Millburn Prepares For Weekend Winter Blast

MILLBURN, NJ - As New Jersey braces for the worst round of winter weather since November, Superintendent of Public Works John Bace said his crews are ready for the spate of bad weather.

"We are cleaning and prepping all trucks and equipment for what should be an interesting weekend," Bace said.

Accumulation is anticipated to be around 3-6 inches of snow and Bace said the concern is the potential for accumulating ice, as temperatures are expected to drop dramatically Sunday evening. With the accumulation of ice comes an increased risk of downed trees and power lines.

With the possibility of strong winds there is also a likelihood of power outages associated with tree damage to power lines. With storms of this magnitude it is likely that some homeowners could be without power for up to a week, officials said. JACP@L said:

Always assume a downed wire is "live" and has electricity still flowing through it.
Do not approach downed lines or downed trees that may have power lines entangled in it.
Call JCP&L at 888-LIGHTSS to report a downed wire or power outage, or go to the JCP&L website.
If are in your vehicle and downed wires fall on your vehicle, stay in your car and call 911 for help.

Despite the preparation, Base is asking that residents be smart about the shifting forecast.

"Please tell all to avoid unnecessary travel Sunday into Monday. Forecasts are trending for a snow, rain, ice then back to snow event," Bace said. "Temps dropping from 40 degrees Sunday morning to possibly as low as 9 degrees early Monday, without wind chill factored in."

Base noted that level of cold is exceptional for our area and that means a large ice event is possible.

The Department of Public Works has begun preparations for the storm, with crews ready for snow plow, salt and brine operations. Essex County declared a State of Emergency beginning at noon tomorrow. Drivers cannot park on county roads after this declaration is in effect. Although the Township has not yet made a declaration, motorists are urged not to park in the street; this assists Public Works as they plow Township roads.

"A large ice event is possible! Do not plow out into streets. Do not park on streets during the storm, it will impede our ability to do our work properly," Bace said. "Please use common sense if you must venture out during the storm."

(Photo courtesy of Shutterstock)

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