WEDNESDAY MORNING UPDATE: Dangerous storm to slam N.J. with heavy snow, strong winds

Gov. Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency across New Jersey on Tuesday night as the state braces for yet another major winter storm -- one that could dump more than a foot of snow on some parts of the state over the next two days.

Murphy also ordered state offices closed Wednesday.

The powerful nor'easter is expected to batter the state from Tuesday evening until Wednesday, the first day of spring.

The National Weather Service forecasters say most of the state could get 12 to 18 inches of snow, with all but the coastal areas getting at least 8 inches.

The heavy snow will be accompanied by winds that could gust up to 50 mph along the coast, moderate coastal flooding and downed trees that could lead to power outages, forecasters predict.

The state of emergency began at 7 p.m. and covers all 21 counties.

Declaring a state of emergency allows states to qualify for federal funds that can be used for immediate response and recovery.

It also puts the New Jersey National Guard and state agencies on notice to provide any assistance they can to local cities and towns.

A state of emergency does not require residents to take any action. It also does not mean there is a travel ban in place -- although the State Police did enact a commercial vehicle ban on interstates 78, 80, 280, and 287.

That prohibits the following vehicles on those roadways: tractor-trailers, empty straight CDL-weighted trucks, passengers vehicles pulling trailers, recreational vehicles, and motorcycles.

This is the second time Murphy has declared a state of emergency since he took office in January. The first was on March 6 before a winter nor'easter hit the state for the second time in a week.

Those back-to-back nor'easters earlier this month left thousands of homes and businesses without power for days. Many of those homes had been without power since a previous nor'easter hit the state five days beforehand.

Murphy said Tuesday the four private utility companies who service the state are lining up extra workers to help restore electricity should outages happen this time.

The governor also encouraged residents to stay inside after the heavy snow begins to fall.

"Please do not head out into the snow unless you absolutely have to," Murphy said. "Please give the local, county, and state crews the chance to work unimpeded to get our roads and highways clear."

He added that if you experience a power outage, "please report it immediately" to your power company.

Garden State residents may consult the state's emergency preparedness website, www.ready.nj.gov, for further information. Information about road conditions will be available at the New Jersey Department of Transportation website: http://www.511nj.org/.

NJ Advance Media Staff Writer Jeff Goldman contributed to this report.

Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewArco or Facebook.

Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01.