Winter’s Bluster: Fallen trees and wires, delayed openings

TRENTON -- Winter weather had an effect on New Jersey's morning commute Monday, with many North Jersey schools delaying the opening of school for a third straight school day.

A combination of snow, black ice and high winds led some districts to make the decision on Sunday night, while others made a late decision on Monday morning after a check of local road conditions.

"We've already seen a few wind gusts over 50 mph in New Jersey this morning, and there's a lot more wind on the way today. Black ice is also a big problem this morning, with numerous slick spots being reported," Townsquare New Jersey Chief Meteorologist Dan Zarrow said.

NJ Transit suspended service between Dover and Summit on the Morris & Essex line after a tree fell on overhead wires in Morris Plains but restored service with 60 minute delays by 7:15 a.m. Service on the Gladstone line remained  suspended because of fallen power lines as of 8:25 a.m.

Amtrak warned of possible delays on the Northeast Corridor between New York and Boston because of over a foot of snow that fell in southern New England overnight.

JCP&L reported over 2,100 customers without power, mostly in Middlesex, Morris, Somerset, Sussex, and Warren counties, according to its outage map, as of 8:20 a.m.  PSE&G and Atlantic City Electric's respective maps showed around 1,000 customers in the dark.

Speed on the Garden State Parkway was reduced to 45 mph between Exit 124 in Sayreville and the New York state border. Downed wires on Route 1 blocked two lanes near North Oaks Boulevard in North Brunswick early in the morning commute.

New Jersey Fast Traffic's Bob Williams said even before you leave the driveway, it will take extra time to chip away the ice off windshields.

"Wind gusts are very unpredictable, so play it safe. Two hands on the wheel, especially on bridges and open areas like the Turnpike south of Exit 9," Williams said.

FlightAware.com reported 2,339 delayed flights as of 6 a.m., with 124 flights in and out of Newark Liberty International Airport already canceled.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com.