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The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for Sussex, Monroe, and Carbon Counties, effective from 11pm Monday night through 3pm Tuesday afternoon. Residents are urged to prepare for severe winter weather conditions as heavy snowfall and mixed precipitation is expected, with total snow accumulations of 5-8 inches plus up to a tenth of an inch of ice. The National Weather Service was previously predicting some 8-13 inches of mostly snow.
As of early Tuesday morning, the National Weather Service reported 5.6 inches of snow in Sparta, 5.0 inches of snow in Wantage, and 8.5 inches of snow in Port Jervis. The snow is expected to continue until mid-day Tuesday.
The warning comes as the National Weather Service Mount Holly office is predicting gusting winds as high as 35 mph along with the snowfall, making travel conditions potentially hazardous. The heaviest snowfall is anticipated during Tuesday morning's commute, with rates of around 1 to 2 inches per hour possible. Such conditions could make travel very difficult to impossible.
Officials are advising residents to avoid unnecessary travel during this time. However, if travel is unavoidable, keeping an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle can be important in case of an emergency. Drivers should also ensure that their vehicles are equipped to handle the snowy conditions, including having adequate tire tread and antifreeze.
This winter storm warning follows a previous Winter Storm Watch for these counties. The upgrade to a warning signifies a higher level of certainty in the forecast and the potential impact of the storm.
Local authorities are also preparing for the storm, with snow removal teams on standby to clear roads as quickly as possible.
Listen to 102.3 WSUS, 103.7 NNJ, and 106.3 The Bear for the latest on the storm.