Nor'easter Impacts In Chatham As Snow Hits Area

CHATHAM, NJ — A "major" nor'easter started to hit North Jersey on Wednesday afternoon, producing snow that's supposed to get worse as the evening approaches.

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.

Related article: NJ Nor'easter Snowstorm 2020: Live Updates

The NWS placed Chester and the surrounding area under a winter storm warning, which remains in effect until 10 a.m. Thursday. The NWS expects 12-20 inches of snow in portions of northern and northwest Jersey. Forecasters expect winds of 10-15 mph with gusts up to 35 mph.

"The data suggests that we will be dealing with mostly wet snow," said the Morris County Office of Emergency Management. "The heaviest snow is expected later this evening and overnight into tomorrow."

Some people might get power outages. If you have an outage, call Jersey Central Power & Light at 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877) or click the “Report Outage” link on www.firstenergycorp.com. Don't call 911 for outages.

JCP&L imported crews from western FirstEnergy operating companies in Ohio and have staged in line shops and other locations throughout New Jersey. In addition to line crews, JCP&L also brought in substation, forestry, dispatchers, and hazard responders from all over the Midwest to address repairs, authorities said.

Chatham Borough announced that they suspended trash pick-up on Route A — north of Main Street — on Thursday. Collection for Routes A and B will take place Friday.

The School District of the Chathams will hold virtual classes Thursday, with only afternoon kindergarten and pre-K sessions taking place.

As this will be our first attempt at holding virtual school on a day with inclement weather, it will be a learning experience for everyone," wrote Superintendent Dr. Michael LaSusa. "Please be flexible and understanding as we try this out, and recognize that what we learn will make the experience better the next time."

Here's Chatham's forecast as of 4 p.m. Wednesday:

• Wednesday afternoon: Snow. High near 31. Northeast wind around 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. Total daytime snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.
• Wednesday night: Snow. The snow could be heavy at times. Low around 25. Blustery, with a northeast wind 20 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 8 to 12 inches possible.
• Thursday: Snow likely, mainly before noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 30. Blustery, with a north wind 15 to 20 mph decreasing to 10 to 15 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 40 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of around an inch possible.
• Thursday night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 16. North wind around 5 mph.

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