Friday storm: What you need to know

A nor'easter is wreaking havoc across Bergen, Essex, Morris and Passaic counties on Friday, whipping up fierce winds, downing trees and utility poles and knocking out power to thousands.

Parts of western Passaic County are expected to be blanketed with up to 5 or more inches of snow, while rain-soaked ground across North Jersey will provide ample opportunities for trees to uproot in strong wind, said Jay Engle, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service.

Sleet, snow and rain have already caused damage to North Jersey, but coastal areas are expected to be hit the hardest. Power outages hit more than 54,000 customers in Morris County, according to JCP&L, and remain a concern across the region.

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There are reports of multiple live wires down in Bergen, Essex, Morris and Passaic counties. In Hawthorne, police and fire officials are responding to three utility poles down with wires burning on the ground. There is reportedly heavy damage on South Avenue. Lafayette Avenue has been shut down between Cedar and Llewellyn avenues.

Route 9W southbound, south of Hillside Avenue, was closed in Alpine due to a downed tree and wires.

On the Hudson River, six barges that may be connected to the construction of the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo bridge gave way from their moorings. Two ran aground near Alpine, according to the Palisades Interstate Parkway Police Department.

Since midnight the New Jersey State Police have responded to 246 motor vehicle crashes and 257 calls for motorist aid, said Sgt. Lawrence Peele.

All of that, combined with strong wind gusts of up to 55 mph, could make getting around difficult, said Brian Ciemnecki, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

The National Weather Service has issued wind and winter weather advisories in North Jersey, including Passaic and Bergen counties.

Where are the power outages?

There was a partial power outage being reported at the Passaic County Courthouse but it is unknown if is related to the storm. The elevators were shut down and power was out in the stairwells. Lights were on elsewhere and courts remained in session.

In Bergen County a large tree on Fairmount Road in Ridgewood fell, taking out some power lines and blocking a portion of the road.

There are few outages reported from PSE&G but at least 220 customers in Woodcliff Lake are experiencing outages. JCP&L has reported more than 44,000 Morris County customers without electrical service.

Is my flight delayed or canceled?

The storm has cancelled or delayed hundreds of outbound flights at Newark Liberty, John F. Kennedy and LaGuardia airports.

There were 339 flights canceled out of LaGuardia, while Newark Liberty had 236 cancelations and JFK had 168 cancelations. The Federal Aviation Administration imposed a ground stop on domestic flights to JFK.

The AirTrain at Newark suspended service Friday because of the expected high winds from the storm.

How's the evening commute?

The New Jersey Department of Transportation is advising motorists that pothole repairs will take place throughout the day on Route 21 and they can expect to see repair crews on the roads at any time. Drivers also are asked to reduce speeds when traveling through the temporary work zones.

NJ Transit will cross-honor tickets for NJ Transit buses and private carriers, rail and light rail services for Friday and Saturday. Several lines will see 20-minute delays.

Amtrak announced Friday afternoon that all service on the Northeast Corridor, between Boston and Washington D.C., has been cancelled until Saturday due to hazardous conditions.

How bad are the roads?

Raw sewage began spewing into New Jersey’s waterways Friday afternoon after heavy rains inundated combined sewage and stormwater pipes.

Sewage from Fort Lee was discharging into the Hudson River, from Paterson into the Passaic River and from Hackensack and Ridgefield Park into the Hackensack River, according to a website that tracks the overflows.

Jersey City, Newark, Bayonne, Elizabeth, North Bergen and Perth Amboy were also spewing sewage into waterways on Friday.

More than 23 billion gallons of polluted water enter New Jersey's waterways each year due to these combined sewage overflow systems. Municipal officials admit the systems are obsolete but lack the millions of dollars needed to replace them.

Local roads in Passaic County have seen at least an inch in snow accumulation while routes 3 and 46 as well as 17, were slightly slushy along the shoulder and drivers proceeded with caution.

Police in Oakland and Ringwood said several miles of Skyline Drive was closed in both directions because of the snow.

In Bergen County, snow is sticking along the Garden State Parkway from Montvale south to Paramus. South of Paramus, snow was mixed in with rain.

On Route 80, heading west from Saddle Brook to Woodland Park, the roadway was wet, but traffic was moving at normal volume and speed.

