New Jersey just got hit with one of its biggest winter storms in decades. The blizzard is the first to cover all 21 counties in three decades, and the snowfall totals tell the story of just how intense this system was. Parts of New Jersey approached 30 inches of snow, with Freehold in Monmouth County hitting 26 inches. Other hard-hit areas included Carlstadt and Englewood in Bergen County, which recorded 27.9 and 27.5 inches respectively. The central and southern parts of the state took the worst of it, though snow piled up statewide.
This wasn't just a heavy snowstorm—it became what meteorologists call a "bomb cyclone." The blizzard officially became a "bomb cyclone," a designation given to rapidly intensifying nor'easters. The combination of intense winds and heavy snow created dangerous whiteout conditions that made travel nearly impossible. Gov. Mikie Sherrill declared a State of Emergency for all 21 counties and imposed a travel ban that lasted from Sunday night through Monday noon. The Jersey Shore faced the brunt of the worst weather, with strong winds reaching 50 mph and coastal flooding concerns adding to the chaos. School closings and delays hit across the region as officials shut down transportation.
By Monday afternoon, power crews were working around the clock to restore electricity to thousands of residents. More than half a million homes and businesses lost power across the Northeast, with New Jersey bearing a significant share. NJ Transit suspended all bus, rail, and light rail service through Monday as crews worked to clear roads. Utility teams from neighboring states, including Ohio, were deployed to help with the restoration effort. Roads slowly became passable as the afternoon progressed, though Gov. Sherrill warned that even when the travel ban was lifted, back roads remained treacherous. The cold temperatures following the storm will make cleanup efforts challenging over the coming days as residents continue to dig out.