The Blizzard That Wasn’t; Snow Storm Doesn’t Live Up To Predictions

Township residents had to clean up far less snow than forecasters predicted.

It was far from the blizzard it was forecast to be, but the winter storm that that hit the area March 14 still managed to cause some chaos.

The storm dropped between 5 and 5.5 inches on the township, and, according to the National Weather Service, that was on the low end for Somerset County.

The NWS recorded snowfall amounts for the county ranging from 4 inches in the Burnt Mills section of Bedminster, to 8.5 inches in Bridgewater, to 10 inches reported in Basking Ridge.

The NWS’s blizzard warning predicted anywhere from 18 to 24 inches of snow for our area.

In addition to Gov. Chris Christie issuing a state of emergency declaration, the forecast forced the closing of township schools and the Quail Brook Senior Center for March 14, and the storm’s after-effects – slush and ice, mainly – prompted their closure for March 15 as well.

Christie’s declaration was lifted as the storm subsided.

The storm also forced the rescheduling of the March 14 Township Council meeting to 7 p.m. March 15, and the postponement of the Board of Education’s budget presentation to 6:30 p.m. March 20 in the Franklin Middle School cafeteria.

So far, about 22 inches of snow has fallen on the township since January, according to the NWS and the New Jersey State Climatologist at Rutgers University.

The NWS has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for blowing and drifting snow, preliminarily through 6 a.m. March 15. The NWS said the advisory may have to be extended through the day as scattered snow squalls can be expected.

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