A look back at some of NJ’s biggest, most epic snowfalls

Being a northeast state, New Jersey is no stranger to snow. But the biggest snowfall that personally impacted me was the blizzard of ‘96.

This was during the Whitman administration, and at some point during the three-day snow event Gov. Christine Todd Whitman declared a travel ban. I recall NJ101.5 issued us emergency clearance through the state police to be allowed on the nearly impassable roads, as we were considered essential personnel to get to the station to disseminate critical information.

My broadcast partner, Bill Doyle, had a 4-wheel drive, and it was the only reason we were able to make it in together. Even at that, we kept having to find alternate routes as this or that on-ramp or off-ramp would be closed due to tractor-trailers jackknifing and being caught in snow, or walls of plowed, impenetrable snow, etcetera. It took us something like 3 hours to get to work for what would normally have taken 15 minutes.

There was the fun (not) of sleeping on the floor at the radio station in between broadcasting to all of New Jersey about what felt like an Armageddon of snow.

The NJ Turnpike was closed down completely for part of that blizzard. Snow measurable in feet, not inches, crippled the state, burying cars and collapsing roofs; it was insane.

As we approach another winter in the Garden State, here’s a look big at some of the bigger snowfalls New Jersey endured over the years. See if you remember living through any of these.