Westfield residents are out and about shopping, shoveling and frolicikng Sunday in the over six inches of snow which came in the winter storm which pummeled the Mid-Atlantic region Saturday. While the National Weather Service predicted an additional inch of snow on Sunday, residents ignored the predictions, which did not appear,  to enjoy a snow swept winter day.

Most of the snow has been cleared from the roads Sunday by town public works crews, with all main and secondary roads being driveable. Downtown parking lots remained packed Sunday afternoon with shoppers going in and out of downtown stores. Echo Lake Park is jammed with sledders, with more children sledding on the hill in front of Wilson School and in Mindowaskin Park. Children were seen throwing snow balls in Wychwood while many residents of this neighborhood were outside walking in the winter wonderland setting.

Mayor Andy Skibitsky was monitoring town snow removal efforts while attending to his own shoveling in front of his home on the south side of town Sunday afternoon. The town's First Family spent most of the snow day making gingerbread homes.

A car was seen sitting stuck in snow along Saint Marks Avenue with the driver seeking assistance from nearby homeowners to dig the SUV out of the snow. Residents seeking to warm up have jammed Starbucks Sunday. Starbucks also saw a large crowd for most of Saturday afternoon before many fled to their homes around 4 p.m. on Saturday as the snow fall became heavier.

Snow accumulation totals taken by Westfield Patch at points in the Gardens, show six inches of snow on the ground.

The National Weather Service is predicting intermittent snow showers for Westfield during the day on Sunday. Winds of up to 30 MPH are projected for the town, which when combined with the soft powder on the ground, could cause small scale white out conditions for drivers. Residents are asked to drive with caution.

The Department of Public Works mobilized 35 staffers to man plows and salt trucks during the height of the storm. The town had the staffers on call in order to get the snow removal process started as quickly as possible in the middle of the night to allow residents and emergency crews to access the town.

The storm started early Saturday afternoon and ended Sunday morning, with heaviest accumulations ending between 2 and 3 a.m. Once the snow started falling, residents quickly cleared out of the downtown with residents seeking to sit out the storm in the warmth of home. The combinations of heavy wind and snow were causing small scale white out conditions in several residential neighborhoods.

Some holiday shoppers continued to be seen downtown grabbing items on the last Saturday before Christmas, but the retail business district was mainly empty as the snow became heavier on Saturday afternoon. Many downtown stores remained open as the snow fell in the early evening, looking for one last customer before the storm hit full steam.

South Jersey was hit with between 10 and 16 inches of snow during the heaviest parts of the storm earlier today. North Jersey saw the same accumulation as the storm, which has buried Washington, Baltimore and Raleigh, worked its way up the coast on a path towards Boston and the rest of New England. 

Westfield High School swimming officials have announced that the highly anticipated swim meet against Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School, originally scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday night, will be postponed until Tuesday because of the storm. The meet is scheduled to feature an annual rivalry between the two high school and their award winning swimming programs.

The holiday indoor track meet scheduled for Saturday at Drew University in Madison, with Westfield High School competing, was held. Events during the meet were combined to get teams, which hailed from several northern counties, out before the heaviest part of the storm.

The holiday choral concert scheduled for Sunday evening at the Presbyterian Church will continue, according to Rev. Ray Roberts, the church's pastor.

State emergency management officials are continuing to ask residents to avoid major roads, as state transportation officials continue to clear snow and salt the roads. The state Turnpike Authority has indicated that finishing the clearing of the Garden State Parkway and the Turnpike continues on Sunday.

Acting Gov. Dick Codey has announced that he is delaying today's bill signing ceremony for the state's Silver Alert bill, which would create an Amber Alert like system for missing elderly persons with dementia. Codey, the president of the state Senate, is serving as acting governor while Gov. Jon Corzine is outside of the state.

Weather Information

Of course we'll be updating you throughout the day on how the snow is impacting Westfield, but in case you need the most immediate information on travel conditions, power outages, and more, here's some links to where to go.

Power Outages

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.

Travel Conditions

For the latest on accidents, weather restrictions and more, head to the state Department of Transportation's Web site, NJCommuter.com. The site maps accidents, congestion, detours and more. Video from the roads is also available.

NJTransit also says it will be updating its Web site throughout the day with the latest info. Buses, train cars and locomotives have all been winterized for the season, according to the site. Right now, NJTransit is operating on a regular weekend schedule.

Accidents or Other Public Safety Concerns

If you are in an emergency, remember to call 911. The Westfield Police Department's non-emergency number is 908-789-4000.

Remember to stay tuned to Patch throughout the storm for the latest information. If you see something going on, let us know at johnc@patch.com or by phone at 908-591-9351.