A nickel's worth of free PR advice...

Don't make robocalls on Friday and Saturday before the storm telling residents you have new equipment, new strategies and then put on a dopey DPW hat for effect if you can't control the weather.

First things first, THAT was a snowstorm. Johnny's time in Michigan's Upper Peninsula was truly revisited yesterday. It blew up and it blew up quick. That's part of the trouble when you call on Friday and the storm is just beginning to intensify. Weather can certainly make a fool of leaders who said they were well prepared. It's a roll of the dice. Sadly Jersey City didn't get Yahtzee!, we got three 4's.

We're hearing from all points in JC this morning on Twitter; The Heights, Downtown, Journal Square and people just don't think the words matched the deeds because the deeds were swamped with snow.

Then came this morning's robocall and here's our favorite quote from the Twitter on a Sunday morning call:

 ❄️snowgoth ‏@amywilson  49m49 minutes ago Jersey City, NJ
@JohnyAction the defensiveness & tone of those calls really shocks me. I get it: record snow. I don't expect things to be perfect overnight
10:23 AM - 24 Jan 2016 ·

Ouch.

Next time tell the people what they can do to help your charges, don't mention new equipment and so forth, it raises expectations. Let us know it's all hands on deck and you'll do everything you can. Update truthfully if we're having problems ie cars in streets etc.

We're good with that because we'll mostly be playing in the snow until Monday morning anyway.

PATH has shut down the Journal Square to Newark route

Obviously the only above-ground section of PATH and it is shut down. PATH continues to run JSQ to 33rd St via Hoboken.

The National Weather Service has just moved us into the 24-30" range.

This storm could well be a top 5 in Jersey City history

With the snow predictions increasing seemingly hourly, NYC Mayor DeBlasio mentioned the area could see upwards of 30 inches. If so it would squarely place this snowstorm in the top 5 ever.

Today is history.

BOOM! Winter Storm Ethel Merman is blowing up!

The imminent winter storm, ne, Blizzard that'll get here much earlier than planned as this storm speeds up and intensifies (Johnny told Mrs. Johnny this morning he had a hunch it'd grow) and now will give Jersey City and the surround 12-18" of snow in Blizzard conditions. 

Stay inside after mmmmm, 3am and just look, no touch. This one's gonna be a big one.

Jersey City and the surround is now on a blizzard watch for Saturday

Johnny is gonna go ahead right now and rate this a 5 Dr. Smith storm

You can't do any worse than a blizzard in the winter can you? Maybe that one movie where winter killed everyone but those people in the New York Public Libarry but this is pretty bad. Predictions are running around 8-14" of snow with winds that, well, take it away Jersey Journal:

Winds: Sustained winds of 15 to 35 mph are expected during most of the day on Saturday, with gusts up to 35 mph inland and up to 50 mph further east.

If this storm turns northward we might have to add a Dr. Smith. Spare us oh Winter Storm Ethel Merman!