(Lindenwold, NJ) – Well in advance of the first sign of precipitation, preparations have already been underway at the Camden County Department of Public Works (CCDPW) to respond to inclement conditions on area roadways starting this afternoon. Early forecasts are showing a significant Nor’easter set to bring our first winter storm of the season to Camden County. The preliminary outlook is pointing to accumulation starting Wednesday afternoon into Thursday morning.
“We are currently tracking a winter weather event that will be occurring on Wednesday that will bring a roller coaster of snow and rain over the course of 12 hours,” said Commissioner Barbara Holcomb, liaison to the CCDPW. “Prior to the forthcoming snow and sleet mix, which is expected to create slippery roadways throughout the county we are planning for a full fledged snow event and will prepare accordingly.”
At this time, the extended forecasts are calling for a winter weather mix that is expected to move through the area between, sunset Wednesday through Thursday morning possibly delivering periods of moderate snow that will later turn into a mix of snow, sleet and rain as temperatures rise. Snowfall will be steady at first and most of the accumulation is expected within the overnight hours.
At the public works complex in Lindenwold, more than 100 pieces of equipment are available to keep county roadways passable. When the weather becomes treacherous, personnel will be dispatched to 12 winter maintenance districts to salt and plow 1,200 lane miles of roadways across Camden County. The county’s response plan calls for crews to be dispatched only to the zones where they are needed.
“If you don’t have to travel during this period of time, please stay off the roads to give our crews the ability to effectively do their job. Anyone on the roadways during the storm should be prepared to encounter slick road conditions. And remember to always leave at least six car lengths behind our DPW vehicles while they work, and move any cars off the street and into a driveway while we continue our operations,” Holcomb said. “Remember that it is illegal in New Jersey to plow or shovel snow from private property into roadways.”
In the event that the weather causes isolated power outages, please remember to immediately call your utility company so they can identify the location and coordinate crews to restore your power. Any storm has the potential to bring down trees and power lines, so residents need to be extra cognizant of any power failures. Below are numbers and contact info for the two power providers in Camden County:
- PSE&G: 1-800-436-PSEG (7734)
- PSEG website: http://pseg.com/home/customer_service/outage_info/index.jsp
- Atlantic City Electric: 1-800-833-7476
- Atlantic City Electric website: http://www.atlanticcityelectric.com/home/
- South Jersey Gas: 1-800-582-7060
- South Jersey Gas website: http://southjerseygas.com/
As always, please use 911 for emergencies only. If you see a problem on a county road, please call our 24-hour hotline at (856) 566-2980 to report it to DPW.
Continue to check www.camdencounty.com through the storm for weather and road condition updates. Information will also be provided through Facebook and Twitter.