Full Notification

 
The Township of Cranford and Office of Emergency Management is closely monitoring the winter weather which is projected to impact our region this weekend, Sunday January 25^h, 2026 through Monday January 26^th, 2026.  Cranford OEM will activate its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Sunday, January 25th, 2026 to ensure communication with our County and State partners. 

Cranford DPW is mobilized and will begin treating Township roadways before snowfall begins to accumulate, then throughout the entire day as the snow storm progresses. Our partners in the State DOT and County of Union will continue to treat and monitor State and County Roadways as well.  As always, we defer to our partners in the Cranford Public Schools and Saint Michael School for any announcements related to changing school schedules during weather events.
 
Here is the latest forecast discussion for Cranford:
 
Long Duration High Impact Storm Sunday - Monday... While the storm will be drawn out, the majority of our 8.0 - 12.0 totals occur quickly within heavy bands of snow, peaking midday into the afternoon (roughly 9:30 AM - 4 PM). The rates will be very high, easily 1" per hour for several hours, with even an overwhelming 2" in an hour rate for a time.  As we get towards sunset, and especially beyond, we're likely going to see areas of sleet and freezing rain mix with the snow as the intensity of precipitation diminishes. This mix continues into the overnight (which will weigh down and make the earlier snow accumulation denser). The overnight precipitation may lull at times, but there will likely be final areas of snow that will swing through Monday morning & midday that take into the afternoon to end entirely. As we lose the intensity late day into the evening, we mix or change to sleet / freezing rain. The backside of the storm mostly misses us just off to our north. The snowpack isn't going anywhere post-storm, thanks to a new arctic blast.
 
If you are on a snow route, strongly consider abiding by the snow route provisions SATURDAY EVENING, as road treatments will largely occur during the early morning hours of SUNDAY.

 
 
What can Residents do to help expedite snow removal operations?

• Remove cars from roadways, especially along snow routes.  Vehicles on snow routes that are not removed will be impounded and owners of these vehicles will receive a summons.  We hope to avoid this altogether with your compliance.
• Do not throw snow onto the street.
• Visit the OEM’s snow emergencies page for full details:  https://www.cranfordnj.org/office-emergency-management/pages/snow-emergencies
• Clear out fire hydrants near your home
• Stay off roadways as much as possible.  Historically, vehicles have become disabled while traveling on the roadways during moderate to significant snowfall, creating obstacles for storm management.
• Remain PATIENT during the storm and snow removal process.  By removing vehicles from the roadways, staying home during the brunt of the storm, and taking recommended action ahead of Sunday, you will directly impact the successful snow removal process undertaken by the Cranford DPW, County DPW and State DOT.

 
Snow Emergency Route and Township Snow Ordinance:
 
In accordance with the provisions of § 410-30, no person shall park a vehicle upon either side of any of the streets or parts of streets thereof listed below, whenever snow has fallen and there is an accumulation of three inches or more of snow on any street or highway.

