Another icy commute for Morris drivers and walkers

A good reason to stay in bed — another Monday with harrowing, unpleasant weather.

Most school districts in Morris County, including public and private districts, had announced closings as of 8 a.m., with a late cancellation reported by the Parsippany School district.

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As of 8:20 a.m., the Morris County courthouse and government offices in Morristown were still expecting to be open for business but county Department of Public Works employees were on-duty early, salting sidewalks and roads surrounding the complex in Morristown.

Parsippany police issued this advisory Monday morning:

"Freezing rain will continue through the morning rush and into Monday evening creating challenging driving conditions. Temperatures will begin to drop Monday afternoon and snow will begin to mix with the sleet and freezing rain."

"The storm system is expected to wind down during the pre-dawn hours on Tuesday."

"Municipal operations have been engaged, salt trucks are loaded and crews will be dispatched accordingly. Please be mindful that Township roads are currently down to blacktop and black ice will be a major issue throughout Monday and Monday evening, as salt is ineffective in temperatures below 22 degrees."

Morris County Office of Emergency Management on its website offered a cautionary statement about the sleet and freezing rain. The website 511nj.org, which gives traffic updates on all New Jersey roads, stated that speeds are reduced to 45 mph on the Garden State Parkway and NJ Turnpike.

No weather-related accidents were immediately reported in Morris County but volume-related delays were occurring after 8 a.m. on Route 510/Columbia Turnpike in Hanover Township, 511nj.org reported.

Staff Writer Peggy Wright: 973-267-1142; pwright@njpressmedia.com