Winter storm lives up to hype in Morris

A much-hyped winter storm slammed into Morris County Saturday, bringing more than 24 inches of snow and strong wind gusts and shutting down nearly all travel.

Gov. Chris Christie declared a State of Emergency, advising people to stay off the roads, and New Jersey Transit suspended service during the state’s first winter storm of the season.

Snowfall in Morris County began at about 11 p.m. Friday and picked up through Saturday morning, as the storm trended higher north than anticipated just one day earlier.

The National Weather Service posted a blizzard warning for all of Morris County at 11 a.m. Saturday, reporting the possibility of two to four inches per hour along the area of Route 80 and Route 78 corridors, which were under a band of heavy snow.

Visibility during that time was less than a quarter-mile to near zero with travel “dangerous to near impossible” as plows struggled to keep up with the accumulation, according to the Weather Service.

Emergency management officials said Morris County accumulation totals could reach 30 inches in some areas by the time snowfall ended on Sunday morning, with the potential of five- to 10-foot snow drifts.

“This is a dangerous storm,” said emergency management officials. “Cars and even trucks will get stuck in snow this deep, stranding the occupants in blizzard conditions.”

A small area in the southern portion of Morris County was expected to accumulate between 30 and 36 inches, according to the Weather Service’s “likely snowfall” projections.

SEE ALSO: State of emergency declared in New Jersey http://dailyre.co/1lE2WAW

Gov. Chris Christie declared a state of emergency Friday night, advising people to stay off the roads. N.J. Transit had also suspended services beginning 2 a.m. Saturday.

“This weekend’s storm is producing heavy snow and a variety of dangerous travel conditions throughout the state,” Christie said. “I’ve authorized state officials to continue all necessary actions, and we will monitor conditions throughout the remainder of the storm.

“I encourage all New Jerseyans to drive carefully and remain off the roads if possible so that our first responders and public safety officials can safely respond to any emergency situations.”

The area endured “blustery” northeast winds of 23 to 25 mph with gusts exceeding 40 mph, creating areas of blowing snow, the Weather Service said.

The Morris County Office of Emergency Management initially predicted between 12 and 22 inches Saturday morning, with the northern part of the county seeing less snow, before upping their projection to as much as 30 inches later in the day.

Travel was hazardous throughout the day and people are advised to stay indoors if possible.

Due to accumulations and drifting snow causing reduced visibility, some roads became impassible as Saturday progressed.

By 1 p.m. Saturday, the State Police had responded to 222 crashes and 868 motor vehicle aids, which includes responding to disabled vehicles.

In Parsippany, only one motor vehicle crash was reported by 3 p.m. Saturday, according to Patrolman Brian Conover.

Three vehicles were towed for parking on roadways during snow removal and plowing operations, and more were expected to be towed later Saturday as plows made their way into residential neighborhoods, he added.

“We have had multiple vehicles become disabled driving in the snow and getting stuck,” Conover said. “We advise residents to stay home and let the plows clear the roadways so it is safe to travel.”

Snow is expected to stick to wires and trees, which, when combined with the wind gusts, may result in power outages, the Weather Service said.

While Christie reported 90,000 outages statewide Saturday afternoon — a figure he anticipated would climb as the day progresses — no major outages were reported in Morris County through 3 p.m. Saturday, according to Jersey Central Power & Light’s outage map.

Staff Writer Michael Izzo: 973-428-6636; mizzo@GannettNJ.com

SEND YOUR SNOW PHOTOS/VIDEOS: Email eabreu@gannettnj.com