Nor’easter Impacts In Warren: Road, School Closures

WARREN, NJ — A "major" nor'easter hit the Warren area on Wednesday, producing heavy snow, and forcing roads and schools to close.

The National Weather Service labeled 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 was fierce enough to close roadways and schools and more is expected to arrive overnight and into Thursday (see the forecast below).

Roadways

Warren Township Police announced the following roads were closed as of 6 p.m.:

• Morning Glory Rd to Route 22
• Warrenville Rd to Route 22
• Hillcrest Rd from Interstate 78 to Watchung Circle
• Washington Ave north of Route 22 in Watchung

Schools

All Warren Township Schools and Watchung Hills Regional High School will be closed on Thursday, due to inclement weather. There will be no in-person or distance learning.

Somerset County Vocational & Technical Schools in Bridgewater and Immaculate Conception School, Somerville both also canceled school for Thursday. There will be no in-person or remote classes.

Raritan Valley Community College also switched all classes and campus offices to remote starting at 1 p.m. on Wednesday and continue all day Thursday.

Coronavirus Testing

Somerset County's Coronavirus Drive-Thru testing at Raritan Valley Community College has been postponed due to the anticipated snowstorm. Read More: Snow Postpones Somerset County Coronavirus Drive-Thru Testing

Testing originally scheduled on Wednesday has been postponed until Friday. Residents who were registered to be tested on Wednesday have been notified of the change. Appointment times remain the same.

Tips for residents

The Warren Township Office of Emergency Management recommends the following:

• Stay home and off the roads
• The Mayor and Township Committee urge your assistance to allow First Responders and the Department of Public Works to clear the roads as quickly as possible — stay home. Until the roads are cleared and safe, stay off the roadways as conditions may become extremely hazardous.
• Stay away from downed trees and wires.
• Check on your neighbors, particularly the elderly. If you feel that someone needs a wellness check, contact the Warren Police at 908-753-1000, and they will send out an officer.
• Warming/charging centers and shelters will not be opened until the roads are safely passable.
• Remove vehicles from the roadway to aid in the plowing of streets and allow for the passage of emergency vehicles.
• Clear a path to your front door in the event that emergency workers need to access your residence.
• Shovel out any fire hydrants and generators on your property.
• Do not plow snow from your driveway into the street. This is a violation of Township ordinances. The Township is not responsible for plowing the apron of your driveway.
• Pursuant to Warren Township Ordinance 3-3A.2, sidewalks must be cleared of snow or ice by the owner or tenant of the abutting property within 12 hours after snow has fallen.
• Use 911 only for emergency situations . Use the Police Departments non-emergency line for all other inquiries: 908-753-1000 .
• Information regarding road conditions on state roads is available at the NJ Department of Transportation's website, 511nj.org.
• Information regarding emergency preparedness can be found at the state's website, ready.nj.gov.
• Updated information is available at warrennj.org/storm and on AM radio 680, Warren Emergency Broadcast. This is the first event that the new AM radio station will be utilized

Snow Totals

The National Weather Service has issued snow totals (in inches) for Somerset County. As of 5:30 p.m., the NWS reported only Hillsborough with 1.8 inches.

Here were the expected snow totals:

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 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.

Here is the forecast:

A winter storm warning remains in effect for Warren through Thursday around 10 a.m.

Wednesday Night: Snow. The snow could be heavy at times. Low around 24. Blustery, with a northeast wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100 percent. Total nighttime snow accumulation of 7 to 11 inches possible.

Thursday: Snow, mainly before 11 a.m. High near 33. 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 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.

Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 16. North wind around 5 mph.

Have a news tip? Email alexis.tarrazi@patch.com.

Get Patch breaking news alerts sent right to your phone with our new app. Download here. Don't miss local and statewide announcements. Sign up for Patch alerts and daily newsletters.