SOUTH JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) — The region got a real taste of winter with the first real snowfall of the season, with safety concerns switching from snow to icy roads as temperatures dropped Monday evening.
In Philadelphia, snow was more of a nuisance, with light to steady snow in the city and little to none in the suburbs to the north and west. But Monday's storm has pummeled parts of Delaware and South Jersey, especially closer to the Shore.
Some areas have received 13 inches of snow. Many wet roads were expected to freeze overnight as the region heads down to temperatures around 18 degrees.
Gov. Phil Murphy has declared a state of emergency in Atlantic, Burlington, Cape May, Cumberland and Ocean counties. With a chance for high winds and coastal flooding, state officials say if you don't need to go out, stay at home.
"There's a lot more volatility with weather these days than there used to be. Don't get comfortable inside of parameters that you may think or we may think we can predict," Murphy said, asking drivers to stay off the roads if possible.
Murphy said New Jersey State Troopers alone responded to more than 240 motorists as of early Monday night, many having spun out on the roads.
"If you got to be out there, especially tomorrow's commute, certainly a concern about black ice and refreeze that happens as a result of salting and refreezing," said New Jersey State Police Colonel Pat Callahan.
The state was still asking people to let plow trucks pass them and do their jobs, as a deeper freeze was set to come on.
There were more than 3,000 power outages reported.
The Atlantic City airport temporarily shut down Monday to clean off runways, and small amounts of flooding were also reported in some Shore towns.
Rapidly changing intensity characterized much of the morning. Mainly road surfaces were wet because of the salting that was done ahead of time and the recent high temperatures. Then, as the snow kept coming, and the road temperatures sank, it got tougher for drivers to get around.
Ally from Wilmington, Delaware, had to pull over on the Atlantic City Expressway, which was covered in snow. She took a breather at the Farley Service Plaza in Hamilton Township.
"I wasn’t sliding, but it was everybody else sliding, I think, that scared me," she said. "It was too bad. I was getting frightened. Larger trucks were flying by and skidding a little bit. So, because of the dogs I have with me and just common sense I think, I decided to pull over!"
It got so bad, she said she was considering getting a hotel somewhere for herself and her dogs. That would seriously cut back on the driving she was planning on doing. Picking up a friend in Mystic Island, in Little Egg Harbor, and then taking the Garden State Parkway go to North Jersey became too treacherous a trip as the snow kept piling up.
Ally said she would rather play it safe, but she had one regret.
"I wish I was better dressed so I could get up and build a snowman!"
Officials were urging caution, advising drivers to keep speeds low and to be mindful of potential slick spots, especially on any elevated surfaces and bridges. The governor said transportation officials would be out across the state, taking care of roads.
"If you are out and come upon a plowing or spreading operation, please let them pass and clear the roadway."