Montclair Declares State Of Emergency Amid Storm Forecast: UPDATE

This article was updated at 10:26 a.m. on Dec. 16.

MONTCLAIR, NJ — A “major" nor'easter is expected to impact Montclair 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

MONTCLAIR STATE OF EMERGENCY

In response, the Montclair Office of Emergency Management (OEM) declared a local state of emergency, which will take effect at 4 p.m. on Wednesday.

Nonessential travel and on-street parking will be prohibited for all vehicles for the duration of the state of emergency. The nonessential travel ban does not apply to Township of Montclair municipal employees traveling to, from, or in the course of municipal government work.

Montclair OEM officials said:

"Residents are reminded that parking on snow-covered streets is prohibited by ordinance 327-25. The no parking prohibition remains in effect for a period of 12 hours after snowfall has stopped in order to facilitate snow removal operations. Police will be ticketing and towing vehicles parked on streets during this period. Residents may park their vehicles free of charge in municipal lots and decks from 1 p.m. [Wednesday] until streets have been cleared of snow. The exception is the municipal lot at 205 Claremont Avenue – residents may park their cars in that lot from 4:30 p.m. [Wednesday].

A notice will go out to provide vehicle owners a six-hour window for removing their vehicles from the lots and decks, once the streets have been cleared, Montclair OEM officials said.

COUNTY ROADS

Live on a county-maintained road in Montclair? 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.

MONTCLAIR PREPARES FOR STORM

In Montclair, the Human Needs Food Pantry will be closing on Thursday due to the prediction of bad weather.

“We hope everyone stays safe during this serious weather event,” the food pantry stated.

Meanwhile, the Montclair Township Animal Shelter offered a DIY hack for pet owners with furry friends who hate snow.

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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