With Westfield under a winter storm watch, the Department of Public Works is prepared for the expected blizzard which will likely dump between a foot and a foot and a half of snow on the town.

Public Works Superintendent Claude Schaffer said the salt is loaded on the trucks and the plows are ready to be deployed. Thirty eight staffers are on standby and will be called in as soon as the snow starts falling upon the town and the roads need to be cleared.

"As soon as we get the word, we're out," he said.

Schaffer said the latest projections into his office has the snow starting after midnight tonight and lasting all day on Wednesday and ending between 1 and 2 a.m. on Thursday. The Weather Channel is projecting winds between 10 and 20 MPH during the day on Wednesday, which will likely causing white out conditions on the roads. The heaviest snow fall is being projected for Wednesday afternoon.

Schools Superintendent Margaret Dolan announced shortly before 8 p.m. that schools would be closed on Wednesday. No decision has been announced regarding Thursday.

Dolan's decision came after a day in which students and faculty said the schools were buzzing with anticipation of a snow day for the storm. Westfield was one of the later towns in Union County to announce a decision to close schools on Wednesday. In Clark, interim Schools Superintendent Renae LaPrete announced on Tuesday afternoon a decision to close her school system on Wednesday. Summit Schools Superintendent Nathan Parker announced a closure of his schools at 5 p.m. on Tuesday. The Scotch Plains-Fanwood schools and the Roselle schools have also announced closures as of 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

The Westfield High School Parent Teacher Student Organization said that the meeting they have scheduled for Wednesday evening is canceled if school is canceled. The meeting, which is will feature a presentation on the interaction between guidance counselors and students, will be rescheduled. No announcement has been made on the fate of Wednesday evening's hockey match between Westfield and Summit.

Schaffer is asking Westfield residents to keep their cars off the roads on Wednesday in order to make it easier for DPW crews to clear the streets. The street clearing procedure starts with the main roads in town, before heading off to secondary roads and then side streets.

"Be patient," Schaffer said is what he is advising residents on Wednesday.