Alerts for incoming NJ snow storm tell you when roads will be plowed and other advice

Shore residents Friday faced a flurry of municipal alerts ahead of a monster snowstorm barreling toward New Jersey.

Cars must be moved off the streets in some towns, tips are being given out on the use of generators, and the police in Berkeley are offering to drive dialysis patients to treatment.

Check with your municipality for snow restrictions or advisories.

Some of those alerts have provided a game plan for the storm that could dump up to 18 inches of snow on coastal communities.

Where to park

Different towns have different restrictions.

South Toms River Police Department sent out an alert directing residents to remove vehicles from the road.

In Asbury Park and Neptune, residents have been asked to do the same. But some street parking is allowed — only on the side of the streets with odd-numbered street addresses.

Neptune City residents can move their cars to the Adams Field Parking Lot on West Sylvania Avenue.

Track the storm: Nor'easter could bring over 18 inches of snow in parts of NJ

Jackson Mayor Michael Reina encouraged residents to remove cars, basketball hoops and garbage cans from the roadway wherever possible, especially in older neighborhoods where the roads aren't as wide.

According to a Jackson ordinance, if the mayor or emergency management coordinator declare a snow emergency, residents will have four hours to remove their cars from the road. After that, vehicles could be towed and owners fined — even before the snow starts.

Marlboro also has notified residents to get their vehicles and other property off the street.

Moving project

"A storm of this magnitude is a moving project for all of us," said Joanne Bergin, business administrator for Brick. "A town our size takes 15 hours to plow."

Timing is key, she said.

The plan is to start plowing at 4 a.m. Saturday and continue to 7 p.m. and then do a second pass on Sunday, Bergin said.

The benchmark for starting is usually 4 inches of snow, she said.

Lacey Mayor Nicholas Juliano said the Department of Public Works will not begin plowing until 4 inches to 5 inches of snow is on the ground as long as it is safe enough to be operating the equipment.

In Berkeley, the township notified residents that it will not be plowing until the snow accumulates to a depth of 5 inches.

See projected inch counts: How much snow is expected in NJ this weekend?

Steven Seiler, director of public works for Berkeley, said the inch count comes down to a matter of fiscal prudence.

A snowstorm can cost a half a million dollars to deal with in Berkeley, he said.

“As you know every storm is different. We could get 4 to 5 inches one night and then it’s 40 degrees and the snow melts,” making the hiring of contractors and staging of crews a waste, he said.

This storm of course is shaping up to be much different. The 5-inch limit is not set in stone, he said.

Seiler has 70 public works staff on hand and three contractors to deal with the snow.

Berkeley Mayor Carmen F. Amato Jr. said the township has been communicating with residents on Facebook, its website and Berkeley's local access TV station, and has sent out Nixle alerts as well.

In Toms River, the township has called in 90 contractor plows to add to the 70 municipal plows on hand to remove snow from the 400 miles of local roadway, said Tim Russell, deputy director of public works.

Toms River waits until the snow is plowable, about 4 inches usually, Russell said.

A blizzard of the magnitude of the one expected to start later Friday could cost “hundreds of thousands of dollars,” to clean up, Russell said.

Jackson's contracted snowplows will be called in once 3 to 5 inches of snow has accumulated, Reina said.

In Middletown, it's about 3 inches before township plows begin to clear snow, according to the Middletown website.

Public works staff in Point Pleasant Beach will be working throughout the duration of the storm "until all roads are cleared curb to curb," said borough Mayor Paul Kanitra.

Blizzard 2022: Gov. Murphy declares state of emergency ahead of the storm

The Ocean County Road Department and Bridge Departments will mobilize a fleet of about 200 trucks and other vehicles and about 175 employees to salt and clear snow from the 1,600 lane miles of county roads, Director of the Ocean County Board of Commisioners John P. Kelly said in a statement.

The New Jersey Turnpike Authority plans to have 1,600 people on the job during the storm, both employees and contractors, and 1,000 pieces of equipment — plows, spreaders, and loaders — to clear 4,477 lane miles of road, said Tom Feeney, authority spokesman.

The authority's salt capacity stands at 96% of its total — 133,105 tons, stored in 29 locations around the state, he said.

NJ Transit announced that it will temporarily suspend all bus and Access Link services.

Suburban Transit is suspending bus service to and from New York when the last bus leaves the Port Authority Bus Terminal at 8 p.m. Friday. All other afternoon service will remain the same Friday, and 100 line service for Saturday iis cancelled, the bus company said.

Wind and power

Wind gusts are expected to top 45 mph in on the coast in South Jersey, raising concerns about power outages.

Atlantic City Electric and the southern portion of JCP&L’s coverage areas are supposed to be the most affected, Joseph Fiordaliso, president of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, said at a morning news conference with Gov. Phil Murphy.

“When you’re getting gusts of up to 50 or 60 miles per hour, you can expect power outages to occur,” he said.

Utility workers will be working through the night, but if winds reach 40 mph it becomes dangerous, Fiordaliso said, asking for the public’s patience.

Warming centers have been set up throughout the state. The centers will remain open through the night.

Losing electrical power in the snowstorm is of major concern to the residents of Long Branch after equipment failure at Jersey Central Power & Light's Bath Avenue substation last Friday left nearly 9,000 customers in the dark.

Mayor John Pallone said they’ve been “in contact multiple times with JCP&L over the past week,” and have “asked for a written statement from JCP&L, to assure our residents that they are ready to respond to this weekend's storm.”

A coastal flood warning is in effect for Ocean and eastern Burlington counties from 7 p.m. Friday to 7 p.m. Saturday, with coastal flood advisories being issued to coastal counties to the south and north.

Toms River Mayor Maurice B. "Mo" Hill Jr. said he is not that concerned about beach erosion with the storm, which is expected to move quickly.

"It is a northeast storm. I anticipate we may lose a little sand, but I think the dunes will be OK," Hill said.

The township anticipates minor flooding in Toms River's low-lying areas, he said.

Ken Serrano covers crime, breaking news, investigations and local issues. Reach him at kserrano@gannettnj.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: NJ weather alerts greet residents with snow storm coming