New Jersey has been literally locked in by ice!  What started as a light, friendly, puffy snow turned into what feels like a Jersey Glacier — ice on the ocean, in the bays, up the rivers, lakes, streams… and yes, even in your backyard! It has been weeks now of unrelenting sub-freezing temperatures and nasty winter conditions that just won’t quit.

A New Jersey snow/sleet storm turns everyday commutes into danger zones

For many of us everyday commuters, this isn’t some abstract weather headline — it’s personal. On my daily commute — over an hour each way on most days — I’ve never seen conditions like this. Windshields smashed in from flying ice? Yup, I’ve seen them. That’s not exaggeration — with this bitter cold coating everything, sheets of ice literally become projectiles on the highway.

In fact, in the Bordentown area a sheet of ice flew off a vehicle on I-295, broke a woman’s windshield, and hit her in the head — requiring dozens of stitches. New Jersey has a law on the books that requires drivers to remove snow and ice from their vehicles, and if that ice causes injury or damage, fines can be between $200 and $1,000 or more. But so many drivers still treat it casually — with potentially serious consequences.

Slips, falls and frozen water put residents and pets at risk

The damage doesn’t stop at cars. Whether it’s slick roads or sheet ice hiding underneath that “thin layer of snow,” people and pets are taking dangerous slips. I learned that the hard way trying to chip ice off my landscape lighting — and yep — I took a tumble just yesterday.

Add in the dangerously frozen bodies of water — spots like Barnegat Bay and other coastal inlets now ice-covered but not safe — and this cold snap is truly creating hazards all across the Garden State.

Dramatic ice rescues show how quickly fun turns life-threatening

And it’s not just me having close calls. In Woolwich Township last month, a 13-year-old boy fell through the ice on a local retention pond, prompting a dramatic rescue where police had to crawl out onto thin ice and into the frigid water to reach him as he shouted for help.

Rescue stories like that remind us just how unpredictable this ice can be — and how quickly a fun walk or playtime on “frozen” water can turn dangerous.

Frozen pipes, ice dams and home damage pile on the misery

For homeowners, the freeze-thaw cycle is no picnic either. Ice dams have formed along our roof and gutters, and we’ve been dealing with water sneaking into our windows during the brief thaw that hit yesterday. Unfortunately, it’s already dropping back into freezing again this weekend.

That thaw-freeze snap already caused real trouble for some: in Ocean County, freezing pipes in a nursing home forced the evacuation of nearly 50 residents after the pipes impacted the sprinkler system, flooding ceilings and prompting urgent relocation.

This current ice lock-down traces back to a massive storm nearly two weeks ago that dumped heavy snow and freezing rain across the tri-state area and left New Jersey looking like an iceberg. That storm not only created deep snow and ice pack but brought widespread treacherous travel conditions, easing only slightly before this week’s return to sub-freezing highs.

The lingering effects of that system — the ice build-up, frozen infrastructure, burst pipes and dangerous terrain — are what make this winter one of the most memorable in a very long time for anyone who’s had to walk, drive, or just get through a day outside in the Garden State.

And you know what? Maybe when July and August roll around, and we’re all whining about heat and humidity, thinking back to this death-grip freeze will cool us down — if only mentally. Because if there’s a silver lining to this brutal winter, it’s this: we’ll have stories to tell, laughs to share, and maybe just a tiny bit of appreciation for summer sweat instead of winter ice.

NEW YORK (AP) — New York and New Jersey sued the Trump administration on Tuesday for freezing $16 billion in federal funding for a new rail tunnel under the Hudson River between the two states, seeking a quick ruling because construction that has been underway could be forced to shut down as early as Friday.

The administration put a hold on the funding in September, citing the government shutdown. The White House budget director, Russ Vought, said on the social platform X at the time that officials believed the spending was based on unconstitutional diversity, equity and inclusion principles, and the U.S. Department of Transportation said it was reviewing any “unconstitutional practices.”

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Manhattan by New York Attorney General Letitia James and New Jersey Acting Attorney General Jennifer Davenport, asks a judge to declare the funding suspension unlawful and order payments to resume immediately so construction can continue without interruption.

“Allowing this project to stop would put one of the country’s most heavily used transit corridors at risk,” James said in a statement Tuesday evening. ”Our tunnels are already under strain, and losing this project could be disastrous for commuters, workers, and our regional economy.”

The White House and U.S. Transportation Department did not immediately return emails seeking comment Tuesday night.

A similar lawsuit over the tunnel funding was filed Monday against the federal government by the Gateway Development Commission, a local panel overseeing the project.

The construction project calls for building a new rail tunnel under the river to carry Amtrak and area transit trains between New Jersey and New York City, as well as repairing an existing, 116-year-old rail tunnel that was damaged by Superstorm Sandy in 2012.

Work began in 2023. The project is funded by the 2021 federal infrastructure law signed by Democratic President Joe Biden.

Paul Caneiro is charged in the 2018 murders of Keith Caneiro, 50, his wife Jennifer, 45, and their two children, daughter Sophia, 8, and son, Jesse, 11, on Willow Brook Road in Colts Neck.

The trial began Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in Monmouth County, New Jersey. It’s expected to last about 2.5 months. Court proceedings are expected to begin at 8:30 a.m.

Live stream the trial above.

8-year-old girl’s DNA on bloody jeans in Paul Caneiro’s home, jury hears

FREEHOLD — The DNA of 8-year-old Sophia Caneiro was found in five locations on a pair of bloody jeans recovered from her uncle’s basement after she, her mother, father and 11-year-old brother were found murdered at their Colts Neck mansion in 2018, a scientist testified Feb. 2 at Paul Caneiro’s trial in the murders. Read more.

— Kathleen Hopkins

Video shows figure lurking outside Caneiro mansion before murders

FREEHOLD — A jury on Jan. 29 watched security surveillance footage showing a shadowy figure going back and forth outside Keith Caneiro’s garage in the early morning of Nov. 20, 2018, when prosecutors say Keith and his wife and children were murdered at the home. Read more.

— Kathleen Hopkins