Murphy shuts down state offices as snow snarls East Coast travel

TRENTON — State government offices in New Jersey will close early as the state faces the threat of snow and wintry weather following the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

Gov. Phil Murphy on Monday decided to shut government offices for nonessential employees at noon.

A wet ride into work is expected to change to snow throughout the day. The areas hardest hit will depend on a narrow band of heavier snow that forecasters are still trying to track. Northern and central counties face the greatest chance for significant snowfall through Tuesday morning.

Some schools have closed and others will dismiss students early.

Commercial vehicles are banned on I-80 from the Pennsylvania border to I-287, along I-78 from the Pennsylvania border to I-287 and on I-287 from I-78 to the New York border.

More updates from around the region:

8:30 a.m.

A snowy nor’easter bearing down on the East Coast is snarling travel and causing school districts and colleges to cancel classes.

Flightaware.com reports that more than 200 flights into or out of the U.S. are canceled as of Monday morning. Many canceled flights were at New York and Boston-area airports.

Dozens of school districts in upstate New York were closed Monday, along with several State University of New York campuses and other colleges.

New York told state workers in some government offices to stay home Monday, and New Jersey planned to close offices for nonessential employees at noon.

Many buses from New York City to Pennsylvania and upstate destinations such as Ithaca and Binghamton were canceled.

7:20 a.m.

State government offices in New Jersey will close early as a wintry storm bears down on the East Coast.

Gov. Phil Murphy on Monday decided to shut government offices for nonessential employees at noon.

Commercial vehicles were banned and lower speed limits put in place on stretches of some Pennsylvania interstate highways.

A nor’easter is expected to drop 10 to 20 inches of snow by Tuesday morning from Pennsylvania to Maine.

Flightaware.com reports that more than 180 flights into or out of the United States are canceled as of Monday morning.

5:45 a.m.

A wintry storm that made Thanksgiving travel miserable in the central and eastern United States has moved into the Northeast at the beginning of the workweek.

Heavy snow, rain or a mix of both is greeting commuters Monday morning along the Eastern Seaboard.

The nor’easter is expected to drop 10 to 20 inches of snow by Tuesday morning from Pennsylvania to Maine. Schools are closed across the region.

Flightaware.com reports that several flights are canceled or delayed at airports in the New York and Boston areas.

The weather is looking brighter across the West and Midwest as the storm moves on. Duluth, Minnesota, is cleaning up more than 21 inches of snow.

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