Morris County Govt. and Courts Closed Tuesday -- Gov. Declares State of Emergency

Published on March 13, 2017

(JPG, 17KB)All Morris County government offices and the state court system in Morristown will be closed on Tuesday due to an expected winter pounding to be delivered to the region by Winter Storm Stella.

While county government facilities will be closed for non-essential employees, all essential employees should report for their normal shifts.

The County College of Morris, Morris County School of Technology, Morris County Library and other county facilities also will be closed.

In preparation for the storm, Governor Christie declared a State of Emergency, authorizing the State Director of Emergency Management to activate and coordinate the preparation, response and recovery efforts for the storm with all county and municipal emergency operations and governmental agencies. Commuters are asked to use extreme caution while traveling across the state.

This severe winter storm is expected to produce tonight through Tuesday afternoon significant snow accumulations, winds gusting up to 60 miles per hour, freezing temperatures, widespread coastal flooding and hazardous whiteout travel conditions, Governor Christie said. During these threatening conditions, I urge all New Jerseyans to remain off the roads so our first responders and public safety officers can safely and efficiently handle emergency situations.

(JPG, 4KB)New Jersey roads are expected to be impassable due to significant amounts of heavy, blowing, and drifting snow, low visibility and whiteout conditions, with the highest impact expected from late Monday night through Tuesday afternoon. Forecasted snow accumulations from five to more than 20 inches are expected in some areas of the state.

Due to the severe winter storm, the State of New Jersey has authorized the closing of state offices on Tuesday, March 14 for all non-essential employees. Essential employees should report to work on their regular schedule.

Road conditions will be available at the New Jersey Department of Transportation website at http://www.511nj.org/.

The current data suggests that we may experience 2-4 per hour snow rates during the pre-dawn hours into early afternoon on Tuesday. Blizzard conditions and limited visibility are possible at the height of the storm, with prolonged blowing and drifting snow.

SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 18-24 are possible depending on where the storm sets up. The heaviest snow and highest winds are expected through the morning and early afternoon tomorrow.

Winds will be northeast at 15-30 MPH with gusts to 35-45 MPH late Monday night through Tuesday. We may experience scattered snow showers into Wednesday.

Please adjust your plans accordingly, and stay safe!