Northern New Jersey Digs Out After Powerful Winter Storm
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Northern New Jersey is still digging out after a powerful winter storm brought high winds and heavy snow to the area Tuesday.
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Plunging overnight temperatures threatened to turn the snow, sleet and sloppy mix into a slippery mess, raising fears of black ice for morning motorists and slick sidewalks for pedestrians, CBS2's Meg Baker reported.
"It's sleet and freezing rain so it's just making things much worse," Hank Klausman, of Rockaway Township, said.
The storm dropped double-digit snow amounts across northern Jersey, and plow crews are working hard to clear streets and highways. But overall, the storm wasn't as bad as originally forecast.
Gov. Chris Christie said he wanted the state to be prepared for the worst.
"I want the storm to be completely out of here before we lift the state of emergency," Christie said.
In Rockaway in Morris County, some were braving the bone-chilling temps at Hibernia Diner in short sleeves.
"It's actually, the roads are really bad. We've got a four-wheel vehicle and it's tough out there," Frank, a resident, said.
His cousin Mike, from Florida, was the one more appropriately dressed.
"Really it's not that bad temperature-wise," he said. "I mean, we come up here all the time for the snow. Came up for a hockey game, won some tickets and I was surprised for a blizzard."
The storm kept New Jersey State Police busy, responding to hundreds of stuck cars and accidents.
Earlier this morning, parts of Route I-80 were especially treacherous. Though the roads are mostly clear, travelers are advised to take caution when navigating narrow roads caused by snow plows.
PSE&G is still working to restore power to about 3,000 customers, primarily in Burlington, Camden and Gloucester counties.
"Our system experienced a lot of icing due to the weather yesterday, it brought down some trees and some wires so we are working to get those remaining customers back online," spokesperson Karen Johnson told 1010 WINS.
PSE&G hopes to have all power back by Wednesday evening.
