Scotch Plains Digs Its Way Out of the Snow

Now that the storm has passed, it's time to start shoveling.

Residents throughout the area are spending their mornings digging their driveways out from the snow. Meanwhile, children are making the most of the piles, making snow angels and having snow ball fights.

The snow started falling on Saturday around 1 p.m., and didn't slow down until the early hours. Inch counts vary throughout town, but most places saw at least 6 inches. Be sure to send us the measurement from your home by e-mailing lindsay@patch.com.

Things were relatively quiet in Scotch Plains for most of the night.

Scotch Plains police told Patch around 1 a.m. this morning that they'd had no accidents reported yet.

"Everybody's staying off the roads," the dispatcher said.

Public works crews were out all night clearing the roads for traffic. Director Kevin Ward said that a few members of his crew started salting main roads around dinnertime, then headed out a few hours later to start plowing. 

Most county roads in the township, including Park Avenue, were cleared off and salted at 2 a.m. Patch was out with public works early this morning as they worked to clean the streets.

The forecast for the rest of Sunday seems to consist mostly of blowing snow. The National Weather Service states that the Scotch Plains-Fanwood area should see highs of about 28 degrees, with northwest winds around 16 miles per hour.

The New Jersey Department of Transportation reports no serious traffic accidents and all major roads are open, including the parkway, although they advise motorists to use extreme caution given the potential for icy spots, and to allow extra time to reach your destination. Click here for their map.

All three New York area airports are open, but many airlines have canceled or delayed flights, so call ahead if you're considering traveling by plane today.

New Jersey Transit is showing delays on several rail lines due to the weather. Check here to see their latest updates. Buses in particular are facing delays, due to snow on residential streets. The transit system is cross-honoring rail and bus passes.

No power outages are known in the area, according to PSE&G's Web site. PSE&G operates an outage map on its Web site that tracks where outages are in New Jersey and how many people they've affected. There is also a link on the page to report outages yourself.

If you are in an emergency, remember to call 911. The Scotch Plains Police Department's non-emergency number is 908-322-7100. Fanwood's Police Department can be reached at 908-322-5000.