Snow Update: Christie Declares State of Emergency; Advisory from Alex Torpey; NJ Transit Service Suspended

7:30 Update:  Governor Chris Christie has declared a .

6:30 Update:  Residents are reporting that PSE&G's emergency call line has been getting a busy signal for several hours now.

4:45 Update:  Alex Torpey tells Patch that residents should stay off the roads.  "Lots and lots of trees are down," Alex Torpey said while at the .  "Maybe even more than the hurricane."

4:20 Update: Paul Walker, a senior meteorologist for AccuWeather.com, told Patch’s Joshua Wilwohl by phone that the New York metropolitan area and New Jersey will see rain with a mix of snow through Saturday night, "We could be looking at a coating of an inch or two in (New York and Newark, New Jersey's largest city)."

He said areas in New Jersey, around the Interstate 287 corridor, including Essex County, could see between 3 to 6 inches of snow. Areas further north and west of I-287 could get between 6 and 12 inches, according to Walker.

Walker said accrued snow on tree leaves and limbs, combined with winds between 45 and 50 mph, likely resulted in downed power lines, causing the outages.

Walker said the snow should end by early Sunday morning, "It's quickly traveling up the Eastern Seaboard and we'll see clearing skies."

He said Sunday's forecast is chilly, but sunny with a high of 47 and a low of 38. Monday's Halloween forecast calls for a partly sunny day with a high of 50 and a low of 42.

3:00 Update:  Village President Alex Torpey has posted important snow information for South Orange residents here.  If you see a tree down, please report it to the Police Department at 973 763 3000. If there are downed wires involved, make sure to mention that to the Police Department, stay clear of the area (assume all downed wires are live) and notify PSEG here or call 1-800-436-7734.  If there is an emergency present do not hesitate to call 9-1-1.

2:15 Update: The South Orange Public Library will be closing at 2:30 today, Saturday Oct.29, due to the inclement weather.

2:00 Update; South Orange Avenue is reported closed through the Reservation (the "S" curves). 

2 p.m. NJ TRANSIT UPDATE:  Morris & Essex Line, Gladstone Branch, and Montclair Branch service is suspended in both directions due to weather-related problems. Northeast Corridor and North Jersey Coast Line service is subject to 30-minute delays in/out of New York due to signal problems. Cross honoring on NJT bus and PATH.

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.

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.