By Matthew Hersh
The 16 inches of snow that fell on Princeton from Sunday to Monday resulted in snarled roadways, two days of school closings, and further headaches as residents headed back to work on Tuesday following the end of the storm and of Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s state of emergency declaration.
At the same time, Princeton got a reprieve through preemptive closings and local, county, and state government prepared for the worst. Generally, the region fared well with few major incidents or loss of power, and PSE&G, the area’s main utility provider, was reporting no widespread outages in the area as of Tuesday afternoon.
As of Tuesday, Princeton Police continue to warn of the possibility of blowing snow and snow drifts that could reduce visibility and impact road conditions.
The cleanup came on the heels of the late-January storm that dropped more than a foot of snow on the region, coupled with several weeks of sub-freezing weather that stymied snow cleanup. After last week’s above-freezing temperatures and rain, tellale snow piles had diminished and residents reveled in the reappearance of grass, concrete, and asphalt. Municipal officials remain optimistic that this week’s temperatures will result in faster snow melt than the previous storm.
“Many thanks to our Public Works team for their swift work clearing our streets, and to all our emergency services personnel for increasing capacity to prepare for and respond to any storm‑related situations,” said Mayor Mark Freda. Because of the ongoing snow removal effort, Princeton canceled Tuesday’s morning session of Municipal Court, and the Princeton Loop returned to regular service on Tuesday.
The town moved Monday’s recycling collection to Saturday, February 28, and trash collection scheduled for Monday was moved to Tuesday, while all collection for the remainder of the week will follow the municipal holiday schedule by moving all subsequent trash collection forward one day through Saturday.
All Mercer County offices were closed on Monday, along with all county parks. Princeton Public Schools closed Monday and Tuesday to continue cleanup around its facilities.
Princeton University closed its campus for non-essential personnel on Monday and suspended in-person classes. Campus resumed regular operations on Tuesday.
As cleanup operations continue, municipal officials and Princeton Police are monitoring a quick moving system that will bring snow to the area early Wednesday morning, primarily for areas north of Princeton and Mercer County. While accumulations are forecasted to be less than an inch, the timing may lead to slick conditions during the morning commute, according to the National Weather Service.
Borough ordinance requires businesses and residents to remove snow and ice from their walkways within 24 hours after the storm’s conclusion. Police are advising the public to use sand if ice cannot be moved, and not to place snow in the roadway.
Freda pointed to snow removal efforts by residents and business owners as integral to post-storm community cleanup.
“I’m grateful to our residents and business owners for following advisories, clearing sidewalks, and observing parking restrictions so our plows could operate safely and efficiently,” he said. We appreciate everyone’s patience and cooperation as we continue to remove snow and address the remaining impacts from the storm.”
Princeton Police encourage residents to avoid travel during storms except in emergency circumstances and to check on family and neighbors, charge electronic devices, and avoid leaving pets outside unattended. In case of an emergency, call 911.