Regions · Bergen, Passaic
Snow Plow Insurance in North Jersey
In the February 22–23, 2026 blizzard, Bergenfield measured 23.8 inches, the top Bergen County total vetted by the Office of the New Jersey State Climatologist (March 6, 2026 recap). NJ Snow Plow Insurance, a Friedlander Associates Inc. agency based in Flemington and licensed in all 21 New Jersey counties, insures snow and ice contractors across North Jersey.
Neither county has a NOAA snowfall normal, so this page leans on vetted storm totals instead.
North Jersey by the Numbers
There is no official average snowfall for Bergen or Passaic. Here is what the record does show.
- Counties
- Bergen and Passaic, both in the northern snow division of the Office of the New Jersey State Climatologist (ONJSC). ONJSC, March 2018 recap, April 7, 2018
- Snowfall on record
- No station in either county has a NOAA 1991–2020 snowfall normal, and the Teterboro Airport normals file carries none. The closest standard normal is Newark Liberty Airport at 31.5 in a year, an Essex and Union station rather than a figure for either county. For the season just past, ONJSC's northern division averaged 47.3 in during winter 2025–26. NOAA NCEI, 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, stations USW00094741 and USW00014734; ONJSC, "February 2026 and Winter 2025–26 Recaps," March 6, 2026
- Recent storms
- February 22–23, 2026: Bergenfield 23.8 in (ONJSC-vetted); the National Weather Service also listed a public report of 30.7 in at 1 NW Lyndhurst that ONJSC did not vet. January 25, 2026: Upper Greenwood Lake (Passaic) 17.3 in and Oakland (Bergen) 15.5 in, each county's high. March 6–7, 2018 nor'easter: Oakland 26.0 in, Ringwood 23.0 in. ONJSC recaps dated March 6, 2026; February 7, 2026; April 7, 2018. NWS New York, February 22–23, 2026 event page
- Commercial density
- Bergen 31,818 business establishments, the largest count of New Jersey's 21 counties (our ranking of the Census figures); Passaic 12,406. Largest ZIP codes: Hackensack 07601 (2,166), Wayne 07470 (2,061), Paramus 07652 (1,844), Fort Lee 07024 (1,628), Passaic 07055 (1,371), Englewood 07631 (1,198), Fair Lawn 07410 (1,070). U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023 and ZIP Code Business Patterns 2023
- What we write here
- Contract and certificate review for property-manager and snow-manager paper, general liability for lots and walks, commercial auto including hired and non-owned trucks, umbrella limits, contractor's equipment and workers' compensation. Coverage depends on the policy's actual forms and endorsements.
Two Winters Inside One Region
Passaic County climbs into the highlands along its northern edge, and the storm record shows it. Upper Greenwood Lake posted Passaic's top total in the January 25, 2026 storm at 17.3 inches, and Ringwood reached 23.0 inches in the March 6–7, 2018 nor'easter (ONJSC recaps, February 7, 2026 and April 7, 2018). In February 2010, West Milford reported 62.6 inches for the month, a preliminary figure ONJSC was still reviewing when it published its recap on March 6, 2010.
Bergen's accounts sit lower and closer together. If your routes cross the county line, the same storm can call for different trigger depths, different timing and different salt rates within an hour's drive. Write conditions into the service log as they happen, property by property. When a claim arrives months later, a log that records what the lot looked like, and not only when your truck showed up, is worth more than anything you or your driver remember.
Retail Lots, Property Managers and Paper
By the Census Bureau's 2023 count, Bergen has 31,818 business establishments, more than any other New Jersey county (our ranking of County Business Patterns 2023). Hackensack, Wayne, Paramus and Fort Lee each hold more than 1,600 in a single ZIP code (ZIP Code Business Patterns 2023).
Retail and office density brings a particular kind of client: a property manager, or a regional snow management company, that sends a contract drafted by its own lawyers. Expect it to ask for additional insured status, primary and non-contributory wording, a waiver of subrogation and a hold harmless clause, plus minimum limits that only an umbrella may reach.
If you work under a snow manager, you are a subcontractor, and the manager's agreement decides what your policy has to say. Read what subcontractors need, then send us the agreement before the season. We compare it line by line with your forms and flag every requirement that needs an endorsement.
When the Storm Overperforms
The February 2026 blizzard is a useful stress test. ONJSC's vetted Bergen high was 23.8 inches at Bergenfield (March 6, 2026 recap), and the National Weather Service listed 30.7 inches near Lyndhurst as a public report, not a vetted measurement (NWS New York event page, February 22–23, 2026). Either number is a lot of snow to put somewhere in a tight suburban lot.
Storage becomes the job. Piles block sight lines at exits, bury hydrants and drains, and push meltwater across lanes where it refreezes. When you bring in dump trucks or a loader to haul snow off site, three questions matter:
- Does the hauler carry its own liability and auto? Get a certificate before its first load.
- Does your auto policy include hired and non-owned coverage for trucks you rent or borrow?
- Does your contract with the property even allow off-site hauling, and who pays for it?
Long storm shifts add a crew question too. Tired operators get hurt, which is a workers' compensation exposure, and a hauling truck that strikes a pedestrian can produce a claim larger than the auto limit. That is the job of an umbrella sitting over both policies.
North Jersey Questions
What is the average snowfall in Bergen County?
There isn't an official one. No station in Bergen or Passaic has a NOAA 1991–2020 snowfall normal. The nearest standard normal is Newark Liberty Airport at 31.5 inches a year (NOAA NCEI), on the Essex and Union border. For Bergen, the useful record is storm totals, such as Bergenfield's 23.8 inches in the February 22–23, 2026 blizzard (ONJSC, March 6, 2026).
A snow management company wants me as a subcontractor. What will it ask for?
Expect a certificate naming the manager and the property owner as additional insureds, minimum limits on liability and auto, often an umbrella, and a waiver of subrogation. A hold harmless clause usually rides along. Send it to us before you sign; the policy has to say what the paper says. Our page on subcontractors covers the details.
I hire dump trucks to haul snow after big storms. Whose insurance applies?
The hauler's own auto and liability should answer first for its trucks and drivers, so collect a certificate before the work starts. Your policy can still be pulled into a claim, which is why hired and non-owned auto coverage matters. Coverage depends on the policy's actual forms and endorsements.
I have accounts in West Milford and in Hackensack. Do I need two policies?
No. One set of policies can cover both. List every location and what you do there, whether that's plowing, salting or walks, because the description of operations on your liability policy should match the work.
Nearby Regions
Same storms, different ground.
- Northwest Highlands →Sussex, Warren and Morris, west of Passaic
- Essex, Hudson & Union →South of Bergen and Passaic, around Newark Airport
- All six regions →The full map, with one fact per region
NJ Snow Plow Insurance is a trade name of Friedlander Associates Inc., an independent agency at 361 Route 31 South, Building E, Suite 1301–1302, Flemington, New Jersey 08822, licensed in all 21 counties. Agency NPN 5735331 · NJ Producer License 9725274.
Send the Contract Before You Sign It
Upload your dec pages and the insurance section of any Bergen or Passaic contract. We'll tell you what your policy already covers and what it doesn't.