From South Orange OEM:
In anticipation of tomorrow’s snowfall, the South Orange Office of Emergency Management has declared that parking on streets will be prohibited from midnight until 8:00 pm on January 19, 2024. Any cars on the street will be subject to ticketing or possible towing.
If you have an on-street parking permit, please move your vehicle to the Third and Valley Garage levels 4 and 5 or the nearest municipal lot.
Weather Forecast:
- Snow will start falling early on Friday morning, continuing into the afternoon before tapering in the early evening
- Total Snowfall: 1 to 3” expected. Reasonable worst case 4 to 5”.
- Timing: Develops southwest to northeast Friday 6 am – 10 am. Peak impacts Friday 10 am – 4 pm.
- Snowfall Rates: Up to 0.5 inch/hour.
- Temperatures: Upper 20s and lower 30s.
Arctic Air Mass: Temperatures will remain near or below freezing across the region
through Sunday night. Blustery winds this weekend will lead to wind chills near zero
at times.
- Air Temperatures: Mornings in the teens. Afternoons in the 20s and lower 30s.
- Wind Chill Values: Mornings in the single digits. Sub-zero values possible Saturday and Sunday morning. Afternoon values in the teens and 20s.
- Impacts: Frostbite could occur on exposed skin in under 30 minutes. Poorly insulated water lines along exterior walls could freeze and burst.
Driving
It is highly recommended not to travel during an active snowstorm. Roads can become extremely dangerous. However, if you must drive, here are some safety tips:
- Drive slow (at or below the posted speed limit) and adjust your speed for the changing road conditions.
- Turn on your headlights, using low beams when traveling in snow.
- Increase your following distance. In winter weather, travel at least eight to 10 seconds behind the car in front of you.
- Give snowplows plenty of room to work. Don’t tailgate and try not to pass. If you must pass, take extreme caution in doing so. Remember, a snowplow operator’s field of vision is restricted. You may see him, but they don’t always see you.
- If you skid, don’t brake or accelerate. Remove your foot from the gas, and gently steer your car in the direction of the skid (the direction the rear of your vehicle is sliding.) When your car starts heading in the desired direction, carefully straighten the wheel.
- Slow down before exiting the highway. Exit ramps often have icy patches, sharp curves and stalled or stopped vehicles.
- If your vehicle does become disabled, pull off the road as far as possible and turn on your emergency flashers. Remain with your vehicle until help arrives. If you can’t get your vehicle off the road and are uncertain about your safety, do not stay in your vehicle or stand behind it. Proceed carefully to a safe location away from traffic.
Emergency Alerts and Non-Emergency Notifications:
The Village’s Alerts & Notifications system allows residents to subscribe to our notification service for all levels of Emergency Alerts as well as subscribe to specific non-emergency Notifications covering a variety of Village services and topics. Please update and check your subscription to ensure that you are getting all requested notifications. http://www.
Emergency Protocols:
If you have a fire hydrant in front of your home, please keep it clearly visible and accessible as it could save your home – or even your life.
Residents are required to clear snow as best as possible from their sidewalks within 12 daylight hours following snowfall. Do not shovel snow into roadways, as it puts emergency vehicles in danger. Please be careful when shoveling and take frequent breaks.
Shoveling snow into the street is prohibited and will result in the issuance of a summons which will require a court appearance and fine.
Please do not stretch extension cords across roadways as it creates an unsafe condition for you and our emergency personnel.
Police Reminders
- Remember to remove all ice and snow from your vehicle before driving, especially from the hood, windows and roof. It’s the law in New Jersey! Motorists who fail to do so face fines of $25 to $75 for each offense, regardless of whether the ice and snow is dislodged from the vehicle. If flying ice or snow causes property damage or injury to others, motorists face fines of $200 to $1,000 for each offense. There are approximately 500 fatalities in the United States per year due to icy road conditions.
- Do not leave your vehicle running unattended to warm it.
- Snow removal during overnight hours is permitted.
- Do not approach any downed power lines, contact emergency services via telephone.
- Contact the police department via telephone (973-763-3000, option 0) to report trees or large tree limbs that have fallen down and making roads impassable.
Third party reporting:
Please report any power outages to PSEG at: 1-800-436-PSEG (7734)
You can view the PSEG outage map: http://outagecenter.pseg.
Additional information:
If there are power outages, the Village asks all residents and neighborhood associations and groups to do their best to check on any residents that may be elderly or have special needs.
Please limit calls to Police/Fire/EMS/911/emergency services to life-threatening conditions. Non-emergency information and requests for service can be submitted via Report a Concern at http://www.southorange.org/
Be prepared in a winter storm! Head to southorange.org for some helpful tips.
