UPDATE: Forecasters Issue Apologies As New Jersey Spared From 'Snowmageddon'

A state of emergency was declared in New Jersey Monday afternoon, but the blizzard dropped less than expected amounts of snow on the state Monday night, with no more than 7 inches of plowable falling in Monmouth County, and half as much elsewhere.

Snow will continue to fall across the state until 3 p.m. Tuesday, the NWS reports. Accumulation will be around one inch, contrary to the more than foot of snow predicted Monday night. However, snow drifts may exceed that amount in parts of New Jersey, according to the Weather Channel.

Meteorologists took to Twitter to issue apologies and explanations.

“My deepest apologies to many key decision makers and so many members of the general public,” Gary Szatkowski of the National Weather Service in Mount Holly Tweeted early Tuesday. “You made a lot of tough decisions expecting us to get it right, and we didn’t. Once again, I’m sorry.”There will also be a slight chance of snow showers before 10 p.m., with winds only reaching 9 to 11 miles per hour.

A Winter Storm Warning will remain in effect until 6 p.m. Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.

Snowfall rates of an inch per hour were expected at this time, with heavier accumulation occurring in some parts of the state. Temperatures will be in the low 20s and visibility will be one quarter of a mile or less at times, the NWS reports.

School districts throughout the state closedTuesday, with many scheduling early dismissals the day before. Some districts may also be closed Wednesday, as towns recover from the two-day storm. A full list of school closures across the state can be found here.

RELATED:

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At least 28 million people are in the path of the two-day blizzard, and millions more will be affected as the storm wreaks havoc on travel plans, the Weather Channel reports.

But in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, Philly.com’s John Bolaris called it a failure on the part of local forecasters.

“From a forecast standpoint, it’s been a failure, or better yet, a bust,” he wrote. “The morning commute will be very slick and tricky in the locations that get the accumulating snow, along with a very cold strong and gusty wind. The last of the snow will be ending with just some leftover flurries — and some egg on the face of us meteorologists.”

Travel was banned on all New Jersey roads as of 11 p.m. Monday, according to an order signed by Col. Joseph Fuentes, superintendent of the State Police. The ban was lifted for vehicles south of 195 shortly after 7 a.m., with many violating the order this morning as residents across NJ. and New York expressed outrage over the decision.

NJ Transit shut down its operations at 8 p.m. Monda. However service is beginning to resume in parts of the state. NJ Transit bus service in South Jersey resumed with limited service shortly before 8 a.m.

Bus service in North Jersey is expected to resume by 11 a.m., if not sooner, according to the NJ Transit Twitter. NJ Transit Light Rail services resumed at 7:45 a.m. Service on the River Line and Hudson- Bergen Light Rail is running on the weekend schedule.

More than 7,000 flights scheduled for Monday through Wednesday have been canceled, according to the flight tracking site FlightAware. Most major airlines are allowing customers whose flights are canceled in the next few days to book new flights without paying a penalty. Customers ticketed on flights to dozens of Eastern airports are generally eligible for the allowance, though specific terms vary by airline.

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