Despite concerns about major flooding, few weather-related issues were reported in eastern Bergen County on Friday morning.

The area of Fort Lee Road that crosses from Bogota into Hackensack flooded as rain, snow and sleet fell, but that didn't stop drivers from making their way along the street.

Puddling near intersections and along low-lying roadways was also common in the region but residents carried on with business as usual throughout Moonachie and Little Ferry.

How much snow will we get?

Parts of Bergen County saw about an inch of snow, said Bob Ziff, spokesman for North Jersey Weather Observers.

West Milford in Passaic County saw at least five inches of snow already, according to the National Weather Service. Up to 2 more inches could fall by night. Three inches of snow could be expected in Morris County.

Street signs have already been covered in flakes, and the north end of the Garden State Parkway is slushy.

When will it end?

Rain started Thursday night and is expected to last through Friday night, Ciemnecki said. At times the rain could be heavy.

How much rain?

Up to 2 inches of rain could fall in parts of North Jersey, Ciemnecki said. A flood watch is in effect through 6 a.m. Saturday.

Minor to possibly moderate flooding is expected in the Bergen and Passaic counties, according to the Stevens Institute Flood Advisory System.

North Jersey weather: Coastal storm could bring snow, flooding, power outages

South Jersey weather: Nor'easter bearing down on the shore

Friday's storm: Will this nor'easter become a bomb cyclone?

Lower Hudson Valley weather: Up to 8 inches of snow possible; schools closed

How bad will the wind be?

The National Weather Service has issued a high wind warning from 6 a.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Saturday for most of the northeastern part of the state, including Bergen, Passaic, Essex, Hudson and Union counties. Winds will be between 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 60 mph.

The NWS said the winds will be at their strongest from Friday afternoon to Friday night.

What's happening at the Shore?

Flooding is a bigger worry for shore towns as tidal flooding could become a problem in addition to general flooding. Asbury Park Press reporter Russ Zimmer was in Union Beach where Front Street was under several inches of water as the storm continued. Wind and coastal flooding are the primary concerns for the area.

How's the commute?

Canceled trains, speed restrictions and downed trees from Friday's nor'easter caused numerous issues heading into the evening commute.

Train service on New Jersey Transit in and out of Penn Station New York was subject to an hour delay due to a wire problem near Secaucus. Several trains out of Penn Station were canceled

Because of the storm, NJ Transit will cross-honor tickets for NJ Transit buses and private carriers, rail and light rail services for Friday and Saturday.

This morning, bout a dozen commuters boarded the train on Essex Street in Hackensack, nearly missing the rain that switched over to hail at 7:20 a.m.

The weather was enough for Hackensack resident Frank Atwood to get a ride to the station instead of doing his normal 10-minute walk. Atwood took cover from the rain with three other commuters under an enclosed awning, which he said there wasn’t enough of wasn't quite big enough. Atwood said he’s anticipating a longer commute tonight and was hoping there are no power outages.

Maywood resident Toni Defina braced the rain with her purple umbrella. Defina said she thought the storm was overhyped. “People thought it was going to snow,” Defina said. “The wind is a little bad, but it’s always windy when it rains.”

Several commuters waited out the rain in their cars and jumped out to catch the train once it pulled into the station.

The weather didn't stop about 40 commuters in Garfield from making their daily trip into New York City.

The steps and ramp were slick with an icy sludge, but Monika Zajac said that was par for the course at the Plauderville station. "There's never any salt or sand when it snows," she said. "It's always very slippery here."

Other commuters said while the weather wasn't perfect they were happy just to be under a cover at the station and under a heat lamp. One commuter, who just moved to the city, said he just started taking the train instead of the bus. "If the weather isn't perfect, there will always be a train delay, but it's still better than the bus," he said.

In Rutherford, there were some last-minute commuters just after 9 a.m. Commuters were bundled up with hoods and umbrellas. One commuter said before hurrying inside the train, she was more concerned about her nightly commute will go and hoped the delays would be minimal.

Check back throughout the day for the latest.

Staff writers Scott Fallon, Kaitlyn Kanzler, Kristie Cattafi, Katie Sobko and William Westhoven contributed to this article.