Winter Storm Watch Is On — School Day to End Early

The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning on Monday that predicts 4 to 8 inches of snow will fall on Tuesday.

With bitter cold settling in over the region, the accumulated snow will not likely go away any time soon.

The storm warning is in effect from Tuesday morning through early Wednesday morning for Galloway Township and most of southern New Jersey. Snowfall is expected to begin Tuesday morning with the heaviest accumulation coming Tuesday afternoon and evening.

Schools in Galloway Township will be open Tuesday but will follow an early dismissal schedule. Galloway Township Middle School students will be dismissed at 12:20 p.m. All other schools — Pomona Preschool, Arthur Rann, Reeds Road, Roland Rogers and Smithville Elementary Schools — will let out at 1:30 p.m. Absegami High School also will have an early dismissal. All after-school sports and activities are cancelled.

Atlantic Cape Community College will cancel all classes. The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey and all instructional sites are closing at 12:30 p.m. today.  

A noon briefing from the regional National Weather Service office in Mount Holly warned not only of the snow but of the arctic cold behind it. High temperatures for Galloway Township are not expected to exceed 16 degrees on Wednesday, and with gusty northwest winds topping 25 mph, the wind chills will likely be below zero on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.

NBC40 meteorologist Dan Skeldon is calling it a "South Jersey Special" — with coastal New Jersey expected to receive more snow than areas farther inland as a low-pressure system moves up the Atlantic Ocean. As of Monday afternoon, he suggested most of the region would see 6 to 8 inches.

Tidal flooding is not expected to accompany the storm. The moon cycle is midway between full and new, and the winds will be blowing offshore. The ocean water temperature was 39.7 degrees on Monday.

While the precipitation will end Tuesday, high temperatures are not expected to exceed the freezing mark again until Saturday (Jan. 25).

Atlantic County officials reminded residents to review their family emergency plans; restock emergency supplies such as flashlights, batteries, non-perishable food and water; charge electronic devices; check on elderly and infirm relatives and neighbors; fuel vehicles; have cash and medications readily available; and make preparations for pets.

For non-life threatening emergencies, Galloway residents may call their local emergency management office for storm assistance at 609-652-3705, extension 206.

For more storm preparation tips, visit the county's emergency website at: www.readyatlantic.org/prepare/winter.asp