A storm system threatens to bring snow, sleet and freezing rain to region on Saturday morning
Camden County is diligently monitoring the developments of a storm system threatening to deliver snow, sleet and freezing rain to our region Saturday morning. Preparations are already underway in order to respond to the inclement conditions and keep traffic moving in Camden County.
“Even though we are still hours away from seeing the first snowflake, our crews have our equipment prepped and trucks are loaded with product to address any and all situations that may arise.” said Freeholder Susan Shin Angulo, liaison to the Camden County DPW. “Our public works employees will be on the job to keep roadways passible, but we need everyone to remain extra cautious behind the wheel.”
The storm is expected to start with an occasional light snow late tonight into early Saturday. It is not until between 4 and 7 a.m. when the snowfall will become steady, but that will be short lived as it will rapidly transition to sleet and then freezing rain. The challenges with this weather event are the amount and duration of pavement icing due to an already cold ground and low air temperatures. The rain will slow to a drizzle by the afternoon, but with temperatures remaining in the 30s by sunset, we will still have areas of patchy ice to contend with and an overnight refreeze.
“Anyone on the roadways during these times should be prepared to encounter slick road conditions,” Sin Angulo said. “Remember to leave at least six car lengths behind our DPW vehicles while they work.”
At the public works complex in Lindenwold, more than 100 pieces of equipment stand ready to keep county roadways passable and motorists moving. If the weather becomes treacherous personnel will be dispatched to 12 winter maintenance districts to salt and plow 1,400 lane miles of roadways across Camden County. The county’s response plan calls for crews to be dispatched only to the zones where they are needed.
In the event that the weather causes isolated power outages, please remember to immediately call your utility company so they can identify the location and coordinate crews to restore your power. This storm has the potential to bring down trees and power lines residents need to be extra cognizant of any power failures. Below are numbers and contact info for the two power providers in Camden County:
- PSE&G: 1–800–436-PSEG (7734)
- PSEG website: http://pseg.com/home/customer_service/outage_info/index.jsp
- Atlantic City Electric: 1–800–833–7476
- Atlantic City Electric website: http://www.atlanticcityelectric.com/home/
- South Jersey Gas: 1–800–582–7060
- South Jersey Gas website: http://southjerseygas.com/
As always, please use 911 for emergencies only. If you see a problem on a county road, please call our 24-hour hotline at (856) 566–2980 to report it to DPW.
Continue to check www.camdencounty.com through the storm for weather and road condition updates. Information will also be provided through Facebook and Twitter.
