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Snow is in the forecast for the Asbury Park area, and city officials are preparing for up to 12 inches of accumulation.

The National Weather Service predicts four to eight inches of new accumulation over the night, with an additional inch tomorrow morning, with winds up to 29 miles per hour. Other media outlets are forecasting six to 12 inches of accumulation.

The city’s office of emergency management [OEM] has been posting weather alerts to the fire department’s Facebook page, according to EMS [emergency medical services] and fire chief Kevin Keddy.

“We really don’t know what to expect,” Keddy said. “We’re going to have a snow storm. We know that much … But it’s not going to be like the 2010 storm.”

Water levels have been lowered at the city’s three lakes as a precaution, Keddy said. Plow and salting equipment is ready to be deployed when snow starts.

In case of power outages, the city will likely set up a shelter at Thurgood Marshall Elementary School, Keddy said. If power is out in some parts of the city but still connected at the Springwood Center, that may be used as a shelter as well.

For continuous updates, follow the fire department’s Facebook page and Twitter account.

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