(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 tomorrow morning. In what has become a seemingly weekly occurrence, another winter weather event will move quickly through the county tomorrow during the morning commute.
“Unfortunately, we have seen this movie before, which is to say that we are tracking a winter weather event that will be occurring during the morning rush hour and will be presenting significant challenges to treating and plowing roads,” said Freeholder Susan Shin Angulo, liaison to the CCDPW. “Prior to forthcoming snow and sleet mix, which is expected to create slippery roadways, in the early morning hours when temperatures drop, our crews are already hard at work to keep traffic moving throughout the county.”
A minor clipper system is expected to move through the area between 2 and 4 a.m. delivering periods of moderate snow that will later turn into a mix of snow and sleet as temperatures rise. Snowfall will be steady at first and most of the accumulation is expected within the first two hours. We are expecting between two to four inches of accumulation over the duration of the storm. The expectation is for most of the precipitation to end around 9 a.m. with some possible small isolated spots of sleet at different times in the afternoon.
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, 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. 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,” Shin Angulo 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.