Morris prepares for blizzard

The National Weather Service has described the impending snowstorm heading for New Jersey as "crippling" and "potentially historic."

The weather service expects as much as 2 feet of snow to fall in areas of Morris County between Monday and Tuesday.

A blizzard warning was issued for New Jersey warning that heavy snow and high winds will make travel hazardous, if not impossible at times, Monday evening and Tuesday.

Roxbury students sing "All About That Snow" . . .

NJ Transit

NJ Transit www.njtransit.com will suspend all service by 10 p.m. Monday. The last service for rail, bus and light rail will depart from points of origin no later than 8 p.m.

Rail service will remain shut down through Thursday morning, depending on equipment conditions. Bus and light rail may resume Wednesday depending on road and track conditions and snow-removal operations.

Most NY Waterway ferries are operating normally Monday. The last ferry to Belford in Monmouth County departs Wall Street at 6:15 p.m.

NJ Transit previously announced a systemwide cross-honoring in effect from Monday, January 26 through Wednesday, January 28; customers will be able to use their ticket or pass on an alternate travel mode—rail, light rail or bus—including private bus carriers.

NJ Transit advises customers to exercise extreme caution traveling in and around all transit facilities and when boarding or alighting buses and trains due to the expected icy conditions.

READ: Morris shoppers storm grocery stores as snowfall starts http://dailyre.co/1C8eUcr

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SEE PHOTOS: Morris prepares for blizzard http://dailyre.co/1C7nSGP

High school sports in Morris County:

Monday sporting events all postponed, a look ahead to Tuesday http://dailyre.co/15BNyNt

Christie declares state of emergency

Gov. Chris Christie has declared a state of emergency because of the impending blizzard and is closing state offices for non-essential employees at 1 p.m. for the rest of the day and Tuesday.

Christie, at a press briefing on Monday, said state offices for non-essential employees would close Monday afternoon and remain closed Tuesday.

He has authorized the state Director of Emergency Management to activate and coordinate the preparation, response and recovery efforts for the storm with all county and municipal emergency operations and governmental agencies.

In a news release issued by the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management http://www.state.nj.us/njoem/, Governor Chris Christie advised New Jersey residents to maintain a high level of situational awareness regarding the weather conditions.

"I urge all New Jersey residents to monitor the National Weather Service forecasts. This is a serious and significant weather event which will create extremely hazardous conditions. Travel will be dangerous and it is not advised."

Winds, strong gusts expected

Winds reaching speeds of 20 to 30 mph with stronger gusts will cause significant snow drifting and impact the Monday evening and Tuesday morning commutes, according to the National Weather Service.

"It's really into (Monday) afternoon through (Monday) night and Tuesday where the storm starts to organize along the coast and track north and northeastward," said Mitchell Gaines, a meteorologist at the Mount Holly station of the National Weather Service. "It's going to cause considerable impact."

A National Weather Service alert said there was "no doubt" that snow would impact travel on Monday and Tuesday.

The worst of the storm should end Tuesday morning, but light snow showers may linger through the remainder of the day, said Gaines, the Mount Holly meteorologist.

Local weather forecast: https://www.dailyrecord.com/weather/

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Is your snowblower broken? Here's one possible reason:

Martin Flemming III of County Line Hardware & Lawn Mower in Jackson said snowblowers must be run until devoid of fuel at the end of each season.

"When they finish using it, they should run it completely out of fuel and drain the carburetor," he said. "If they don't run the fuel out of them, because of the ethanol in the fuel, it deteriorates the carburetor and rubber gaskets in the carburetor."

Once the damage is done, the carburetor needs to be rebuilt, he said. So when the season is over, remember to drain the fuel from the snowblower.

Tell us what you see

We want to know what's going on in your neighborhood, your roads, and on your commute, too, so we can share with our readers.

Let us know what you see, including measured inch counts in your area, photos and video. Post your updates on our Facebook page www.Facebook.com/DailyRecordNJ, send a tweet to @DailyRecord on Twitter using the hashtag #DRstorm, upload to www.DailyRecord.com/Share or email eabreu@dailyrecord.com.

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ADVISORIES

Morris County

The Morris County Freeholders have postponed their Jan. 26 budget input session to Feb. 4.

"People are being advised to stay off the roads Monday evening because of the potential for heavy snow," said Freeholder Director Kathryn DeFillippo. "It is for everyone's safety that we postpone the budget input session."

The newly scheduled one-hour session is to take place at 6 p.m. in the Knox Room on the fifth floor of the County Administration and Records Building on Court Street.

The freeholders, who continue to work on the 2015 county budget, are inviting municipal officials and members of the public to share their views about county spending with the Freeholder Budget Subcommittee.

