Icy Roads Delayed Schools, More Snow Possible In Mendham, Chester

CHESTER, NJ — After snow hit the area on Sunday night into Monday, many schools called a delay on Tuesday morning following the holiday weekend.

With a domino effect, the roads that began to thaw slightly after the storm, refroze overnight Monday, with Chester and Mendham among schools in the area with delayed openings.

There is a possibility of a similar pattern into the coming week, as snow is expected to return to the area Wednesday night and into Thursday morning, potentially delivering another inch of accumulation, the National Weather Service forecasts.

Another shot of snow is also expected Friday night into Saturday, which meteorologists are keeping an eye on.

The Chester School District on Tuesday morning called a two-hour delay because of a “significant refreeze of our roads and sidewalks,” allowing crews to have more time to treat the surfaces.

Mendham Township Police offered safe driving tips for those who have to head out in snowy, slushy and icy conditions. Drivers should:

• Do safety and traction checks by gently pushing their car’s brakes to check road conditions.
• Brake before getting into a turn to safely negotiate it, then accelerate after departing it.
• Avoid the use of cruise control when driving in slushy or snowy conditions.

Here is the National Weather Service forecast for the area through Friday:

Heading Into Wednesday: Increasing clouds, with a low around 21. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Wednesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 42. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

Wednesday Night: A chance of rain before 8pm, then rain and snow between 8pm and 4am, then snow after 4am. Low around 28. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming northwest after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Thursday: A chance of snow before 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 31. North wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.

Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 8. North wind around 10 mph.

Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 20.

Friday Night: A chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 10. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Questions or comments about this story? Have a news tip? Contact me at: jennifer.miller@patch.com.