Hillsborough Mayor: Prepare for Very Hazardous Blizzard Conditions

Hillsborough officials are urging residents to prepare for the two-day blizzard, which could dump a foot of snow on Hillsborough Monday and Tuesday, closing municipal offices, courts, the library, and local schools.

Mayor Tomson and members of the Hillsborough Township Committee met with Hillsborough’s Emergency Management crew Monday morning to prepare for the blizzard that is expected to blow 1 to 2 inches of snow into Hillsborough tonight.

Hillsborough Township’s Office of Emergency Management also conducted a Storm Preparedness Meeting earlier today with essential emergency personnel, Police, Fire, Rescue, Administration and the Superintendent and Business Administrator of Schools, Mayor Doug Tomson stated in a web update. Mayor Tomson and Committeewoman Gloria McCauley were in attendance to review the mobilization plan.

>>Related: Blizzard to Dump More Snow on Hillsborough

“Very hazardous conditions are expected from late Monday afternoon through mid-day Tuesday,” Tomson stated. “Expect light snow this morning into early afternoon, then heavy snow late this afternoon into Tuesday associated with a coastal storm moving north.”

The Mayor relayed that Winter Storm Warnings and Advisories remain in effect, and that the combination of snow and wind gusts up to 50 miles per hour will result in blizzard conditions in northeast New Jersey. Governor Christie has declared a State of Emergency, as a winter storm with tropic-storm-force winds began to fall in New Jersey.

Municipal Department Closings

• The Hillsborough Branch of the Library will close at noon on Monday, Jan. 26.
• Hillsborough-Montgomery Municipal Court has been cancelled for Monday, Jan. 26 and Tuesday, Jan. 27.
• The Sign Review Committee and the Environmental Commission meetings scheduled for Monday, Jan. 26 have been cancelled.
• All Recreation Programs for Monday, Jan. 26 have been cancelled.
• Check back on Hillsborough Patch for more cancellations and school closings.

>>Related: Hillsborough Officials: No Parking on Snow Covered Roads

Safety Warnings

Hillsborough Mayor Tomson offered the following safety warnings for local residents.

• All children should be kept away from the street and out of the way of snowplows, as plow and salt truck drivers sit high up and may not be able to see a child playing in or near the street.
• “Individual Property owners are responsible for removing snow from in front of their driveways and sidewalks,” Mayor Tomson stated. “The Department of Public Works tries to minimize the amount of snow that gets plowed into driveways. Due to the nature of street plowing, snow inadvertently will get pushed back into driveways as the trucks pass.”
• Garbage cans should be kept on the driveway instead of the street. Garbage receptacles left in the street could be knocked over by snow plows.
• Town ordinances prohibit street parking on snow-covered roads. For more information on parking in Hillsborough during a snowstorm, click here.
• Reminder: the Millstone Causeway on Amwell Road in Franklin is closed until the end of February for emergency repairs. For more information on that closure, click here.

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