Region Spared Wrath Of Blizzard

Township residents woke up to a lot less snow on their cars Jan. 27 than they might have thought they would upon retiring on Jan. 26.

When all the blowing and snowing was done, Franklin Township was left under about 5 inches of snow in the Jan. 26-27 “blizzard that wasn’t.”

The National Weather Service continually updated its forecast, with preliminary reports saying we would get as much as 24 inches of snow by today.

That maximum total was subsequently reduced to 18, then 10, then eight.

The storm veered more than 90 miles easterly than originally tracked, so predictions of heavy, fast snowfall did not materialize.

Gov. Chris Christie on Jan. 26 declared a state of emergency, then later that night issued a travel ban. The ban was lifted at 7:30 a.m. Jan. 27.

The travel ban played a part in the fact that there were only “a couple” automobile accidents in the township yesterday, said township Police Sgt. Phil Rizzo.

He said a parking ban on emergency snow routes will stay in effect “until such time that the roadway is cleared curb to curb.”

“Personnel from the department of Public Works are still working to accomplish this,” he said in a 5:20 p.m. email.

About 169 township residents lost power over the night of Jan. 26, but they were restored by the afternoon of Jan. 27, according to PSE&G.

For the remainder of the week, the NWS is calling for a chance of a snow flurry tonight, and a chance of snow Thursday night into Friday. Temperatures will be in the 30s.

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