NJ Weather: 'Tough' Ice Storm Hits, 18K Lose Power, Road Issues

NEW JERSEY – Gov. Phil Murphy told New Jersey to be prepared for a "tough one" now that an ice storm hit New Jersey overnight. More than 18,000 were without power at one point early Tuesday (see towns that lost power below).

New Jersey transportation officials imposed highway restrictions and power outages are possible, even as forecasters have pulled back a bit on their predictions (see road restrictions, accidents and road closings below).

Murphy told 1010 WINS that people should stay "as safe as possible in their homes" while the state's 600 salt spreaders work to make the highways and roads safer. He also said he's been in touch with the state's power companies.

"They're doing everything they can to prepare for this," he said. "Ice is a really tough one."

The National Weather Service issued an ice storm warning in six New Jersey counties, saying "significant icing" was expected in North Jersey that could make a mess of roads, knock down wires and tree limbs and possibly cause more power outages.

Murphy said the winter weather was to mostly impact North Jersey but this will be a "whole-state" storm that will impact virtually all parts of the region.

Here are the impacted areas:

Here are the towns without power:

• JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP 4,635
• VERNON TOWNSHIP 4,180
• NEW BRUNSWICK CITY 3,280
• HARDYSTON TOWNSHIP 2,286
• HAMBURG BOROUGH 2,008
• HACKETTSTOWN TOWN 1,472
• FRANKLIN BOROUGH 1,131
• WANTAGE TOWNSHIP 1,018
• STILLWATER TOWNSHIP 670
• HOBOKEN CITY 500
• SPARTA TOWNSHIP 475
• EAST ORANGE CITY 442
• HOPATCONG BOROUGH 307
• MOUNT ARLINGTON BOROUGH 158
• SUSSEX BOROUGH 125
• SADDLE BROOK TWP 116
• HARDWICK TOWNSHIP 86
• FRANKFORD TOWNSHIP 65
• FREDON TOWNSHIP 29
• PERTH AMBOY CITY 27
• PARAMUS BORO 24
• ROXBURY TOWNSHIP 21
• ELIZABETH CITY 13
• RIDGEFIELD BORO 10
• HAZLET TOWNSHIP 8
• NEWTON TOWN 7
• WALPACK TOWNSHIP 5

Here are the road issues:

• Crash investigation on US 206 southbound North of NJ 70/Red Lion Circle in Southampton Twp. All lanes closed and detoured use caution.
• Crash investigation on US 206 northbound North of NJ 70/Red Lion Circle in Southampton Twp. All lanes closed and detoured use caution.
• Pothole repairs on I-280 westbound East of Exit 13 - Orange St/1st St in Newark. 1 Left lane closed.
• Crash on the New Jersey Turnpike - Western Spur southbound North of Interchange 15W - I-280 in Kearny. 2 Left lanes blocked.
• Crash on the Garden State Parkway southbound North of Exit 155B - Passaic in Clifton. All lanes open to traffic.
• Crash on the Garden State Parkway express lanes northbound North of Exit 123 - US 9 in Sayreville. Center lane blocked.
• Crash with Property Damage on the New Jersey Turnpike outer roadway northbound from Inner and Outer Roadway Split in Mansfield Twp to Woodrow Wilson Service Area in Hamilton Twp. All lanes closed to traffic.
• Crash and an overturned tractor-trailer on New Jersey Turnpike Outer Roadway northbound South of Interchange 7A - I-195 in Chesterfield Twp. 2 Left lanes blocked.
• Disabled tractor-trailer on NJ 3 westbound Main Ave in Clifton. 1 Right lane closed.
• Speed restriction on the Garden State Parkway in both directions from South of Exit 124 - Main St in Sayreville to New York State Line in Montvale Salting operation. 45 mph.
• Weather-related issues on I-280 westbound from Exit 18 - New Jersey Turnpike in Kearny to East of I-80 in Parsippany-Troy Hills Twp. All lanes open Commercial vehicle travel restrictions in place. For more info call 511 hands free or go to 511nj.org.
• Weather-related issues on NJ 440 northbound from US 9/Garden State Parkway in Woodbridge Twp to CR 611/State St in Perth Amboy. All lanes open.
• Crash on I-280 eastbound West of Exit 11 - Freeway Drive East/West in Orange City Twp. 1 Right lane closed.
• Downed pole on NJ 27 northbound North of CR 617/Wood Av in Linden. All lanes closed and detoured.

