Medford Township officials encourage all residents to postpone any unnecessary travel tomorrow until crews have had the chance to clear the streets.
The National Weather Service in Mount Holly has issued a Winter Storm Warning for snow, which is in effect from 4 a.m.to 4 p.m. on Thursday. Snow accumulations of 4 to 6 inches are being forecasted, with the most recent models predicting as much as 8 inches of snow in some areas. The forecasters are also predicting periods of heavy snow accelerated by high winds.
The National Weather Service is predicting this event to start as rain late Wednesday night and changing to snow during the early morning hours on Thursday. Township crews are currently preparing their equipment to work the long hours clearing snow from our roadways. The Township is not applying salt brine to our streets because the precipitation will start as rain, which will dilute the brine making it ineffective by the time it changes to snow.
Due to the amount of snow forecasted to fall, salt will be applied in the early morning hours to prevent the snow from sticking to the roadway. Snow emergency routes will be salted as needed in an effort to allow access by emergency vehicles. Crews will switch to plowing operations once the accumulated snow is deep enough to plow. It is essential that motorists traveling on our municipal roads use extreme caution and travel at a reduced speed once the winter weather begins.
The Township encourages all residents to postpone any unnecessary travel until crews have had the chance to clear the streets. Medford Township officials are monitoring the snow accumulations and will distribute emergency information as needed throughout the storm via the Township website (www.medfordtownship.com), NIXLE, and its official Facebook page (Township of Medford, NJ).
The Township’s snow removal policies/procedures are posted here on the Township website: www.medfordtownship.com/content/233/251/325.aspx. Please note in these guidelines that some roads within Medford are state roads, and are the responsibility of the NJDOT to plow or salt. Issues on those roads should be reported to the state.
Please be mindful that there are 150+ miles of roadway in Medford, not all roads can be immediately cleared — please allow us time to get the job done. There are roughly 600 streets in Medford that crews are responsible to clear.
The Police Department will also be enforcing Township Code 129–3; which prohibits anyone from shoveling, blowing or plowing snow from private property onto sidewalks, streets and roadways and fire hydrants of the Township.
The Township website also includes a Service Request system that provides online reporting of issues. One of the categories is snow removal issues, along with downed trees. Electrical and cable wires should be reported directly to the utility companies involved. The Submit Service Request page is available here: www.medfordtownship.com/servicerequest.
There is important and helpful information/tips at the Ready Burlington County website (www.readycomm.org ), and the Medford specific Ready page (www.readycomm.org/your-township-or-municipality/medford/) on preparing for storms, contact info for power companies in the event of need to report outages and more.
Township personnel will have a challenging job ahead. To help them, please adhere to the following:
• Park all vehicles off the roadway to facilitate plowing.
• Railroad ties, sprinkler heads, mailboxes, curbing, etc., by the road edge should be marked with reflective markers that are 24" to 36" in height so they can be seen by the snow plow driver. The Township is not responsible for damage if area is not properly marked.
• Take this time to check and obtain essential supplies. If you don’t have to go out during this event, please stay off the roads and let the plow trucks do their job.
• After the snowstorm passes, please remember to clear your sidewalks for those on foot.
Municipal Offices may be on delayed opening. If you have any business with the Township, please check the Township website or Facebook page first before traveling to our offices.
The Cranberry Hall Senior Center and all municipal parks will be closed all day on Thursday. The Senior Center will also be closed on Friday morning to allow crews time to clear the parking lots and walkways.
The DPW Yard on Commonwealth Drive will also be closed on Thursday as all staff are assigned to snow removal operations.
The Township Administration and staff thank residents for their patience and understanding and it appreciates the community’s cooperation. Residents who have questions or concerns about snow removal and ice control operations should call Richard Parks, Director of Neighborhood Services, at (609) 654–6791 or via email at: rparks@medfordtownship.com.
