Winter Storm Warning for Princeton Area Begins Thursday Afternoon

jan2stormmapThe National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning beginning Thursday afternoon that will last through Friday morning. Along with the snow and cold, wind gusts of up to 30 miles per hour are expected to cause blowing and drifting snow.

The storm warning is in effect from 1 p.m. Thursday until 10 a.m. Friday.

Central Jersey will likely get between 6 and 8 inches of snow.

Some snow is possible Thursday morning through early afternoon. The snow will then increase by late afternoon, with the bulk of the snow expected Thursday night and Friday morning.

Accuweather has warned that the storm will affect road travel and air travel because of poor visibility and high winds. Visibility is expected to be less than half a mile at times.

Travel will become hazardous late Thursday as snow increases. This will be an “increasingly fluffy snow,” according to the National Weather Service in Mt. Holly, and as winds increase Thursday night, blowing and drifting snow will make travel even more hazardous. Road plowing operations will be affected due to blowing and drifting snow and snowfall rates of near an inch per hour at times during the height of the storm Thursday night.

New Jersey Transit will offer systemwide cross-honoring the entire service day Thursday because of the weather.

Temperatures are expected to drop into the teens and single digits. The combination of cold temperatures and winds will create wind chills late Thursday night ranging from 5 below to 20 below zero. Outdoor exposure should be minimized.

The storm is predicted to affect as many as 70 million people in the Northeast, with areas of Massachusetts and Rhode Island being hit the hardest.

Montgomery Township officials have announced that  the township will open a warming center Thursday through Saturday because of the expected low temperatures. The The Otto Kaufman Community Center will be open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. The center is located at 356 Skillman Road in Skillman.

Planet Princeton will provide updates about storm issues and resources as they become available. We will update our website, Facebook and Twitter pages. If you know of any issues or have questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at editor@planetprinceton.com.