The Latest On Snowstorm In Long Branch-Eatontown

MONMOUTH COUNTY, NJ — The nor'easter snowstorm bearing down on New Jersey has now shifted, and snow is supposed to start falling later in the day Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.

The snow is expected to start falling in New Jersey around 3 p.m. Wednesday. However, Monmouth County straddles the line where the southern half of New Jersey will get mostly rain, while western and northern Monmouth could get snow.

“We're on the line. There's a big unknown. Monmouth County is in a unique situation with this snow storm, with some of our southern towns predicted to get as little as one inch of snow and some our northern towns predicted to get up to ten inches between noon today and 2 p.m. tomorrow,” said Freeholder Director Thomas A. Arnone.

He was speaking from the Monmouth County DPW salt garage in Freehold Wednesday morning.

“The forecasted amounts may change over the course of the day and overnight, but I am here to let you know that Monmouth County is ready for whatever this storm brings.”

Bayshore towns stretching from Aberdeen to Rumson are under a high wind warning and residents are asked to bring cars, garbage cans and basketball hoops indoors. Gusty Northeast winds of 30 to 40 mph with gusts up to 60 mph are expected, so now is the time to secure outdoor objects.

Accumulations of five to ten inches are predicted for parts of Monmouth County. Combined with wind, drifting snow and ice, travel could be hazardous Wednesday night and Thursday morning.

Monmouth County DPW crews pre-treated critical roads with liquid salt brine overnight on Tuesday, to prevent snow and ice from bonding to the road surface. As weather conditions transition to snow, road crews will be applying rock salt treated with magnesium chloride.

“Our snow command center will be in operation for the duration of the storm and the County has the ability to put into service 250 trucks and equipment to combat snowstorms,” said Arnone. “The County also has 31,000 tons of treated salt and 135,000 gallons of salt brine available for use during this storm.”

“We ask our residents and commuters to stay home if possible, use caution on the roadways, give yourself extra time to get to your destination, and extend distance to snow and ice control trucks,” said Freeholder Director Arnone.

The County has been applying the salt brine and magnesium chloride-treated rock salt in advance of storms since 2007. The salt brine and a pre-application of treated rock salt prevent the snow and ice from bonding to the roads, and the treated rock salt is environmentally friendly. It does not burn the grass or other roadside vegetation nor does it corrode the trucks or the steel bridge spans.

All COVID testing has been canceled for Thursday in Monmouth. The next mobile COVID-19 testing site for healthcare workers and first responders will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 22 in Middletown from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Middletown Fire Department located at 336 State Highway 35.

The high winds could also lead to power outages throughout the County. As Patch already reported, JCP&L has extra line crews driving into New Jersey from Ohio to help if lines go down.

If a power outage does occur you can report the outage to First Energy at 1-888-544-4877 (1-888-LIGHTSS). Do not approach live wires.