Princeton Area Cancellations and Delayed Openings for Wednesday, February 5
The state of emergency declared by Gov. Chris Christie is still in effect today. Many locations will see more than a tenth of an inch of ice accumulation today. Some locations will see ice accumulation of around a quarter inch. There is a slight probability of icing of a half inch, which would cause major problems due to ice accumulation on tree limbs and power lines.
Snowfall predictions for central New Jersey have been reduced to an inch or less, with snowfall of four or more inches possible in northern New Jersey. There is another potential winter storm this coming weekend. More details will become available regarding that storm tomorrow.
How bad could it get if the predicted icing occurs? The word from National Weather Service meteorologists: “Very bad…Respect the snow, fear the ice.”
Any amount of freezing rain can cause slippery roadways and sidewalks, resulting in difficult travel conditions. Amounts over a quarter inch start to cause concerns about damage to tree limbs & power lines due to the weight of the ice. If trees are still carrying a snow load from yesterday’s storm, problems will start even sooner. To report downed wires or power outages, call PSE&G’s Customer Service line at 1-800-436-PSEG.
There is also a slight chance of flooding as snow melts. For rivers that are ice-clogged, the additional rainfall amounts may cause ice jam development and flooding. In preparation for possible power outages, charge up electronic devices this evening. Once the storm arrives, err on the side of safety when making travel decisions later tonight and into Wednesday.
Princeton officials are asking residents to remove all cars from town streets for the duration of the storm so the streets can be plowed. The public parking lot on Race Street adjacent to the Community Park tennis courts provides free parking. The garage on Spring Street and other private parking garages are also options. Trash pick up could possibly be delayed. We will post more info. in the a.m. regarding trash pick up and any rescheduling.
Closings:
State offices are closed. Federal court in Trenton, delayed opening, 11 a.m. Mercer County courts are closed.
Schools:
TCNJ closed. Princeton Seminary is closed, but the school’s library will be open.
Princeton University will stay closed until 5 p.m. Classes scheduled to begin before that time will not be held. Only employees in critical or essential roles should report for shifts. Libraries are closed.
Rutgers New Brunswick, delayed opening at noon.
The following schools are closed (this list will be updated frequently, so check back): Chapin, Princeton, Princeton Charter, Princeton Academy of the Sacred Heart, Princeton Day School, Stuart Country Day, St. Paul’s, Cherry Hill Nursery, The Hun School, The Pennington School, Ewing, Franklin, Hamilton, Hillsborough, Hopewell, Lawrence, Mercer County Vo Tech, Montgomery, South Brunswick School District, St Augustine of Canterbury in South Brunswick, Trenton, West Windsor, Cambridge School in Pennington, Princeton Montessori..
The Bridge Academy will open two hours late.
The Lawrenceville School will open at 11 a.m.
East Windsor will have a 90-minute delayed opening.
Government/Municipal Offices
All state offices closed. Mercer County offices will open two hours late.
Princeton, Lawrence closed (updated).
West Windsor closed (updated) .
South Brunswick, Frankllin municipal offices are closed.
The South Brunswick Senior Center is closed.
Other Closings and Delayed Openings
Morven Museum closed.
Morning classes cancelled at Princeton Center for Yoga and Health. Princeton Fitness and Wellness will open at noon.
The Princeton YMCA Facility will have a delayed opening at 11 a.m. The Child Development Center will follow the Princeton Public Schools schedule. All programs before 11 are cancelled. All programs scheduled for and after 11, including aquatics, group exercise, and after school programs, are expected to run as scheduled. If weather conditions are worse than expected, the YMCA operating hours could change again.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation will have a two hour delay in opening today.
ETS is closed.
Transit
New Jersey Transit Rail service will operate on a storm schedule on all lines, EXCEPT Atlantic City Line. Northeast Corridor and North Jersey Coast line service is temporarily suspended in both directions due to Amtrak overhead wire problems (as of 4:51 a.m.). .Cross honoring is in effect today with PATH at Newark, Hoboken and NY And with NJT bus and private carriers. Due to weather conditions, platforms may be slippery. If you are traveling by train today, please stand back behind the yellow line and use caution when boarding and alighting trains.
Krystal Knapp is the founding editor of Planet Princeton. Follow her on Twitter @krystalknapp. She can be reached via email at editor AT planetprinceton.com. Send all letters to the editor and press releases to that email address.