Name of Street	Limits
Bloomingdale Avenue	From Elizabeth Avenue to the Kenilworth boundary line
Brookside Place	From the Garwood boundary line to Orchard Street
Brookside Place	From Orchard Street to Harvard Road
Burnside Avenue	From Lexington Avenue to Lincoln Avenue West
Centennial Avenue	From the Linden boundary line to South Avenue East; a yield right-of-way sign having sides 36 inches in length shall be installed on Raritan Road facing westbound traffic
Central Avenue	From Springfield Avenue to Craig Place
Cranford Avenue	From Forest Avenue to Elizabeth Avenue
Cranford Terrace	From Munsee Drive to Centennial Avenue
Denman Road	From Lexington Avenue to Fairfield Street
Eastman Street	From Holly Street northerly to Pittsfield Street
Eastman Street	From North Avenue West northerly to Holly Street
Elizabeth Avenue	From North Avenue East to North Union Avenue
Elm Street	From High Street to Centennial Avenue
Gallows Hill Road	From Brookside Place to the Westfield boundary line
Henley - Dunham Avenue	From Riverside Drive to Locust Drive
High Street	From South Avenue East to Hickory Street
Hillcrest Avenue	From Lexington Avenue to Williams Street
Kenilworth Boulevard	From the Westfield boundary line to the Kenilworth line
Lexington Avenue	From Lehigh Valley Railroad to the Garwood boundary line
Lexington Avenue	From Raritan Road to Alan O'Kell Place
Lincoln Avenue East	From Centennial Avenue to South Avenue East
Lincoln Avenue East	From High Street to Centennial Avenue
Lincoln Avenue East	From Walnut Avenue to High Street
Lincoln Avenue West	From South Avenue West to Walnut Avenue
Manor Avenue	From North Union Avenue to Orange Avenue
Normandie Place	From Riverside Drive to LaSalle Avenue
North Lehigh Avenue	From Centennial Avenue to Mansion Terrace
North Union Avenue	From North Avenue to Springfield Avenue
North Union Avenue	From Springfield Avenue to Lenox Avenue
Orange Avenue	From Springfield Avenue to the Kenilworth boundary line
Orchard Street	From North Avenue West to Indian Spring Road
Raritan Road	From Centennial Avenue to Walnut Avenue
Raritan Road	From the Linden boundary line to Centennial Avenue
Retford Avenue	From Lexington Avenue to Lincoln Avenue
Retford Avenue	From Lincoln Avenue to Cherry Street
Riverside Drive	From Claremont Place to Edgar Avenue
Riverside Drive	From Springfield Avenue to Claremont Place
South Avenue East	From the Roselle boundary line to South Union Avenue
South Avenue West	From South Union Avenue to the Garwood boundary line
Springfield Avenue	From North Avenue East to Kenilworth Boulevard
South Union Avenue	From Lexington Avenue to Lincoln Avenue
South Union Avenue	From Lincoln Avenue to South Avenue
Walnut Avenue	From Raritan Road to South Avenue East
Walnut Avenue	From South Avenue East to the Transit Railroad Bridge
West End Place	From Orchard Street to Springfield Avenue
West Holly Street	From the Garwood boundary line to Orchard Street

 
Residents and businesses often have some questions as to how the Township and our partners at County DPW and NJ DOT clear the roadways.
 

• The Township typically initiates plowing operations after snow accumulations exceed three inches on paved surfaces. For lower-end snow accumulations, salting operations are conducted to improve road conditions.

 

• Roadways in town are generally prioritized in three categories for snow removal.

 

• Primary snow routes are the first priority, and they are designated as such because they are main roadways, or roads which provide primary access into interior residential neighborhoods, or roads which otherwise serve school buildings or other infrastructure. The primary goal is to maintain the ability of emergency services to access all neighborhoods of the Town during and shortly after the storm event. Some of the primary roadways are County Roadways, and are plowed by the County DPW. North Avenue is a State Highway, and is plowed by NJ Department of Transportation.

 

• Secondary Roadways are the roadways which are feeders to the Primary roadways. These serve mainly residential neighborhoods.

 

• Tertiary Roadways are generally dead-end streets and cul-de-sacs, and other roads which connect off of Secondary roads. These streets often require some specialized attention and equipment for snow removal.

 

• It could take several hours after snowfall ends for resources to clear your street. This depends on the timing of the storm, the extent of snowfall, and other operational considerations.

 

• The main priorities with the snow removal operation are keeping our Township staff safe, ensuring effective snow removal with minimal damage to property or equipment, and ensuring access for emergency vehicles throughout the Township. 

 
For Further Details:
Monitor the latest weather forecasts at www.weather.gov/okx

• Sign up for NIXLE, the Township’s official emergency notification system, immediately. 
  • There are a few ways to subscribe to Nixle to receive real-time alerts and advisories directly from your local police department and other local agencies. There is no charge for registering.
  • To subscribe to Nixle via text, simply text any ZIP code or keyword to 888777. Standard text messaging rates associated with your mobile phone service will apply.
  • To subscribe to Nixle directly, sign up at local.nixle.com/register/ and fill in the fields. Click "I Accept" to sign up and accept Nixle's Terms of Service.

• Report Power Outages to PSEG at: 1-800-436-7734 Download the PSE&G mobile app to report outages and receive information on restoration times, crew locations and more.
• Register for MyAlerts to receive text notifications at pseg.com/outagecenter.

• Report an outage and receive status updates by texting OUT to 4PSEG (47734). You can also report your outage through our app, website at pseg.com/myaccount

 
Report non-emergent wires or trees down, or other non-emergency calls to Cranford Police & Fire at (908) 272-2222
 
Report all Emergencies (wires down sparking, trees into homes or buildings, utility emergencies, cars trapped in water, etc) by calling 9-1-1.
 
As a reminder, do not rely on email or social media to report these issues, even if they seem minor or non-emergent. Please always call the non-emergency number if you are concerned and don’t believe it is an emergency situation warranting a 9-1-1 call.