In anticipation of a Sunday night snow storm, Governor Phil Murphy will issue a state of emergency for Ocean, Burlington, Atlantic, Cumberland and Cape May counties.

In addition, state offices will delay opening until 10 a.m. on Monday morning.

In a Sunday evening briefing with reporters and staff, Murphy urged people to delay their commutes on Monday morning or to work virtually from home.

“We’ve been doing a lot of COVID lately but we haven’t been doing a lot of storms,” said Murphy. “We’re tracking an incoming storm system with potential snow impacts across the southern half of the state especially, with the greatest possible accumulations in a belt from Salem County to Toms River.”

Murphy, whose wife tested positive for COVID this weekend, noted the all time high rates of viral transmissibility compounding the storm.

“Normal staffing and manpower are impacted substantially,” said the governor of the state’s readiness for the mostly Southern-based storm.

He said he expects coastal flooding and some sustained strong winds, with potential for power outages.

“If you do not need to be out tonight, please stay in,” Murphy said. “Please, please, please be especially carefully in tomorrow’s commute. If you can sit the commute out, that’s probably a smart move.”

The state of emergency center will activate at  midnight.

For more information, please go to “ready.nj.gov.”

“This is really the first significant storm of the season,” said Murphy, who anticipated the storm will clear by Monday afternoon.

The formal release from the Governor’s Office:

Today, Governor Phil Murphy declared that five counties in New Jersey will enter a State of Emergency effective at 9:00 p.m., in preparation for a storm forecasted to impact the state with severe weather conditions starting in the early morning of Monday, January 3, through late Monday afternoon. Executive Order No. 278 declares a State of Emergency across Atlantic, Burlington, Cape May, Cumberland, and Ocean Counties, allowing resources to be deployed throughout the impacted areas during the duration of the storm.

“The anticipated winter storm is expected to bring heavy snow, wind gusts, and coastal flooding in parts of Southern New Jersey,” said Governor Murphy. “Residents should stay off the roads, remain vigilant, and follow all safety protocols.”

The Governor encourages New Jerseyans to visit ready.nj.gov for important weather updates and safety information. Residents should also pay attention to local forecasts, warnings, and watches.

For those living in Central and Southern New Jersey, visit the U.S. National Weather Service Philadelphia/Mount Holly at http://www.weather.gov/phi/

For those living in Northern New Jersey and the New York Metro area, visit the U.S. National Weather Service New York, N.Y. at http://www.weather.gov/okx/

For a copy of Executive Order No. 278, please click here.