Forecasters warn that Morris County could experience snow, sleet and freezing rain Wednesday night.
Vianella Burns, Patch Staff
MORRIS COUNTY, NJ — Forecasters warn that a wintry mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain could lead to messy travel across Morris County as precipitation moves in Wednesday night into Thursday.
A winter weather advisory is in effect from 11 p.m. tonight until roughly 1 p.m. on Thursday, per the National Weather Service. Hunterdon, Somerset, Mercer, Gloucester, Camden and northwestern Burlington counties are also under advisories.
Total snow and sleet accumulations of up to two inches, along with ice accumulations of up to one-tenth of an inch, are forecasted to impact Morris County over the next 24 hours, potentially affecting road conditions.
"The potential exists for dangerous amounts of ice accretion into Thursday," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham. "This poses a risk for tree damage and power outages as the storm moves through."
The National Weather Service warned that roads, especially bridges and overpasses, are likely to become slick and hazardous. These conditions could impact the Thursday morning commute.
Find out what's happening in Morristownfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Motorists are reminded to slow down and use caution while traveling. For the latest road conditions in your area, call 511.
Due to icy conditions, a Code Blue Alert has been issued for Morris County from Feb. 4-5 and Feb. 7-11.
When the county health officer declares a Code Blue Advisory, municipalities with homeless populations, situational homeless, or transient populations are expected to activate their Code Blue response plans.
Local warming centers can be found on nj211.org.
The Morris County Office of Temporary Assistance can help with temporary shelter assistance, warming center assistance, rental assistance and utility assistance.
During business hours, many public libraries, shopping malls and senior centers serve as warming centers. These locations are intended to serve as a temporary location for a person to warm up, not as a shelter.
The new after-hours Code Blue emergency hotline is 2-1-1.
Public safety officials offered the following tips on keeping homes safe and coping with extreme winter weather:
Here is the latest forecast from the National Weather Service for Morris County:
Wednesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 33. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the afternoon.
Wednesday Night: A chance of snow before 4 a.m., then snow and sleet likely. Cloudy, with a low around 23. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow and sleet accumulation of less than one inch possible.
Thursday: Rain, snow, and sleet before 11 a.m., then rain, possibly mixed with snow between 11am and noon, then rain likely after noon. High near 38. Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow and sleet accumulation of less than one inch possible.
Thursday Night: A slight chance of rain before 1 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 35. West wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 40.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 21.
Saturday: A chance of snow after 1 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 35. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
Saturday Night: Snow and freezing rain before 1 a.m., then rain or freezing rain. Low around 29. Chance of precipitation is 100%.
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