Gov. Phil Murphy declares state of emergency ahead of winter storm

KYW Newsradio, file
PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Two winter storms in less than 24 hours have forced road crews to work round-the-clock. It also prompted Gov. Phil Murphy on Monday to declare a state of emergency across all of New Jersey, effective at midnight through Tuesday.
Gov. Murphy say conditions will be far from ideal in South Jersey.
"We're looking at the potential for a wintry mix of snow and sleet, transitioning to rain before noon," he said.
He praised the work NJDOT has done dealing with back to back storms.
"The department of transportation is prepared to keep our state roads and highways clear and is ready to activate equipment as necessary, and is coordinating with NJ Transit and the toll road authorities to ensure a coordinated storm response," the governor said.
"Putting in place a state of emergency allows us the latitude to better preempt and get ready. It allows us to put a commercial vehicle ban in place which we have done on most roadways," Murphy said.
He's expecting a messy morning commute.
"Almost no matter where you are in the state is going to be challenging, so I'd say to folks, if you don't have to be in that commute, stay back. If you have to be, please proceed with caution," he added.
The latest forecasts indicate NJ will get snow and a wintry mix tonight and into the morning.
I am declaring a State of Emergency for the entire state effective midnight tonight.
Please use caution when traveling. For updates, follow @NJSP, @ReadyNJ, @NJBPU, and @NJDOT_info.
— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) February 11, 2019
In Pennsylvania, PennDOT spokesperson Ayanna Williams says their crews have been hard at work too.
"That is a bit of a challenge, but we do our best and crew members do an awesome job of working hard and working through the duration of the storms we encounter," Williams said.
Both Murphy and Williams remind drivers to stay off the roads if that's an option.
If you are driving, be extra careful and slow down.