Blizzard dumps nearly 30 inches of snow on West Orange

WEST ORANGE, NJ — It was a crazy weekend. A state of emergency was declared in New Jersey, temperatures dropped and the snow forecast changed hour by hour — in most cases going up! The blizzard, which hit late at night on Jan. 22, and kept up until early morning on Jan. 24, dumped nearly 30 inches of snow on us.

And the storm wasn’t just bad for Essex County. Slamming the East Coast, the storm affected people from Georgia to Massachusetts. This record-breaking storm was the largest snowstorm ever recorded in three cities: Baltimore, which got 29.2 inches; Allentown, Pa., which got 31.9 inches; and Harrisburg, Pa., which got 34 inches. This storm marked the first time a single storm dumped more than two feet on Baltimore and New York City. Also, according to the National Weather Service, Shepherdstown, W.Va., wins — or loses, depending on how you look at it — with 42 inches of snow.

This massive storm was even visible from the International Space Station, with NASA Capt. Scott Kelly, a West Orange hometown hero, tweeting a picture of the storm from space.

Closer to home, though, residents got to experience what a full day of nonstop snow can do. Many New Jersey residents lost power, though it was restored a short time later.

According to PSE&G spokeswoman Brooke Houston, from late Friday night through early evening on Sunday, “all-told (PSE&G) had 5,700 outages in the New Jersey coverage area,” she said in a Jan. 25 phone conversation. With 2.2 million customers, this number could have been worse. Houston also said that, during a peak outage time, there were 1,000 outages. Individual numbers for towns were not available by press time Jan. 26.

Countywide, several attractions were closed Saturday in an effort to keep people off the roads. Essex County also issued a Code Blue, which was in effect from Jan. 22 at 5 p.m. through Jan. 25 at 9 a.m. Code Blues are called when the temperature drops below 15 degrees for a 48-hour period or when the wind chill is below 0 degrees, according to the county. Once the code is declared, a network of warming stations operated by the county and its municipalities are opened at various community-based buildings.

“Providing our homeless residents with a warm place to stay during extreme weather conditions is important for their safety and well-being,” Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. said in a Jan. 22 release. “We thank our participating shelters and warming stations who are working with us to open their doors in these times of need.”

“Our homeless residents need a warm place to stay when winter weather gets this bad,” Sheriff Armando Fontoura said in the release. “The organizations opening their doors are providing a great service and helping us protect the safety of these vulnerable residents.”

The county set up a warming center at West Orange Public Library.
And, although the snow has stopped falling, we are now stuck with a large cleanup job.

West Orange is still not plowed out, with several areas still dealing with the massive snowfall.

“The first major snow storm of the year has brought a significant amount of snow,” read a Jan. 24 update on West Orange’s township website. “Wind drifts have created additional challenges. The township has had all available crews and subcontractors working around the clock and these efforts will continue for the next several days.”

In the meantime, West Orange residents have been asked to be mindful of where they park, so as not to hinder the snow removal efforts. The Thursday, Friday, Saturday alternate-side parking rules are in effect, as of press time Jan. 26. Parking on both sides of the street is prohibited.

Even with all the work being done to clear the roadways, many have been narrowed due to the buildup of snow on the sides, so residents are urged take care when driving. Proceed slowly and be mindful of other cars on the road.

By press time Jan. 26, West Orange did not have any specific information about the impact from the storm to share. Based on information provided by neighboring townships, such as South Orange, however, West Orange police likely responded to stranded motorists and the like. South Orange used 200 tons of salt during the storm and West Orange, a much larger township, likely used much more.

The hazardous road conditions also prompted school closures. The West Orange School District closed schools Monday, Jan. 25. Despite originally announcing that schools would be open Tuesday, Jan. 26, Superintendent Jeffrey Rutzky reversed that decision late Monday.

“After a recent update from town officials, I have learned that certain streets and sidewalks are still snow-covered and could create an unsafe situation for vehicles and walkers,” Rutzky said in a release. “Mayor (Robert) Parisi, (police) Chief (James) Abbott and (township administrator Jack) Sayers conveyed that an additional day would benefit the snow cleanup.

“My number one priority is the safety of our students, staff and parents,” Rutzky continued.

  Scott Kelly