Here's what else you should expect in areas impacted by the ice storm warning:

• WHAT...Significant icing expected. Total snow and sleet accumulations of up to one inch and ice accumulations of two tenths to four-tenths of an inch.
• WHERE...Portions of northern New Jersey and east central and northeast Pennsylvania.
• WHEN...Until 10 a.m. EST Tuesday.
• IMPACTS...Power outages and tree damage are likely due to the ice. Travel could be extremely difficult. The hazardous conditions could impact the morning commute.
• ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Sleet and freezing rain will move into the area through the first half of this evening before changing to mainly freezing rain by overnight. Precipitation may eventually change to a period of all rain in places by Tuesday morning before winding down.

Here's what you should expect in areas under the winter storm warning:

• A mix of rain and freezing rain will move into the region from west to east early this evening as temperatures drop to right around freezing. Freezing rain may continue for several hours before changing to rain from south to north overnight.

The Nation Weather Service did move back some of its predicted ice amounts, particularly in South Jersey and along the Jersey Shore:

New Jersey Department of Transportation Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti has issued a commercial vehicle travel restriction on multiple Interstate highways in New Jersey starting at 8 a.m., Monday based on the forecast for freezing rain and sleet.

The commercial vehicle travel restriction will be in place for the entire length of the following highways in both directions:

• I-78, from the Pennsylvania border to I-95 (New Jersey Turnpike)
• I-80, from the Pennsylvania border to I-95 (New Jersey Turnpike)
• I-280, from I-80 to I-95 (New Jersey Turnpike)
• I-287, from NJ Route 440 to the New York State border
• NJ Route 440, from the Outerbridge Crossing to I-287

The commercial vehicle travel restriction applies to:

• All tractor trailers (exceptions as listed in the Administrative Order)
• Empty straight CDL-weighted trucks
• Passenger vehicles pulling trailers
• Recreational vehicles
• Motorcycles

This restriction DOES NOT apply to:

• The New Jersey Turnpike
• The Garden State Parkway
• The Atlantic City Expressway
• I-76
• I-195
• I-295
• I-676

Public safety vehicles, sworn and civilian public safety personnel; as well as other personnel directly supporting healthcare facilities or critical infrastructures such as providing fuel or food.

For a complete list of operations or personnel that are exempt from the travel ban, see the Administrative Order.

Trucks that are already in New Jersey when the travel restrictions go into place are encouraged to pull off in truck stops to wait out the storm.

NJDOT is coordinating with all state and regional transportation agencies to ensure the most effective response to the storm. In order for NJDOT and our regional and local transportation partners to safely and efficiently clear roadways of ice, motorists should avoid driving unless you are an essential employee needed for emergency response.

AccuWeather says a substantial period of sleet and freezing rain is likely, while a change to plain rain is anticipated along much of the I-95 corridor. Even a thin glaze of ice could make untreated roads treacherous and lead to another round of power outages, where ice has not melted off trees and wires from recent storms, according to AccuWeather.

Should the layer of cold air be deeper as a secondary storm develops along the coast, then snow may fall farther to the south in the Northeast states, according to AccuWeather. Precipitation could change from ice or rain to snow along part of I-95 on Tuesday in that case, according to AccuWeather.

Here is a timeline for the winter weather is expected later in the week:

Here is the forecast:

• Tuesday: Rain, mainly before 10 a.m. High near 43. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming southwest in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
• Tuesday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 19. West wind 10 to 15 mph.
• Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 32. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
• Wednesday night: A chance of snow after 5 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 22. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.
• Thursday: Snow before 2 p.m., then snow and sleet between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., then rain, snow, and freezing rain after 5 p.m. High near 34. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent.
• Thursday night: Rain or freezing rain before 8 p.m., then sleet between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m., then rain or freezing rain after 2 a.m. Low around 30. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent.