NEW JERSEY (WABC) — Governor Mikie Sherrill is urging all New Jersey residents to stay off the roads and prepare for potentially lifethreatening conditions as a major blizzard bears down on the state, the first blizzard warning to cover all 21 counties in three decades.<\/p>\n
Sherrill declared a statewide state of emergency beginning at noon Sunday, noting that updated forecasts show rapidly worsening conditions.<\/p>\n
Winter Storm Live Updates: Please visit our winter storm blog for the very latest information<\/a>.<\/p>\n “This is likely to be the worst storm we have seen since 1996,” Sherrill said. “It is a serious storm. Please take it seriously. Stay inside. Don’t travel tonight.”<\/p>\n The governor emphasized that this system will be dramatically different from the January storm that brought heavy snow last month.<\/p>\n “At its peak, the January storm had about one inch per hour,” Sherrill said. “This will be considerably worse.”<\/p>\n Emergency officials say the combination of wet, heavy snow and powerful winds is expected to cause downed trees, whiteout conditions, drifting, and widespread power outages. Utility crews, contractors, and mutual aid partners, including teams from as far away as Ohio, have been deployed across the state.<\/p>\n Travel Restrictions and Transit Shutdowns<\/p>\n Beginning 3 p.m. Sunday, a commercial vehicle ban will take effect on all highways except the New Jersey Turnpike. Speed limits on major roadways will also be reduced to 35 mph.<\/p>\n New Jersey Transit will run buses and light rail only until 6 p.m., with service suspended afterward. Trains are expected to operate into the evening, but officials say riders should anticipate a shutdown sometime Sunday night.<\/p>\n “This storm is too serious to have people and workers out on public transit in the worst of it,” Sherrill said.<\/p>\n Crews from NJDOT, the Turnpike Authority, and local partners are deploying thousands of workers, 4,500 pieces of equipment, and more than 450,000 tons of salt to keep roads clear once the storm moves through.<\/p>\n Still, officials repeated the same message throughout the briefing: stay home.<\/p>\n Acting State Police Superintendent David Sirota said the State Emergency Operations Center is at Level 2 activation and will remain staffed around the clock. Search and rescue teams with high-wheeled vehicles and snowmobiles are on standby.<\/p>\n “Roads can wait. Your life can’t,” Sirota said.<\/p>\n Coastal flooding warnings remain in effect for numerous counties, adding risk to communities near bays, rivers, and tidal waterways. Officials reminded residents: “Turn around, don’t drown.”<\/p>\n Residents who need warming centers can go to NJ211.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n New Jersey Board of Public Utilities Director Frank Gaffney said utilities are preparing for potentially significant outages statewide.<\/p>\n “Although they are well staffed, they cannot be everywhere,” Gaffney warned. “If you lose power, report it immediately. Don’t wait for your neighbor to do so.”<\/p>\n State offices will be closed Monday. Sherrill urged residents to charge devices, check on elderly neighbors, and avoid all travel through Monday.<\/p>\n “Your safety is my top priority,” she said. “We will get through this, but please heed the warnings and stay off the roads.”<\/p>\n The governor says to work from home on Monday if you can.<\/p>\n ———- Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News<\/p>\n
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