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New Hope and Solebury officials underscore weather threats

iceNew Hope Emergency Management underscored the threat of “ice jams” raised by the National Weather Service Thursday, while Solebury Township Police drew attention to the danger presented to drivers due to an ice storm expected to begin at 3 a.m. Friday morning.

Text below is from National Weather Service, and is in all caps, unfortunately.

New Hope Emergency Management Thursday night issued an alert quoting this NWS language:

915 PM EST THU JAN 9 2014

SUSSEX-WARREN-MORRIS-HUNTERDON-SOMERSET-MIDDLESEX-
WESTERN MONMOUTH-MERCER-GLOUCESTER-CAMDEN-NORTHWESTERN BURLINGTON-
CARBON-MONROE-BERKS-LEHIGH-NORTHAMPTON-DELAWARE-PHILADELPHIA-
WESTERN CHESTER-EASTERN CHESTER-WESTERN MONTGOMERY-
EASTERN MONTGOMERY-UPPER BUCKS-LOWER BUCKS-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...NEWTON...WASHINGTON...MORRISTOWN...
FLEMINGTON...SOMERVILLE...NEW BRUNSWICK...FREEHOLD...TRENTON...
GLASSBORO...CAMDEN...CHERRY HILL...MOORESTOWN...MOUNT HOLLY...
JIM THORPE...STROUDSBURG...READING...ALLENTOWN...BETHLEHEM...
EASTON...MEDIA...PHILADELPHIA...HONEY BROOK...OXFORD...
WEST CHESTER...KENNET SQUARE...COLLEGEVILLE...POTTSTOWN...
NORRISTOWN...LANSDALE...CHALFONT...PERKASIE...MORRISVILLE...
DOYLESTOWN

...ICE JAMS POSSIBLE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS..

ICE HAS FORMED ON MANY RIVERS AND STREAMS THROUGHOUT THE AREA AS A
RESULT OF RECENT VERY COLD TEMPERATURES. AS THE ICE SHIFTS,
INDIVIDUAL CHUNKS ARE CARRIED DOWNSTREAM WHERE THEY COLLECT NEAR
BENDS IN THE STREAM BANKS OR NEAR BRIDGE ABUTMENTS, FORMING ICE
JAMS. THESE ICE JAMS CAN FORM AND BREAK SUDDENLY, WITH LITTLE LEAD
TIME FOR PROTECTIVE ACTION.

SEVERAL ICE JAMS HAVE ALREADY BEEN REPORTED ON AREA RIVERS SINCE
WEDNESDAY MORNING, AND MORE ARE POSSIBLE UNTIL THE ICE MOVES OUT
ALTOGETHER LATE THIS WEEKEND WHEN WARMER AIR AND RAIN ARRIVE.
RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES ALONG RIVERS AND LARGER STREAMS IN EASTERN
PENNSYLVANIA AND CENTRAL AND NORTHERN NEW JERSEY SHOULD REMAIN
AWARE OF ICE CONDITIONS IN THEIR AREA AND BE PREPARED FOR RAPID
CHANGES IN WATER LEVELS SHOULD AN ICE JAM FORM OR BREAK. BOTH THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS WILL
CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE RIVER ICE SITUATION, AND WARNINGS WILL BE
ISSUED AS CONDITIONS WARRANT.

RIVER STAGE INFORMATION CAN BE MONITORED AT HTTP://WATER.WEATHER.GOV/AHPS.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
915 PM EST THU JAN 9 2014

And Solebury Township Police advise motorists to be way of freezing rain expected to begin tonight:

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
936 PM EST THU JAN 9 2014

...WINTRY PRECIPITATION POSSIBLE DURING FRIDAY MORNING RUSH
HOUR...

NEW CASTLE-KENT-CECIL-KENT MD-QUEEN ANNES-MIDDLESEX-
WESTERN MONMOUTH-MERCER-SALEM-GLOUCESTER-CAMDEN-
NORTHWESTERN BURLINGTON-CUMBERLAND-DELAWARE-PHILADELPHIA-
EASTERN CHESTER-EASTERN MONTGOMERY-LOWER BUCKS-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...WILMINGTON...DOVER...ELKTON...
CHESTERTOWN...CENTREVILLE...NEW BRUNSWICK...FREEHOLD...TRENTON...
PENNSVILLE...GLASSBORO...CAMDEN...CHERRY HILL...MOORESTOWN...
MOUNT HOLLY...MILLVILLE...MEDIA...PHILADELPHIA...WEST CHESTER...
KENNET SQUARE...NORRISTOWN...LANSDALE...MORRISVILLE...DOYLESTOWN
936 PM EST THU JAN 9 2014...FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM TO 9 AM EST
FRIDAY...

* LOCATIONS...NEAR AND ALONG THE INTERSTATE 95 CORRIDOR AND EAST
  CENTRAL NEW JERSEY

* HAZARD TYPES...FREEZING RAIN. SOME SNOW POSSIBLE EARLY IN THE
  EVENT.

* ICE ACCUMULATIONS...AROUND A TRACE.

* TIMING...SNOW COULD BEGIN AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT...CHANGING
  OVER TO FREEZING RAIN BEFORE THE MORNING COMMUTE.
  PRECIPITATION WILL CHANGE OVER TO ALL RAIN BY MID MORNING.

* IMPACTS...THE PRIMARY PERIOD OF FREEZING RAIN WILL OCCUR
  DURING THE MORNING COMMUTE. MOTORISTS ARE URGED TO EXERCISE
  CAUTION FOR BLACK ICE...ESPECIALLY ON BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES.

* WINDS...VARIABLE DIRECTION AT 5 MPH OR LESS.

* TEMPERATURES...IN THE LOWER 30S.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF FREEZING RAIN OR
FREEZING DRIZZLE WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR
SLIPPERY ROADS. SLOW DOWN AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.


About the author

Charlie Sahner

“Once you can accept the universe as matter expanding into nothing that is something, wearing stripes with plaid comes easy." - Einstein

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