State of Emergency Declared in NJ

New Jerseyans got an unwelcome early taste of winter on Saturday as a massive nor'easter socked the state with rain and snow, leaving more than 500,000 utility customers without power and spurring Gov. Chris Christie to declare a statewide state of emergency.

The governor himself was among those without power Saturday night. Also affected were two northern New Jersey hospitals that have been operating on generators.

“It's dark and it's cold. It's just me and (his youngest daughter) Bridget, and we're sitting in the dark,” the governor told The Associated Press in a telephone interview Saturday night moments after declaring a state of emergency for the entire state.

Northern Jersey has been the hardest area, with more than 4 inches of snow reported in some spots. And forecasters say the area could see up to a foot of snow by late Saturday night, with 2 to 6 inches expected in central Jersey.

A snow emergency had been declared in Essex County, where authorities said numerous utility poles and power lines had been knocked down.

“Our main roads are in good shape, but the big problem we have is a lot of power lines and (utility) poles down due to the snow and winds,” county Sheriff Armando Fontoura said early Saturday night. “The plows are having trouble getting through in some spots, so we want to get the cars off the roads so the plows can maneuver through.”

Many residents said that even though they knew a storm was coming, the severity caught them by surprise.

“This is absolutely a lot more snow than I expected to see today. I can't believe it's not even Halloween and it's snowing already,” Carole Shepherd said shortly after shoveling the driveway at her home in Washington Township, Warren County. ``I would do one area and then move on to another one and, by the time I finished (shoveling) that area, the one I did previously already had another inch or so of accumulation.”

The messy conditions also spurred officials to reduce speed limits on some major highways, including the New Jersey Turnpike. But officials said traffic was moving normally in most areas, though drivers appeared to be using more caution than usual.

The slick roads didn't deter Fabio Bogado from keeping his pizzeria open in the Warren County town of Washington Borough. He had a steady stream of delivery orders during the day, though he warned customers that instead of a 30-minute delivery time, it would likely take an hour for them to get their pizzas.

“My three drivers say the main roads are pretty good, but you have to be careful on the side roads,” Bogado said. “People realize the conditions are bad, and they're thankful that we're willing to come out to them. We'll keep delivering as long as the conditions don't get too bad.”

Forecasters said the bulk of the storm was expected to pass through most of the state by 9 p.m. Saturday, though some snow and mixed precipitation could continue through early Sunday.