Anyone unable to attend the Feb. 4 session may send written comments to the Morris County Administrator's Office, P.O. Box 900, Morristown, N.J., 07963-0900. Comments also may be emailed to the freeholders in care of the county public information office at jgarifo@co.morris.nj.us.

Morristown

A warming center will be open for residents starting at 8 p.m. Monday to 8 a.m. Tuesday; and 8 p.m. Tuesday to 8 a.m. Wednesday, located at the Morristown Fire House, 161 Speedwell Avenue.?

The Morristown Parking Authority will permit Morristown residents to park in designated town garages at no charge, according a news release issued by the Office of the Mayor.

Available garages will include the Dalton Parking Garage (Cattano Avenue), Ann/Bank Parking Garage, Dehart Garage and Vail Parking Desk (access from South Street).

Residents can park in garages through 9 a.m. Thursday. Vehicles moved after this time will be subject to parking fees.

Residents should show their driver's license as proof of Morristown residency upon exiting for parking fees to be waived.

Date and time of vehicle removal are subject to change. Visit www.townofmorristown.org, Facebook https://www.facebook.com/townofmorristown or Twitter https://twitter.com/NJMorristown for updates.

Parsippany: The township has issued a statement reminding residents that people should not park on roadways. Vehicles parked on roads will be issued summonses and towed.

Parsippany: The Jan. 26 general meeting of the Woman's Club of Parsippany Troy Hills has been rescheduled to 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 2 at the Lake Parsippany Rescue & Recovery Building, located at 100 Centerton Drive in Parsippany. There will be a short business meeting followed by social time and refreshments. All are welcome to the general meeting. For more information on the Woman's Club of Parsippany-Troy Hills or to attend the meeting, contact Cathy at 973-984-0758 or e-mail to womansclubofpth@gmail.com.

Netcong: The meetings for the Netcong Planning Board and Netcong Community Partnership scheduled for (Monday) tonight have been canceled. The Planning Board will meet Feb. 23. The NCP meeting is yet to be rescheduled.

Hackettstown: There is no parking allowed on any streets in the Town of Hackettstown though parking is allowed in municipal lots. Police are advising that anyone that has a vehicle on a town street to remove it by 1 p.m. Vehicles must remain off the streets until the snow emergency has been lifted.

Chatham: The board of education has cancelled its meeting scheduled for (Monday) tonight at 7:30 p.m.

Chatham Township

The Chatham Township Committee advises residents to take precautions in advance of the impending winter storm.

The Chatham Township Senior Center and Chatham Township Municipal Building may close on Monday afternoon. Residents are advised to call 973-635-4600 in advance to confirm if the facility is open.

"We would like to remind our residents to take the necessary precautions," said Mayor Kevin Sullivan. "Given the expectation for hazardous conditions, residents should prepare themselves, and their families, for what is expected to be a significant and potentially historic winter storm.

The mayor suggested residents register for Alert Chatham Township Now (ACT Now), an emergency and community alert system. For more information, visit http://www.chathamtownship-nj.gov/resident-communications.html

Updates will also be posted on the township committee's Facebook page www.facebook.com/chathamtownshipgovernment and Twitter account www.Twitter.com/ChathamTownship.

Residents are asked to check on their elderly neighbors and periodically remove any snow from fire hydrants to ensure easy access by the fire department.

If residents lose power, call JCP&L at 1-888-544-4877. For more information about JCP&L's outages, storm restoration process and tips for staying safe, visit http://outages.firstenergycorp.com/nj.html.

Report downed wires to JCP&L or the local police or fire department -- never go near a downed power line, even if you think it is no longer carrying electricity.

HOME PREPARATION

Residents are encouraged to prepare for the possibility of outages caused by winter storms:

• Keep a flashlight and extra batteries handy. Use care when burning candles; open flames are a fire hazard.

• Gather extra blankets or a sleeping bag for each person. Do not use gas stoves, kerosene heaters or other open-flame heat sources to prevent deadly carbon monoxide gas from building up in your home.

• If you have a water well and pump, keep an emergency supply of bottled water and/or fill your bathtub with fresh water.

• Stock an emergency supply of convenience foods that do not require cooking.

• Keep a battery-powered radio with extra batteries on hand. Tune to a local station for current storm information.

• Have a hard-wired telephone or a charged cell phone handy in the event you need to report your electricity is out. Mobile phones can be charged in your vehicle using a car charger when the power is out. If you have a smart phone, this will ensure you have access to online information sources.

• For more winter safety tips, visit http://www.weather.com/safety/winter/news/storms-during-the-storm-20120416.

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