Snow to continue until evening; Morris travel hazardous

It's slow-going on New Jersey highways as wet, dense snow continues falling throughout the state.

New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) officials advise motorists to expect heavy delays for this evening's commute as weather conditions worsen.

New Jersey remains under a state of emergency and motorists are advised to stay home if possible.

For drivers who need to be on the road, NJDOT advises to use extreme caution as the snowfall continues to increase this afternoon and evening.

State troopers have been busy assisting motorists on New Jersey's highways during the storm.

Troopers have responded to 151 incidents as of 12:30 p.m. Thursday, mostly in the northern part of the state.

Police report one fatality on a New Jersey highway today.

The driver of a car died in a crash with a pickup on Route 28 in Raritan Thursday.

The name of the victim has not been released and the accident is under investigation.

Speed has been reduced to 35 mph on the New Jersey Turnpike, Garden State Parkway and Atlantic City Expressway.

State Police say the accident numbers could be worse. They say many motorists are heeding advice and staying home.

The National Weather Service has extended its winter weather warning to include Morris County, with updated estimated snow totals of 4 to 8 inches.

The warning, issued at 10:10 a.m. Thursday and continuing until 7 p.m., replaces the previous winter weather advisory. Moderate to heavy snow conditions are expected to continue throughout the day with wind gusts topping out at about 20 mph.

The snow began falling in many areas around dawn and is expected to keep coming until after dusk, making for a rough ride home for those who went to work.

Snowfall rates could reach one inch per hour, creating hazardous road conditions and visibility of one-half mile or less.

Temperatures should remain in the low 20s during the day, falling to a low of 4 degrees overnight.

Today's snow is covering Wednesday's rain so there are icy spots. The water mixed in with the snow makes it feel that much heavier.

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YOUR SNOW PHOTOS:

NJ TRANSIT

New Jersey Transit reported fewer riders Thursday morning and said bus and rail tickets will be cross-honored today.

Spokeswoman Nancy Snyder says ridership during the morning peak was down slightly because some bus and train passengers stayed home.

NJ Transit reported Amtrak overhead wire problems caused delays of up to 45 minutes Thursday morning.

Hazardous weather driving tips from NJDOT:

- Leave early and allow extra time for their trip

- Slow down

- Leave a safe following distance between vehicles

- Stay back from plows and salt spreaders so they can do their job unimpeded

- Use caution on bridges and ramps

The snow is expected to intensify this afternoon, making it challenging for plow crews to keep pace with the storm. The department is fully activated with more than 2,500 plows and salt spreaders working to clear state highways, according to a news release.

The following speed restrictions in N.J. are in place as of 2 p.m. Thursday:

NJ Turnpike: 35 mph for the entire length from the Delaware Memorial Bridge to the George Washington Bridge

Garden State Parkway: 45 mph from the Southern terminus to Exit 30; 35 mph from Exit 30 to the New York state line

For more travel information, visit www.511nj.org.

State offices closed; Morris County office delayed opening

The State of New Jersey issued a statement at 7 a.m. announcing state offices would be closed today due to the winter storm. Most schools were closed.

Morris County government offices are operating on a delayed opening schedule; employees in essential functions were to report to work as normal.

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Gov. Chris Christie declared a state of emergency Wednesday evening in advance of the pending winter storm.

He asked residents to remain off the roads as the storm was expected to produce travel hazards and could cause power outages throughout the state.

New Jersey Transit is reporting fewer riders. Buses and trains are cross-honoring tickets.

This storm is on its way to being the 17th to dump at least 2 inches of snow somewhere in New Jersey this season, according to David Robinson and the Office of the New Jersey State Climatologist. Last winter, the seventh snowiest on record, saw 20 snow events with at least 2 inches.

According to AccuWeather.com, the storm will spread a swath of snow and sleet over more than 1,500 miles from northern Texas and Oklahoma to Massachusetts. And it will impact daily activities for nearly 100 million people.

Major travel disruptions are in store, ranging from snow-clogged roads to many flight delays and cancellations. Flight disruptions will likely extend well beyond areas directly affected by the storm as crews and aircraft are displaced, according to AccuWeather.com.

The storm itself will be a rare event. It will take place as cold air invades central and eastern states following a storm that produced snow and ice Tuesday night and rain Wednesday, according to AccuWeather.com.

Bernadette Wertherin of Lakehurst picked up an entire shopping cart of groceries from the ShopRite in Manchester on Wednesday to prepare her for the storm.

"I've had it," the 81-year-old said of the snow. "I'm not happy with it at all."