Nor’easter Impacts In Bridgewater: Roads, School Closures

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — A "major" nor'easter hit the Bridgewater area on Wednesday, producing snow and closing schools, municipal buildings, and roadways.

The National Weather Service labeled the "major" system a "nor'easter" since it's expected to produce strong, sustained damaging winds and precipitation over a 24-hour period on Wednesday.

The storm was fierce enough to close several schools and roadways in the area and more is expected to arrive overnight and into Thursday (see the forecast below).

Roadways

Bridgewater Police issued a warning to residents asking them to "avoid traveling on the roads as the storm begins to intensify. DPW and NJDOT are doing their best to clear the roadways. If you must travel, use caution and take your time getting to where you need to go!"

The following roads should be avoided to get up to the Martinsville/Basking Ridge area:

• Brown Rd
• Crim Rd
• Mine Rd
• Chimney Rock Rd
• Vosseller Ave
• N Mountain Ave
• Steele Gap Rd

Police suggest drivers use Route 202/206 to Washington Valley Road to their final destination if they must travel.

"While we know it may add time to your travels, we want you to get there safely," said police.

Schools

The Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School district announced a closure for Thursday for both virtual and in-person instruction. Read More: Snow Day Called For Bridgewater Students On Thursday

Somerset County Vocational & Technical Schools in Bridgewater and Immaculate Conception School, Somerville both also canceled school for Thursday. There will be no in-person or remote classes.

Raritan Valley Community College also switched all classes and campus offices to remote starting at 1 p.m. on Wednesday and continue all day Thursday.

Municipal Buildings

The Bridgewater Township Municipal Complex will also be closed to the public Thursday. Township employees will be working remotely.

The best way to get in touch with each respective Department is to utilize the appropriate e-mail address as displayed on this page. Residents are also always welcome to contact the Office of Constituent Relations at OCR@BridgewaterNJ.gov if they require assistance.

The status of the building on Friday will be dependent upon the developing situation, and further updates will follow, according to the township.

Coronavirus Testing

Somerset County's Coronavirus Drive-Thru testing at Raritan Valley Community College has been postponed due to the anticipated snowstorm. Read More: Snow Postpones Somerset County Coronavirus Drive-Thru Testing

Testing originally scheduled on Wednesday has been postponed until Friday. Residents who were registered to be tested on Wednesday have been notified of the change. Appointment times remain the same.

Snow Total

The National Weather Service has issued snow totals (in inches) for Somerset County. As of 5:30 p.m., the NWS reported only Hillsborough with 1.8 inches.

Here were the expected snow totals:

State officials said they have more than 400 pieces of road equipment available to make the roads safe, even though fewer people are taking to the roads because of the coronavirus outbreak.

AccuWeather was saying the system could be the "most significant winter storm in several years," one that could potentially become highly impactful and disruptive as the first round of coronavirus vaccines continue to be shipped around the country.

AccuWeather warned of major disruptions to travel and even travel shutdowns, as well as shipping delays, school closings and power outages from this "blockbuster storm," – even though a number of New Jersey school districts have said they'll opt to go remote instead of closing.

Here is the forecast:

A winter storm warning remains in effect for Bridgewater through Thursday around 10 a.m.

Wednesday Night: Snow. The snow could be heavy at times. Low around 24. Blustery, with a northeast wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100 percent. Total nighttime snow accumulation of 7 to 11 inches possible.

Thursday: Snow, mainly before 11 a.m. High near 33. Breezy, with a north wind 15 to 20 mph decreasing to 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 35 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.

Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 16. North wind around 5 mph.

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