By: Richard L. Smith
A powerful winter storm has moved out of much of New Jersey, but not before humbling North Jersey—dumping close to a foot of snow in parts of the region and creating crippling conditions statewide.
In Newark and across northern New Jersey, the storm forced widespread school closures and left neighborhoods buried under heavy snow and dangerous ice.
Where streets aren’t snow-covered, black ice is making travel especially treacherous during the morning commute.
Temperatures have plunged in the storm’s wake and will remain well below freezing through the week.
This morning, conditions are harsh across the state: Sussex County is dealing with blustery winds, Morristown is at 26 degrees, Trenton at 25, and Newark is waking up to just 22 degrees under a blanket of snow.
With temperatures struggling to rise, cleanup will be difficult.
In Newark, today’s high is expected to top out near 27 degrees, meaning much of the snow on the ground will refreeze, making shoveling and melting a challenge.
A Cold Weather Advisory remains in effect through Wednesday morning.
Officials urge residents to limit travel if possible, as conditions remain miserable and potentially dangerous.
According to the National Weather Service, there is a 30 percent chance of snow before 10 a.m. today. 
Skies will remain cloudy early, then gradually turn mostly sunny, with a high near 30 degrees. Wind chill values will range between 10 and 20 degrees, with west winds from 6 to 13 mph and gusts up to 23 mph.
Tonight, conditions turn even colder. Skies will be mostly clear, with lows around 10 degrees and wind chill values between zero and 10.
It’s brutally cold out there. If you can take another day to stay home, do it—and if you must head out, use extreme caution on snow- and ice-covered roads.