It’s early November: Will New Jersey get snow next week?

New Jersey residents are being told to prepare for the possibility of some snow in the coming days.

New Jersey 101.5 Chief Meteorologist Dan Zarrow said the most important ingredient for snow is cold air — and a wintry blast is heading for the Garden State early next week.

“We are watching a storm system in the Monday-night-to-Tuesday time frame,” he said. “It does look potentially messy and snowy, but it's still too early to pinpoint timing, impacts and totals.”

If the flakes do start flying, the state Department of Transportation says it's ready to spring into action.

“We have our crews trained, we’ve got plenty of salt supplies ready, trucks are ready, contractors are ready," DOT spokesman Steve Schapiro said Thursday.

“Brine is mixed in advance, and that’s something that the DOT does at our own facilities, so we have that ready to go if we need it.”

Brine is a salt water solution that's spread on roads to prevent them from freezing as quickly as they normally would.

[SCHOOL CLOSINGS? TRAFFIC DELAYS? When the storm hits, be ready: Download New Jersey 101.5's free app here to get instant alerts.]

Last year the DOT was criticized for constantly over-brining the roads, which can result in damage to the undercarriage of vehicles and excess salt seeping into drinking water supplies. But transportation officials and Gov. Phil Murphy denied using more brine than in past winter seasons.

He said we are still several weeks away from the official start of winter, but DOT crews are ready to do whatever it takes to keep the roads clear.

“It’s hard to know with these first few forecasts what’s going to actually develop but our guys are ready," he said. "We keep a close eye on those forecasts.”

In the event of a early season winter storm, he said New Jersey drivers should plan accordingly.

“If you don’t need to be out on the road, it’s best to stay home. Allow the weather to pass," he advised.

If you must be out and about, give yourself extra time as road conditions can quickly take a turn for the worse.

Schapiro said to give DOT trucks, which will probably go no faster than 25 mph, plenty of space.

He also suggested making sure you have a full tank of gas and an emergency kit in the car if you get stranded.

You can contact reporter David Matthau at David.Matthau@townsquaremedia.com