New Jersey Travel Restrictions Lifted After Blizzard Dumps Up to 26 Inches in Freehold
new jersey travel restrictions that began at 9 p. m. on Sunday were lifted at noon on Monday by the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management, even as officials warned hazardous conditions and urged residents to avoid travel where possible because of heavy snow, outages and limited visibility.
New Jersey Travel Restrictions: ban began 9 p. m., lifted at noon
The mandatory travel restriction began at 9 p. m. on Sunday and was lifted at noon on Monday, the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management announced. While the travel ban has ended, motorists were strongly encouraged to avoid unnecessary travel as crews continued clearing roads and working to restore safe travel on some snow-covered routes.
Blizzard warning covered all 21 counties for first time in three decades
State officials placed the entire state under a blizzard warning — the first time a blizzard warning covered all 21 counties in three decades — as the storm dropped heavy snow across Central and South Jersey. The Garden State Parkway was passable but extremely slick, and many county roads had been cleared to the blacktop while side streets remained treacherous in some communities.
Monmouth County hammered; Freehold measured 26 inches
Central New Jersey saw some of the largest totals: Monmouth County communities including Freehold, Middletown and Colts Neck topped two feet in places, with Freehold recording 26 inches. The storm dumped huge amounts of snow across Central and South Jersey, leaving many neighborhoods clogged and local plows working through the night.
Power outages left residents snowed in on Bennington Road and off of Colt's Neck Road
Many residents faced power outages. Freehold resident Lynn Fachler said she had been snowed in on Bennington Road with no heat and no electricity after a tree snapped and took down a power line off of Colt's Neck Road, and added that crews needed to either restore power or clear roads because people did not want to stay in the cold. Freehold resident Mike Fachler said, "There seem to be a lot of outages. I hope, they get it fixed soon, and I don't think I'm the only one. But hopefully they can fix it by tonight, which would be good. "
Crews from as far away as Ohio deployed; warming centers listed for residents
Utility crews, contractors and mutual aid partners — including teams from as far away as Ohio — were deployed across the state to work on restoring power. Acting State Police Superintendent David Sirota said the State Emergency Operations Center was at Level 2 activation and would remain staffed around the clock, with search and rescue teams equipped with high-wheeled vehicles and snowmobiles on standby. Sirota warned drivers that "Roads can wait. Your life can't. " Residents who need warming centers were directed to NJ211. org.
A website notice warned some users their browser was not supported
A separate online notice advised users that their browser was not supported and urged downloading updated browsers for the best experience, noting the site's design takes advantage of the latest technology to be faster and easier to use.
State officials emphasized that while the mandatory restriction ended at noon on Monday, hazardous conditions persisted in parts of the state, with limited visibility on some roadways and crews continuing to clear streets and restore services. The next confirmed public update will come from state emergency officials as recovery work continues and crews report restored power and reopened roads.
