Historic Early Snowstorm Hits Essex on Halloween Weekend

Mother Nature is disguised as winter this Halloween weekend.

The National Weather Service is predicting a historic early season snowstorm for Northeast New Jersey, as well as the Lower Hudson Valley and Southern Connecticut.

A winter storm warning remains in affect until 2 a.m. Sunday, with accumulations of 6 to 10 inches possible.

Traveling could be hazardous due to snow-covered roads and reduced visibilities. Strong winds and heavy snow could result in downed trees, tree limbs and power lines which could lead to widespread power outages.

A mixture of rain and snow Saturday morning will become all snow after 2 p.m. The snow could be heavy at times with accumulation of 3 to 5 inches possible. The high Saturday will be near 41 during the day, and around 32 tonight. New snow accumulations of 4 to 8 inches are possible tonight, according to the NWS.

Recreational soccer games were canceled in Montclair on Saturday, as were other events such as Strut Your Mutt (rescheduled for Nov. 5) and Girls on the Run.

This is the first time the area has endured a real snow accumulation before Halloween since 1952.

Sunday will be partly sunny in the morning, gradually becoming sunny with a high near 44.

Halloween on Monday should be free of snow. The forecast calls for a partly sunny day with a high near 48 and calm winds. It will be a chilly evening for trick-or-treating, with a low around 35.

For the latest information on the storm, visit the National Weather Service website.

People are also advised to be cautious when traveling. Here's the latest news from New Jersey Transit:

• Visit njtransit.com prior to starting your trip for the latest travel information.  In the event of delays or service adjustments, NJ TRANSIT will provide the most current service information via the My Transit alert system, which delivers travel advisories for your specific trip to your cell phone, PDA or pager.  (If you are not yet a My Transit subscriber, we encourage you to sign up at www.njtransit.com.)  Service information is also available by calling (973) 275-5555 or from broadcast traffic reports.  
• Listen closely to public address announcements at stations for late-breaking service information.
• Build additional travel time into your trip to a station, terminal or bus stop.
• Stairs, flooring and platforms can be slippery, so please use caution when walking along wet surfaces or any outdoor surface exposed to the weather. Use extra care when boarding or exiting buses and trains.
• Report slippery or unsafe conditions to bus operators, train crews or NJ TRANSIT staff.