Nor’easter Forecast In Mendham, Chester: What To Expect

NORTH JERSEY, NJ – A “major" nor'easter is expected to impact Mendham and Chester on Wednesday, producing plowable snow or heavy rain and packing 35 to 55-mph winds.

The National Weather Service is now labeling 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 will be fierce enough to knock down power lines and cause power outages and other damage, packing gale-force winds as strong as 35 to 55 mph across the state between 7 a.m. on Wednesday and 7 a.m. on Thursday.

Here are additional 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 is 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 is warning 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.

The Mendham Township Police Department warned residents to be prepared for extended power outages from the winter weather event.

"We are monitoring a potential major winter weather event starting Weds late morning into Thursday. Heavy snow with 10" plus accumulations along w/high winds are looking more likely," they posted to social media. "Road conditions are expected to deteriorate rapidly Weds and will be hazardous through Thursday so please plan accordingly."

The Mendham Borough Police Department asked that residents and business owners to take the proper precautions in advance of this storm.

"We ask that you do your best to stay at home and off the roads until the storm has passed and roads safely cleared," they said, noting specific steps for review:

• To avoid unnecessary shoveling, please wait to shovel sidewalks and the end of your driveway until snow has stopped and the DPW is finished plowing your road (usually a couple of hours once the snow has stopped)
• Please do not shovel or snow blow snow back into the road, this creates a dangerous situation when re-freezing
• Residents and business owners are responsible for clearing the sidewalk on their property. This is for the safety of pedestrians and to avoid the need to walk in the street
• It is important to call in a power outage. Crews are prioritized and dispatched according to customer facility type and a few other factors, including aggregate exposure or the total number of residential customers out in a particular area. Residents should not assume the event has been reported if they believe the neighbor called or logged the outage.
• Please try and keep your fire hydrants clear of snow to help the Fire Department locate and connect to the towns hydrants in the case of an emergency .
• Keep at least one path to the entrance of your house (garage, side or front door, etc) clear for emergency access.

Here is the forecast:

• Wednesday: Snow and/or rain, mainly after 1 p.m. High near 28. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. New snow accumulation of 3 to 5 inches possible.
• Wednesday night: Snow and/or rain. The snow could be heavy at times. Low around 22. Northeast wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent. New snow accumulation of two to 14 inches possible.
• Thursday: A chance of snow before 8 a.m., then a chance of snow showers, mainly between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 29. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent.
• Thursday night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 16.

Power Outage Reminders

Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) meteorologists are closely monitoring the developing weather conditions. JCP&L is prepared to activate its storm response and Incident Command System plans.

In the event outages occur due to severe weather, customers without power are encouraged to report their outage by calling 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877), clicking the “Report Outage” link on www.firstenergycorp.com, or by texting out to 544487.

Customers should immediately report downed wires to 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877) or call their local police department. JCP&L reminds customers to stay away from downed wires, even if they believe they are no longer carrying electricity. Extra caution should be used in areas where downed lines are tangled with trees or other debris. Motorists are cautioned to treat intersections with inoperable traffic signals as four-way stops.

JCP&L customers can subscribe to email and text message alert notifications to receive weather updates in advance of major storms and updates on scheduled or extended power outages. Visit www.firstenergycorp.com/connec... to enroll.

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