The winter mix made travel difficult, canceled or postponed dozens of events and forced many local municipalities to declare a snow emergency.
Today’s winter storm is hitting as expected, socking the region with snow and ice.
The winter mix is making travel difficult, canceled or postponed dozens of events and forced many local municipalities to declare a snow emergency.
“For the most part, things are shaping up pretty close to the forecast,” Mitchell Gaines, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Mount Holly, N.J., said this afternoon.
As of now, the brunt of the storm is upon us, bringing with it rain, snow, freezing rain and sleet that is expected to last until midnight. At its worst, snow is predicted to fall at a rate on 1 inch per hour in some places, with visibility limited to a half mile.
Forecasts have called for as much as 9 inches of snow in the Lehigh Valley along with a thin layer of ice.
By early afternoon, fast-accumulating snow made travel conditions difficult, especially along secondary roads, and motorists were being advised to travel with caution.
In New Jersey, the state Department of Transportation mobilized roughly 1,500 plow trucks and 700 salt spreaders today. Many of the plow trucks remained on the roads this evening, particularly in Warren and Sussex counties where snow was the heaviest, according to spokesman Joe Dee.
Accidents were reported throughout the region, including a tractor-trailer that almost teetered off a Route 33 overpass. Images from WFMZ-TV showed the rig’s drivers’ side tires hanging this afternoon off the overpass above Henry Road. But the truck stayed put.
Aside from the truck, emergency coordinators in Northampton and Warren counties said late this afternoon they weren’t experiencing any major weather-related issues — yet.
The anticipated and actual effects of the storm postponed or canceled dozens of events, including a candlelight vigil for Newtown victims at Bethlehem City Hall and a live Nativity at Arndt's Lutheran Church in Forks Township.
Both PPL Electric Utilities and Jersey Central Power & Light spent the day gearing up for potential power outages, although none were reported shortly before 6 p.m.
Many communities also declared snow emergencies, asking residents to obey parking restrictions and remove cars parked along snow emergency routes. In Hackettstown, no parking was allowed on any town street, although municipal lots remained open.
The story was similar throughout much of the Northeast and Midwest.
New York City’s Office of Emergency Management asked drivers to stay off the roads and, if they do drive, they should go slowly and stick to major streets or highways. In Pennsylvania, two state high school football championship games were moved from today to Sunday because of the predicted snow.
Airlines also canceled hundreds of flights because of the storm, including about 350 into and out of Newark.
“It’s a pretty bad day for Newark,” said Mark Duell, a spokesman for FlightAware, a website that tracks commercial airlines.
Retailers were feeling the effects of the storm too, facing the prospect of a snow-dampened shopping weekend less than two weeks before Christmas. Kathy Grannis, a spokeswoman for the National Retail Federation, said consumers likely will shop online.
But the good news is the storm will be likely over early Sunday morning.
Rain was expected to continue, forecasters said, with a chance of rain or freezing rain before 5 a.m. But by the time many wake up, the weather should have taken a turn for the better.
“By (Sunday) morning the clouds should clear up and the precipitation should be over,” said Gaines. “It should warm up well into 30s to around 40 degrees.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report