Sherrill lifts state of emergency as NJ recovers from winter storm

The basics:

• Gov. Mikie Sherrill ends New Jersey state of emergency following region’s worst storm in a decade
• NJ Transit resumes most rail, bus & light rail service
• NJDOT lifts commercial vehicle bans, speed restrictions
• Officials warn residents to remain cautious amid below-freezing temperatures, icy roads

As the Garden State digs out from a major winter storm that blanketed the region, Gov. Mikie Sherrill announced she is lifting the state of emergency declared over the weekend.

Sherrill made the announcement (Executive Order No. 9) in Maplewood Jan. 26, flanked by several top officials. She thanked the public servants and the agencies for their efforts preparing for and responding to the storm, as well as Garden State residents.

“From the minute I was sworn in as governor, my administration has worked to ready our state for this weekend’s severe weather,” said Sherrill. “I want to thank all the workers across our state who responded to this weather event with urgency and seamless coordination, keeping New Jerseyans safe and warm during the worst storm we’ve seen in a decade.

“I also want to thank all New Jerseyans who made the smart decision to stay off the roads this weekend.”

Phase 3

Sherrill gave an update about the situation and efforts to get the state back to normal operations.

“We got through phase two. I’d say phase one was preparation. Phase two is the actual emergency,” said Sherrill. “And now we’re in phase three, the aftermath, the cleanup; and then making sure that we are keeping our streets de-iced. And that we are keeping utility power going to consumers. That de-icing effort will involve salt, so the state’s ramping up on our salt. And I would encourage all the municipalities to do that.”

She continued, “As we endured the worst winter storm in a decade, I declared a state of emergency, effective on Saturday at 5 a.m. – that was able to get all the resources that we needed. I’m declaring that over – that ended about 15 minutes ago, at 12 o’clock. Because I think we’ve gone through the acute crisis. Now it’s post-crisis cleanup and making sure we continue to keep everyone safe through this cold weather we are enduring.

Getting around

“I will also let you know that we are continuing to bring up all of our transit. This afternoon, we will see most of our train lines coming online. Some of them have already begun. And thanks to the PATH system. That’s also running on a weekend schedule. Newark airport is ramping up as well. And make sure you check on your flight. But many flights are now able to take off and land.”

Watch the announcement here:

Sherrill noted the Department of Transportation lifted a commercial vehicle ban as of 9 a.m., and announced that since every state highway and interstate, the New Jersey Turnpike, the Garden State Parkway, and the Atlantic City Expressway had been plowed, speed restrictions were being lifted.

But she cautioned the below freezing temperatures and conditions outside.

“DOT is lifting the emergency restrictions – but use common sense,” said Sherrill. “These are wet roads, and the temperatures are below freezing. So be careful on bridges, on off and on ramps. Make sure you’re aware of ice on the roadways, the possible icing conditions. We’re working incredibly hard, but just because you see blacktop doesn’t mean that you don’t need to exercise caution in these incredibly cold conditions.”

DOT is lifting the emergency restrictions – but use common sense.
– Gov. Mikie Sherrill, urging drivers to use caution

Safety first

NJ Transit also resumed service on light rail (as of 4:30 a.m.) – and as of that presser, President and CEO Kris Kolluri said that 85 bus service lines had resumed service, with more to come throughout Monday and Tuesday. As of noon, Access Link had also restarted.

NJ TRANSIT continues to ramp up service today, as several rail lines have resumed service.

For details, visit: https://t.co/HLTbbqXYrL pic.twitter.com/xu1HsiS1jv

— NJ TRANSIT (@NJTRANSIT) January 26, 2026

“And I’m pleased to say that as of 20 minutes ago, we have started a majority of our train lines,” said Kolluri. He noted two exceptions – Pascack Valley and Gladstone – which were still being worked on. “We will, tomorrow, operate on a modified schedule. That means it’s a weekend schedule. The storm is clearly over. But I remind everyone that the cold weather wreaks havoc on the infrastructure, not just on our infrastructure – but the Northeast Corridor infrastructure, which is so critical for our service.

“We will continue to focus on it, make sure the switches are working, the signal systems are working. My commitment to the governor, since the very first day, is yes, we want the service to work. But we also want to make sure the service is safe and reliable. That is our commitment,” Kolluri continued. “But I am so grateful to the governor that she gave us the ability to make decisions and to implement decisions that keep New Jerseyans safe. But also to bring the service back in a thoughtful and prudent  way – just like we did when we temporarily suspended service.”

Stay vigilant

The storm provided an early test of the Sherrill administration – which covered a lot of ground over the last few days, monitoring the activities at various operations centers, including the Regional Operations Intelligence Center (ROIC) in Ewing; visiting active storm preparation sites; doing some two dozen television and radio hits providing updates; and holding press briefings.

Dropped by the Turnpike Facility at Crosswicks/Bordentown. They are working 24/7 to keep New Jerseyans safe.

Please stay off the roads. Give the road crews the room they need to do their jobs. pic.twitter.com/bgLxQp00yB

— Governor Mikie Sherrill (@GovSherrillNJ) January 25, 2026

Sherrill said her administration has been preparing for emergencies such as storms of this nature since before she took office – and preparing for this one in particular since she took the oath of office. She said her administration was in touch with every county and more than 315 municipalities to check in and make sure they had what they needed for the storm.

New Jersey saw from up to 6 inches in South Jersey to between 8–12 inches in Central Jersey and up to 17 inches in North and Northwest Jersey, with top snowfall totals reported in: Stockholm (17 inches), Branchville (17 inches), Wantage Township (16.5 inches), Green Pond (16.4 inches), Englewood Cliffs (16.3 inches) and Ringwood (16 inches).

Power companies have reported minimal outages, welcome news given the high winds and ice component of the storm had many worried about potential outages. That could have created a nightmare scenario with temperatures so frigid.

Sherrill stresses continued awareness about the conditions, despite the storm being over.

“The worst is over, but we are expecting bitterly cold temperatures throughout the week,” said Sherrill. “Please to continue to avoid unnecessary travel and be vigilant about ice.”