Nor’easter Impacts Millburn: Schools Closed Thur., Snow Continues

MILLBURN, NJ – A “major" nor'easter hit the Millburn area on Wednesday starting around 4 p.m. Schools closed for Thursday and forecasts called for as much as a foot to fall overnight.

Here are some local impacts:

Schools:

Schools went remote Wednesday and Friday and closed on Thursday. Read more about that here.

Forecast specifically for Millburn:

The Accuweather forecast specifically for Millburn is here: For Wednesday afternoon, 1-3 inches were expected to fall, and total accumulation by the end of the storm on Thursday morning was expected to be 8-12 inches.

Millburn closures and emergency information:

On Wednesday, the town asked residents to move cars parked on the street so they could plow.

They also posted this information:

The State of New Jersey and Essex County have declared a state of emergency in anticipation of Winter Storm Gail. The most intense period of accumulation is expected between 4pm and midnight, with 1-2 inches per hour, low visibility and high winds. All jurisdictions are urging everyone to stay off the roads to allow easy access for emergency personnel and snow plows, and move parked cars off the street.

The Township of Millburn is urging all residents to do the following:

• Remove vehicles from the street now. Do not wait for snow to accumulate.
• No overnight parking will be granted.
• Keep all outside vents clear of drifting snow.
• Garbage and recycling collections regularly scheduled for tomorrow have been moved to next Monday. No collections will take place this Thursday.

Non-emergency calls placed to 9-1-1 inundate call centers, and will be queued as emergency calls take a higher priority. Do not call 9-1-1 about power outages or the restoration process. Power restoration updates can be obtained by visiting JCP&L's website, and outages can be reported by calling 1-888-LIGHTSS.

Remember to check in on neighbors and help those who are unable to shovel their driveways and sidewalks. When clearing snow it must be confined to your property behind the curbline. All of these efforts will assist the township in responding to emergencies and recovering from this storm event. Stay safe, stay off the road, and stay warm.

Municipal Closings:

• Town Hall is closing early on Wednesday, December 16, at 3:30pm
• Library is closing at 5pm on Wednesday, December 16, reopening on Friday at 10am conditions permitting

The day before, on Tuesday, the town released this emergency information:

"Blizzard conditions are expected [Wednesday] through Thursday, including wind gusts up to 45 mph. If you lose power, report an outage by visiting the JCP&L website or by calling 1-888-LIGHTSS. Keep all vents clear from drifting snow to ensure furnaces run properly, and when clearing snow, it must be confined to your property and behind the curb line. Remember to stay off the roads, allowing our emergency vehicles and snow plows easy access."

• The town also released guidelines about clearing snow, how to prepare, staying safe, and more. Read more here.

If you get a fun snow photo Wednesday or Thursday in town, email caren.lissner@patch.com. Please include the photographer's name for a photo credit, and state that we have permission to publish it.

Here were the expected snow totals statewide:

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. Read more: Gov. Murphy Declares State Of Emergency For NJ Nor'easter Snow

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.

This was the forecast statewide:

• Wednesday night: Snow or rain before 1 a.m., then snow and sleet between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m., then snow after 2 a.m. The snow, rain and sleet could be heavy at times. Low around 27. Blustery, with a northeast wind 20 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 45-55 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow and sleet accumulation of 4 to 8 inches possible.
• Thursday: Snow or rain likely, mainly before 11 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 35. 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 to 55 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent. New snow accumulation of around an inch possible.

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