly on Sunday, to allow plow crews and emergency personnel to work safely.
“I’m asking all of you, please stay off the roads,” she said. “This is a good weekend to stay in, watch some football, play a board game with your kids, but please stay off the roads Sunday.”
The New Jersey Department of Transportation will implement a commercial vehicle restriction at 12:01 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 25, affecting major highways including Interstates 76, 78, 80, 195, 280, 287, 295 and 676, as well as Route 440 between the Outerbridge Crossing and I-287. State police have increased staffing for additional roadway coverage.
NJDOT said nearly 4,000 pieces of equipment will be deployed to handle snow removal, and NJ Transit is expected to issue service recommendations Sunday.
State officials said crews will work around the clock to keep roads clear and safe.
Across the state, public works departments were already preparing.
In Burlington County, Department of Public Works crews spent the day pre-treating roadways with salt and brine, loading trucks and staging equipment.
“We have more than 5,000 tons of salt on hand,” said Allison Eckel, deputy director of the Burlington County Board of Commissioners. “That sounds like a lot, but it goes down fast, and we have a lot of road to cover.”
Eckel said 64 county trucks have been on the roads since early Friday morning, treating approximately 500 miles of county roadway in New Jersey’s largest county by land area.
“We have 64 really great trucks who are on the road now at extended periods of time to make sure they can put down the salt and the brine,” she said. “We have the largest physical county in New Jersey, a lot of land to cover.”
Once snow begins falling, crews will shift from treatment to plowing.
“Once the snow starts coming down, they pivot to removal, so that we can get back up and running as quickly as possible,” Eckel said, adding that officials hope residents can stay off the roads through Sunday and likely into Monday. “This one looks like it’s gonna be a doozy.”
Burlington County officials said they are prepared to assist municipalities if salt supplies run low and are already looking into resupply orders.
Meanwhile, people across South Jersey rushed to prepare, clearing shelves at hardware stores and grocery stores.
In Deptford, pallets of ice melt and salt were quickly picked over.
“They’re almost sold out, so you gotta get it while it’s there,” said Regina Greene of Blackwood. “Groceries, salt, prepared to be stuck in the house. Wow, I’m not ready for this.”
“We were standing at the salt and people were going around us to get salt. They weren’t waiting,” Rose Souder of Sewell said. “There’s probably about 10 jugs left. They’re almost out.”
State officials reiterated that residents who lose power during the storm can call 211 to find a warming center or visit the state’s website for additional resources.
Get live updates on the winter storm here.