Blame the weatherman!That was Gov. Phil Murphy's message to New Jersey a day after the season's first snowfall ground mass transit to a halt, turned highways into parking lots and left thousands of people stranded.Facing outrage over the state's handling of the snowy ordeal, Murphy said Friday forecasters underestimated the storm."No one realized the gravity of what was to come," the governor said at a news conference in Woodbridge."This came outta nowhere," Murphy said of the weather. New Jersey was a snow-gridlocked mess Thursday. So how did it happen? Here's a behind-the-scenes look.State officials contend the weather mess worsened by quickly-changing forecast models and a surprisingly powerful storm that struck as the evening rush began.Forecasters, however, countered that the chance of heavy snow and icy conditions in northern and central Jersey was known at least three days before the storm hit. Gary Szatkowski, former head of the National Weather Service Mount Holly office, said residents were being "scammed" by Murphy's defense of the state response.DOT officials on Friday said crews salted roads and planned to deploy plows when the snow let up, based on a bad forecast."So whether you got 8 (inches) of snow with a little sleet and freezing rain, or 4 (inches) of snow with a boatload of sleet/freezing rain, NJDOT planning would have produced the same result for NJ drivers," Szatkowski posted on Twitter. "You were screwed. And now they are trying to trick you."A review of forecasts and information from the weather service casts doubt on claims that meteorologists completely missed the mark though forecasts did shift.Monday: Forecasters raise the chance of a possible significant storm hitting the region. Some mid-range models noted the chance of several inches of snow in north and central New Jersey.Tuesday: National Weather Service offices from Washington, D.C. to Boston briefed public safety officials "about the increasing potential for hazardous travel conditions during Thursday rush hour commutes due to accumulating snow and freezing rain," according to a statement from the agency.Wednesday day: Forecasts changed, with some models backing away from heavier snowfall predictions. Some models called for only 1 to 3 inches of snow with an inch of sleet and a thin glaze of ice.Wednesday night: The National Weather Service Mount Holly office reported that Winter Weather Advisories were issued for areas through the I-95 corridor."The big story will be the deepening coastal storm which will affect the area with snow, sleet, freezing rain, and rain for Thursday, Thursday night into early Friday. This will be a moisture laden system so expect the precip to be moderate to heavy at times," a report from the weather service issued at 9:23 p.m. Wednesday said.In a statement, a weather service spokeswoman said the agency continued briefing officials about the impending storm.Areas north of I-95 are more likely to remain at or below freezing through late Thursday/early Friday, likely resulting in higher accumulations of snow and ice. Temps will warm above freezing gradually from SE to NW through Thursday."We continued these briefings through Wednesday and Thursday as the forecast came into clearer focus, especially for Thursday evening in northern New Jersey and the New York City commuting area," the statement said.Wednesday 10 p.m.: News12's broadcast warned of messy roads from the incoming winter weather, according to Dave Curren, a meteorologist for the station.Wednesday's 10pm show right out of the gate said how bad the roads would be. I'm sure we can make a promo from from just the first :30sec of @rachelkristie 10pm newscast-- Dave Curren (@DaveCurren) November 16, 2018Thursday 7 a.m.: Officials activated the state's Emergency Operations Center to "monitor the winter storm conditions expected to last through Friday," the governor's office said.Thursday 9 a.m.. A report from the NWS Storm Prediction Center, issued shortly before 9 a.m., called for a chance of heavy snow, freezing rain and sleet."By afternoon, a mixture of snow and sleet are likely in the lower elevations from northern Virginia into northern New Jersey," the center's discussion said. "This corridor may changeover to freezing rain or rain this afternoon.""By Thursday morning, the forecast for the northern New Jersey/New York City areas specifically focused on the increasing risk for the evening rush hour commute." the weather service statement.Thursday noon: The NWS said 2 to 5 inches of snow were being forecast, with "specific messages highlighting intense snowfall rates and hazardous travel conditions during the evening commute."Thursday's evening rush: Chaos sets in. By 2:30 p.m., the region's highways were becoming treacherous. Numerous vehicles were involved in a wreck on the George Washington Bridge upper level, where crews held traffic to clear icy conditions. Drivers who left work early to beat the weather became stranded for hours on Route 280, children were stranded on buses and sleeping at school, and regional mass transit ground to a near complete halt.
English
17 Kasım 2018 - 23:26
Were forecasters wrong or did state fail us? You be the judge with this forecast timeline
That was Gov. Phil Murphy's message to New Jersey a day after the season's first snowfall ground mass transit to a halt, turned highways into parking lots and left thousands of people stranded. Facing outrage over the state's handling of the snowy ordeal, Murphy said Friday forecasters underestimated the storm. "No one realized the gravity of what was to come," the governor said at a news conference in Woodbridge.
English
17 Kasım 2018 - 23:26