UPDATE: Cranford Schools Go Remote Friday; See Snow Totals

CRANFORD, NJ — Cranford officials provided updates on schools, roads, and storm forecasts as a "long duration snowfall" hit the area on Thursday and Friday.

On Thursday evening, Schools Superintendent Scott Rubin said that schools would probably be on-site for Friday, but the decision changed early Friday morning with a new message on the district website: "Cranford Public Schools will be Fully Remote Today, Friday, February 19, 2021."

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On Thursday, weather spotters around the area give these snow totals for Union County (Read more: Who Got The Most Snow? NJ Town-By-Town Snow Totals):

• Cranford 3.6 in
• Elizabeth 3.4 in
• Linden 3.0 in
• Mountainside 2.7 in
• Plainfield 3.8 in

While temperatures rose in the afternoon and prevented further accumulation, the National Weather Service expected light snow Friday morning.

Here is the updated forecast for the Cranford area:

For Union County, the National Weather Service continues its Winter Storm Watch for Thursday at 4 a.m. through Friday at 7 p.m. They predict:

• Thursday night: Periods of snow and sleet, possibly mixed with freezing drizzle, becoming all snow after midnight. Low around 26. Wind chill values between 20 and 25. North wind 7 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent. Little or no ice accumulation expected. Total nighttime snow and sleet accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.
• Friday: Periods of light snow, mainly before 3 p.m. High near 34. Wind chill values between 20 and 30. North wind 6 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. New snow accumulation of around an inch possible.
• Friday Night: A 30 percent chance of light snow before 1 am. Cloudy, then gradually becoming partly cloudy, with a low around 25. Wind chill values between 20 and 25. Northwest wind 5 to 8 mph.

Earlier alerts

Cranford officials asked residents to move their cars from area roads for plowing. See prior stories on Cranford Patch. Sign up for news alerts and a daily newsletter of Cranford news below.

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