Snow, ice prompts state of emergency in New Jersey

NJ under State of Emergency during snow storm

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy talks about the state's response to the snow storm and provides tips for weekend deep freeze.

MOORESTOWN, N.J. - Across the Delaware River, New Jersey received a sizable amount of snow Friday, prompting Governor Phil Murphy to issue a State of Emergency.

Portions of Burlington County through Cumberland County and in Atlantic City all received at least 6 inches of snow.

Governor Murphy spoke with FOX 29’s Dawn Timmeney and Jason Martinez, saying the State of Emergency was placed, in part, because, "It just gives us a lot more latitude in terms of managing the storm. In addition to that, we did things such as a commercial vehicle ban that we did in concert with Pennsylvania."

He went on to say, about the storm, "It's about what we expected and a little bit inverted. We expected that in the sense that South Jersey, central Jersey got more than North Jersey. Other than that, roads have been decent, outages have been limited. I worry about plunging temperatures and ice."

State of emergency in NJ after snowfall, residents begin cleanup

New Jersey residents were out shoveling after heavy snow blanketed the southern half of the state, while others enjoyed the snow day.

In Mount Laurel, a group of church members turned out Friday night in a race against falling temperatures to shovel a sidewalk at the church, as 6 inches fell in that area. One member of the group, Ron Hack, said, "We gotta get it clear so it’s not a danger on Sunday."

Many of the main streets across the state were treated as snow fell Friday, but any streets and sidewalks left untreated were simply turning into ice rinks Saturday, as temperatures plunged after Friday’s snow into the teens overnight. In addition, wind chill values made temps feel closer to the single digits throughout the day.

One owner of a Moorestown hardware store, Pete Bender, Jr., was thrilled with Friday’s snow as sleds were selling faster than shovels and stated, about the snowfall, "After Christmas, we rely on it and we couldn’t be happier to see all the snow we’re getting."

Governor Murphy talked about the weekend’s icy plunge, advising residents, "If your power goes out, don't assume somebody else is calling it in. Call it in yourself. We've got warming centers up and running in all 21 counties. 211 is the phone number for that. Ready.nj.gov is the best, all-encompassing website for storm updates and be really, really careful out on the roads."

There were no details as to when the State of Emergency would be lifted.

Snow day for kids in South Jersey

Kids from Haddonfield and other parts of South Jersey were thrilled with the snow day and spent it playing and sledding.

Meanwhile, kids and their parents in Haddonfield happily enjoyed Friday's snow as they took to the hills to sled or simply play and make snow angels in their yards.