NJ weather: Up to 9 inches of snow expected at Jersey Shore, widespread flooding possible
Snow is falling throughout the Jersey Shore, with up to 9 inches now possible and heavy snow bands expected to make the morning commute treacherous.
The hardest hit area will be Western Monmouth, which the weather service placed under a winter storm warning with 5 to 9 inches possible.
Two to five inches of snow are now forecast for Ocean County and eastern Monmouth County, according to the weather service.
Steven DiMartino, meteorologist at NY NJ PA Weather, is continuing to predict around four inches of snow for Monmouth County, and up to about two inches in Ocean County.
Ocean County had longer periods of rain, so their changeover was slower, according to DiMartino, bringing them less snow.
If the overall storm was moving slower, there would be a lot more snow, DiMartino said.
"It's very rough out there," he said. "That's the best way to describe it."
DiMartino said the snow is falling at a rate of one to two inches per hour.
Heavy snow bands and wind gusts up to 30 mph could make the morning drive difficult, according to the weather service, before the storm ends around 3 p.m.
More: How much snow has fallen? Monmouth, Ocean counties could see up to 8 inches
In addition, widespread flooding may make some roads throughout Monmouth and Ocean counties impassable, with as much as 1 to 2 feet of water on roads along the coastline and tidal waterways. The National Weather Service has placed both counties under a coastal flood warning. The worst of the flooding is expected during the daytime high tide.
The coasts of Monmouth and Ocean County are also under a wind advisory, with gusts up to 50 mph possible until 5 p.m. today.
DiMartino said the storm should end around noon and, by Tuesday afternoon, we'll start to see breaks of sun and temperatures jumping back up to the mid- to upper-30s.
More: Snow and sleet triggers closures at some Jersey Shore schools on Tuesday, Feb. 13
Floodgate in 'operational mode'
The Port Monmouth Road Floodgate has been put into "Operational Mode" by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection because of the weather.
According to Middletown Township, the Pews Creek Tide Gate was placed in "Operational Mode" Monday afternoon. "The operation will allow the gates to automatically open and close based on the tides while ensuring the interior drainage basin does not exceed" a certain elevation.
The DEP uses several weather and tide sites to assess the need for tide gates, pump stations, and road closure gates to be placed in operational mode to reduce flood risk, according to the township.
Some NJ government offices closed
Some government operations have closed throughout the state, including all courthouses.
Also, all state offices are closed.
According to the DEP, "The governor has directed all state offices will be closed on Tuesday, February 13, 2024, due to inclement weather conditions. Employees designated as Weather Essential will report for their normal shift and follow any specific reporting instructions. Employees who were previously scheduled to telework will continue to do so."
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Inclement weather arrives in New Jersey; Snow, rain is here
