Full Notification

Mayor Amato, the Township's Office of Emergency Management and the Division Of Streets and Roads and Police, would like residents to be aware of the following information from the National Weather Service, The Township's Snow Plowing and Salting procedures and the Township's Temporary Parking Prohibition:

FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE: A WINTER STORM WILL AFFECT THE ENTIRE AREA LATER TONIGHT AND INTO TOMORROW
ALONG WITH AREAS OF BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW AND DANGEROUS COLD...

...SNOW IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA ESPECIALLY TONIGHT THEN TAPER OFF BY FRIDAY AFTERNOON. A DANGEROUSLY COLD AIRMASS WILL OVERSPREAD THE AREA TONIGHT AND FRIDAY AS THE STORM INTENSIFIES OUT TO SEA.

WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 1 PM
EST FRIDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MOUNT HOLLY HAS ISSUED A WINTER
STORM WARNING FOR SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW, WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 6PM THIS EVENING TO 1 PM EST FRIDAY. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NOLONGER IN EFFECT.

* HAZARD TYPES...SNOW ALONG WITH AREAS OF BLOWING AND DRIFTING
SNOW.

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...4 TO 6 INCHES.

* TIMING...PRECIPITATION SHOULD START AS SOME RAIN OR A RAIN SNOW
MIX THIS AFTERNOON FROM PHILADELPHIA SOUTH AND EAST BEFORE
CHANGING TO ALL SNOW EARLY THIS EVENING. THE BULK OF THE SNOW IS
EXPECTED TONIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING.

* IMPACTS...TRAVEL SHOULD BECOME HAZARDOUS THURSDAY EVENING AS
SNOW BEGINS TO ACCUMULATE. THIS WILL BE AN INCREASINGLY FLUFFY
SNOW AND AS WINDS INCREASE THURSDAY NIGHT...BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WILL MAKE TRAVEL EVEN MORE HAZARDOUS.

* ROAD PLOWING OPERATIONS WILL BE GREATLY AFFECTED...ESPECIALLY DUE TO BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW AND ALSO SNOWFALL RATES NEAR AN INCH PER HOUR AT TIMES DURING THE HEIGHT OF THE STORM OVERNIGHT TONIGHT. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE COMBINATION OF SNOW AND WIND CREATES NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS AT TIMES... ESPECIALLY FOR AREAS CLOSER TO THE ATLANTIC COAST.

* WINDS...NORTH 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 MPH.

* TEMPERATURES...STARTING OUT RANGING BETWEEN THE LOWER 30S TO
LOWER 40S THIS AFTERNOON, THEN FALLING INTO THE 20S AND TEENS
TONIGHT. ALL AREAS SHOULD BE IN THE TEENS BY DAYBREAK FRIDAY.
WHERE TEMPERATURES START OUT WELL ABOVE FREEZING TODAY, FLASH
FREEZING CAN OCCUR TONIGHT AS TEMPERATURES RAPIDLY DROP BELOW
FREEZING AND THE SNOW INCREASES.

* VISIBILITIES...LESS THAN ONE HALF OF A MILE A TIMES TONIGHT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW...
SLEET...AND ICE ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO
POSSIBLE. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.

FROM THE DIVISION OF STREETS AND ROADS:

SNOW PLOW AND SALTING PROCEDURES
At the start of a snow storm, salt and sanding vehicles are dispatched in Berkeley Township. Major roadways are usually done first, followed by secondary roadways. After the snow has stopped and it has been determined that accumulations have exceeded 4" to 5", the Township will begin to snow plow. The Township will utilize approximately 70 pieces of Township equipment and approximately 30 contracted loaders for cul-de-sacs. All streets are opened curb to curb to insure the drains are opened. Sanding and salting operations continue as needed.

Each snowplow vehicle has been assigned a section to plow and will remain in that section until all roadways have been sufficiently cleaned. This may require the snowplow vehicle to make multiple passes on each street. Township forces will be plowing each street from curb to curb during each snowfall. On occasion, due to the lack of areas between the sidewalk and curb, sidewalks and driveway aprons may become covered with snow that falls off the snowplow blade. Township forces will not remove snow from any sidewalk or driveway apron in these instances. We regret this unfortunate inconvenience. At no time is snow to be disposed of into the street from the property, parking lots, driveways and sidewalks. All snow blowers should be directed to blow snow back onto the property.

After the streets are plowed and salted, snow deposited back into the roadway creates hazardous situations, causes additional plowing of the streets and blocking of parked vehicles and driveways after the original cleanup. Summonses could be issued for non-compliance. We want to thank everyone for complying with these requests and following the ordinances, rules and regulations of the Township of Berkeley. Any questions on these policies and procedures, Call Steven J. Seiler, Principal Public Works Manager At: 732-349-4616 or 732-341-1022. Or you can Email: btpwsec@twp.berkeley.nj.us


FROM THE DIVISION OF POLICE:

Township Ordinance 7-8.3
Temporary Parking Prohibited for Snow Plowing and Removal.

Whenever snow has fallen and the accumulation is such that it covers the streets and highways, an emergency shall exist and no vehicle shall be parked on the streets or highways or portions thereof indicated. The parking prohibitions listed below shall remain in effect after the snow has ceased, until the streets have been plowed sufficiently and to the extent that parking will not interfere with the normal flow of traffic.

Any unoccupied vehicle parked or standing in violation shall be deemed a nuisance and a menace to the safe and proper regulation of traffic and any Police Officer may provide for the removal of such vehicle. The owner shall pay the reasonable costs of the removal and storage, which may result from such removal before regaining possession of the vehicle.