Nor'easter Storm Forecast In Livingston: What To Expect (UPDATED)

This article was updated at 10 a.m. on Dec. 16.

LIVINGSTON, NJ — A “major" nor'easter is expected to impact Livingston on Wednesday, producing plowable snow or heavy rain and packing 35 to 55-mph winds.

The National Weather Service is now labeling 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 will be fierce enough to knock down power lines and cause power outages and other damage, packing gale-force winds as strong as 35 to 55 mph across the state between 7 a.m. on Wednesday and 7 a.m. on Thursday, forecasters said. READ MORE: Nor'easter Winter Storm Watch Expands To 17 Counties

LIVINGSTON SNOW, PARKING, POWER

The Livingston Police Department issued an advisory to residents on Wednesday morning. Police offered the following "friendly reminders":

• Please remove all snow and ice from your sidewalks within 12 hours of daylight after the snow has ceased to fall (T.O. 274-6)
• Please do not park your vehicles in the roadway at any time during the snow fall or until your roadway is cleared
• Please remove all snow and ice from your vehicle before driving
• Please do not throw snow into the roadway from your sidewalk, walkways or driveway
• Please remove snow accumulation from the area surrounding any fire hydrants on your property
• In the event that you lose power, please contact: PSE&G at 1-800-436-PSEG (7734) or text "OUT" to 4PSEG (47734), or JCPL 1-888-544-4877 or text "REG" to 544487 (LIGHTS)
• Please do not leave a generator or snow blower running in the immediate area of an open garage door.
• Please check on your elderly neighbors to insure they are safe and are not in need of any assistance
• If you find yourself in need of the Livingston Police, Fire or First Aid Squad, for non-emergency assistance please call (973)992-3000, or 911 for emergencies.

The Livingston Public Library will close at 1 p.m. on Wednesday due to the storm forecast. The library will remain closed on Thursday. Virtual programs will still take place, administrators said.

LIVINGSTON SCHOOLS

The Livingston Public School District offered the following information about storm preparations on its website:

• Wednesday, December 16 - "We plan to hold a regular in-person hybrid school session tomorrow morning. All afternoon instruction and activities will be virtual, so that our staff and students can get home before the storm. This includes P.M. PRIDE and full day special education programs. Families of students in these programs will be contacted with specific dismissal times."
• Thursday, December 17 - "Since the forecast currently calls for a significant amount of snow beginning Wednesday evening and lasting overnight, and since the snow is likely to be accompanied by high winds and other hazardous conditions, we are planning to use an emergency snow day on Thursday, December 17, 2020. In this scenario, there would be no instruction provided in-person or remotely on Thursday."

"If the forecast changes significantly, we may choose to modify our plans," Livingston school administrators said. "We will contact all families Wednesday evening to confirm the plans for Thursday. We will utilize the same communication tools we have always used to inform staff and families about schedule modifications necessitated by inclement weather."

LIVINGSTON ROADS

In Livingston, a public safety presentation on "Driving and Walking Safely in a Winter Wonderland" was coincidentally scheduled to take place on Tuesday.

"Winter weather can increase the risk for falls and crashes," a message on the municipal website stated. "Stay safe by being prepared. Learn how to navigate winter walking and driving conditions confidently so that you can stay mobile and stay safe."

Live on a county-maintained road in Livingston? Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. and Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura asked that residents refrain from parking on those streets from Wednesday to Thursday.

The pair of officials stated:

“Keeping the roads open will make it easier to remove snow and enable public works crews to plow from curb to curb. Weather forecasts indicate a significant snowstorm will arrive Wednesday afternoon and continue through Thursday morning. The heavy snow may cause tree limbs and electrical to break.”

DiVincenzo and Fontoura warned residents to not touch live wires or drive near them.

ACROSS NEW JERSEY

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 is 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 is warning 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.

Their weather forecast includes:

• Wednesday: Snow and/or rain, mainly after 1 p.m. High near 28. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. New snow accumulation of 3 to 5 inches possible.
• Wednesday night: Snow and/or rain. The snow could be heavy at times. Low around 22. Northeast wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent. New snow accumulation of two to 14 inches possible.
• Thursday: A chance of snow before 8 a.m., then a chance of snow showers, mainly between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 29. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent.
• Thursday night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 16.

This article contains reporting by Tom Davis, Patch staff

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