The storm that is currently pounding Virginia and Maryland could begin hitting our area as early as 10 p.m. Friday night — earlier than originally forecast.
The snow will begin falling between 10 p.m. Friday and 2 a.m. Saturday, according to at least one meteorologist quoted in an NJ.com article, with the worst conditions expected closer to daybreak on Saturday.
The National Weather Service has a blizzard warning in effect from 4 a.m. Saturday to 12 p.m. on Sunday, with heavy snow accumulating between 7-12 inches, and potentially damaging winds.
Essex County has issued a snow emergency, advising residents to stay indoors and off the roads. The zoo, Codey Arena and senior buildings in the Essex County Parks System all are closed from Saturday through Monday.
Eighteen states are under blizzard warnings or winter storm warnings, according to weather.com, and the storm has already dumped a foot of snow in western North Carolina and a half foot or more in parts of Virginia and other states.
“Conditions will go downhill rapidly Friday afternoon and evening through Saturday in the Mid-Atlantic and portions of the Northeast where blizzard conditions, strong winds and coastal flooding will develop,” according to weather.com. “The National Weather Service has now issued blizzard warnings from northern Virginia to Long Island, including Washington D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York. Heavy snow and strong winds will bring travel to a grinding halt, between late Friday and Sunday morning.”
If you want to track the storm from all angles, NJ.com has compiled a list of 20 social media feeds of government, weather, emergency and transportation that are following the storm’s impact on roads, transit, power outages and more.
Meanwhile, there’s still time to make sure you’re prepared to weather the first winter storm of the season.
