NJ snowstorm brings speed restrictions; updated snow totals for Monmouth, Ocean

Ken Serrano, Jenna Calderón and Michael L. Diamond, Asbury Park Press
Updated ·6 min read

The storm traveling through New Jersey forecast to drop up to eight inches of snow in parts of the state has arrived. The Asbury Park Press will be posting updates as the storm progresses.

Ice melt running low

The first meaningful winter storm in two years served as a reminder to consumers at the Shore of what they would need to deal with snow and ice.

As customers snapped up ice melt Friday morning at Bain’s Hardware in Sea Bright , owner Cassandra Ferrigno went online to order more from the store’s warehouse in Pennsylvania, only to find she was out of luck.

“This is the first time we’ve placed the order in the season that they weren’t in stock.” Ferrigno said. “And it happened overnight because I looked at it yesterday and they had plenty in stock. So everybody is ordering as much as they can right now.”

Cassandra Ferrigno, an owner of Bain's Hardware in Sea Bright, says sales of ice melt have been brisk.
Cassandra Ferrigno, an owner of Bain's Hardware in Sea Bright, says sales of ice melt have been brisk.

This winter marks the first for Ferrigno, who bought Bain’s stores in Sea Bright, Spring Lake and Point Pleasant Beach from the Bain family last September. The hardware store is part of the Ace Hardware franchise.

She places orders from the warehouse weekly, keeping an eye on the weather to make sure she has necessities in stock. And she thought she was prepared for this storm. But customers bought the ice melt quickly, leaving her with five, five-gallon tubs as of 2 p.m.

The store does, however, have shovels, batteries and flashlights.

“It’s been two years since we’ve had snow, so everybody thinks, ‘Oh yeah, it’s fine,’” Ferrigno said. “They don’t’ realize how (their shove) was giving them a hard time the last time they used it. So they’ll be in tomorrow for those, hopefully.”

Snow totals arrive

The National Weather Service in Mount Holly issued the following snow totals at 3:40 p.m.:

Monmouth CountyFreehold                      3.5 in   3:25 p.m.       1 SW* Howell     3.0 in    3:00 p.m.      2 SSW Farmingdale       3.0 in    1:40 p.m.               1 E Perrineville              3.0 in    1:30 p.m.              1 SSW Freehold             3.0 in    1:00 p.m.      Tinton Falls                  1.4 in    1:30 p.m.

Ocean CountyBrick                         2.5 in     2:05 p.m.               2 SE Forked River          2.4 in     3:10 p.m.      Barnegat                 2.4 in     2:40 p.m.      Whiting                       2.3 in    12:36 p.m.           Beachwood                   2.0 in     2:00 p.m.            Point Pleasant               2.0 in     2:00 p.m.      Little Egg Harbor        1.0 in     1:00 p.m.      Surf City                     0.5 in    12:44 p.m.

The totals are gathered by trained spotters, members of the public and the media. *Indicates miles from and direction in relation to listed location.

More restrictions

The Manchester town hall is scheduled to close at 2 p.m.

Marlboro is asking residents to remove vehicles and any other obstructions such as basketball hoops from snow-covered streets. Those restrictions are in effect for the duration of the storm and the cleanup afterward.

An employee shovels snow on the sidewalk outside the Soda Sudz Laundry in Lakehurst.
An employee shovels snow on the sidewalk outside the Soda Sudz Laundry in Lakehurst.

All recreations programs in Marlboro scheduled for Friday have been canceled.

Slowing it down

The speed limit on the Garden State Parkway from Cape May to New York State has been lowered to 45 mph.

All commercial vehicles are banned in both directions on Interstate 195 west of Route 34 in Wall. The ban pertains to all tractor-trailers, "empty straight CDL weighted trucks, passenger vehicles pulling trailers, recreational vehicles and motorcycles," according to 511nj.org.

More snow tonight?

The National Weather Service has posted the following weather updates for specific areas within Monmouth and Ocean counties.

School closings: NJ snow storm: Jersey Shore school, facility closures and early dismissals for Friday

Snow essentials: What do you need in your home and car when a snowstorm hits?

Eastern Monmouth - Mostly cloudy. A chance of snow in the evening. Total snow accumulation from the storm of 4 to 6 inches possible. Colder with lows around 17. Northwest winds 15 to 20 mph with gusts up to 30 mph. Chance of snow 50 percent.

Western Monmouth - Cloudy with a chance of snow in the evening, then partly cloudy after midnight. Total snow accumulation of 4 to 6 inches possible. Colder with lows around 15. Northwest winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 50 percent.

Mainland Ocean County - Cloudy with a chance of snow in the evening, then partly cloudy after midnight. Total snow accumulation of 4 to 6 inches possible. Colder with lows around 15. Northwest winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 50 percent.

Coastal Ocean County - Cloudy with snow likely in the evening, then partly cloudy after midnight. Total snow accumulation of 3 to 5 inches. Colder with lows around 19. Northwest winds 15 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 70 percent.

Courthouses closed

All state courthouses are closed Friday due to the snowstorm. However, remote court events will proceed as scheduled.

Snowfall rates to increase at noon

Cameron Wunderlan, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service, said the forecast has remain pretty consistent since Thursday.

The snow will continue to fall from now until the evening hours, but between noon and 4 p.m., the snow rates will increase, which will be when we see the heaviest snowfall, Wunderlan said.

Wunderlan said the weather service is predicting between three to five inches of snow in Monmouth County, with heavier snow falling south toward Ocean County which could receive four to six inches.

Steven DiMartino, meteorologist at NY NJ PA Weather, is predicting between four to eight inches of snowfall across the two counties, with most areas seeing precipitation in the four to five inch range.

Regina Tarnowski takes three year old LuLu for a ride down the hill at Dunfee School in Barnegat. Eight year old Victoria Tarmowski watches after giving them a push off.
Regina Tarnowski takes three year old LuLu for a ride down the hill at Dunfee School in Barnegat. Eight year old Victoria Tarmowski watches after giving them a push off.

Snow will start tapering off around 7 p.m., with light flurries to follow, Wunderlan said.

According to the National Weather Service, Ocean County remains under a winter storm warning until 10 p.m. and Monmouth County is under a winter weather advisory until 10 p.m.

What can we expect?

The snow is not expected to accumulate much at first so road conditions should be as they have been for the morning commute, according to the National Weather Service in Mount Holly. Commuters should see the first flakes between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m., Meteorologist Alex Staarmann of the weather service said. It will start as light snowfall that will intensify late Friday morning.

The snow is expected to be dry, so it should pose little risk until later in the day, Staarmann said.

Toms River alerted residents Thursday that garbage collection would start an hour early Friday morning. The Department of Public Works asks that you have your garbage and recyclables out by 5:30 a.m.

A Toms River salt truck has a load all ready in advance of Friday's snowstorm.
A Toms River salt truck has a load all ready in advance of Friday's snowstorm.

Here's what you can expect as the day continues.

Neptune Township Thursday night was readying residents for the snow parking ordinance to take effect. In Ocean Grove, drivers must follow the posted signs. In the rest of Neptune, vehicles must be parked on the odd-numbered side of the street, according to a Nixle alert.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Snow storm NJ: How much snow are we getting? Updates roll in.