Snow could fall in the region Tuesday night. Additionally, a Code Blue has been issued for overnight hours
The Camden County Department of Public Works says its ready to respond to inclement conditions on area roadways with snow possible for Tuesday evening.
“Our CCDPW crews have been checking the plows and loading the salt trucks while continuing to monitor the latest weather forecasts,” said Camden County Freeholder Susan Shin Angulo, liaison to the CCDPW. “With rain and snow expected to create slippery roadways tonight when temperatures drop, our crews are already hard at work to keep traffic moving in Camden County.”
A minor system is expected to move through the area this afternoon delivering periods of light and heavy rain before turning to snow later this evening between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. Snowfall will be steady at first and most of the accumulation is expected within the first hour. Between a coating and one inch of accumulation is expected. Temperatures are then expected to drop quickly into the 20s and teens, freezing slush and wet areas. More snow is expected to fall tomorrow as a windy, Arctic front brings fast-moving snow showers capable of producing an additional one inch of snow.
At the public works complex in Lindenwold, more than 100 pieces of equipment are available to keep county roadways passable. When the weather becomes treacherous, personnel will be dispatched to 12 winter maintenance districts to salt and plow 1,200 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.
“If you don’t have to travel, please stay off the roads to give our crews the ability to effectively do their job. Anyone on the roadways during the storm should be prepared to encounter slick road conditions. Always leave at least six car lengths behind our DPW vehicles while they work, and move any cars off the street and into a driveway while we continue our operations,” Shin Angulo said. “Remember that it is illegal in New Jersey to plow or shovel snow from private property into roadways.”
Additionally, Camden County has issued a Code Blue for Tuesday evening and a number of additional nights the rest of this week. The Code Blue will be in effect Wednesday night, all day Thursday, Friday night and Saturday night.
“Forecasts show a mix of winter weather throughout the week, beginning with rain and snow tonight and leading to dangerous cold on Thursday with wind chill temperatures below zero,” Camden County Freeholder Carmen Rodriguez said. “In conditions like these, we want to place extra emphasis on the importance of getting everyone sheltered and out of the elements, checking on elderly relatives and neighbors and bringing your pets indoors.”
When the Camden County Health Officer declares a Code Blue, municipalities with homeless populations, situational homeless or transient populations are expected to activate their Code Blue response plan to accommodate their immediate needs.
“During these extreme weather conditions, we encourage everyone to check on elderly or handicapped relatives and neighbors that live alone,” Rodriguez said. “It is important that the most vulnerable among us are not left without heat or electricity.”
The Camden County Health Department and the Office of Emergency Management have worked with each municipality to ensure they have the proper resources to respond to these severe weather situations as part of their individual Code Blue plans. Each municipality has identified its own location to accommodate those in their community seeking shelter from the severe weather.
Persons seeking shelter in a warming center should contact their local municipality.
