UPDATE: Numbers of Power Outages Slowly Going Down

A pre-Halloween snowstorm had left about 8,800 Basking Ridge households without power as of Saturday evening resulted in work all over the Somerset Hills on Sunday to remove trees and repair power lines. As of about 6 p.m. on Sunday, more than a day after power first went out for many residents, the number of JCP&L customers reported to be without service in Basking Ridge had declined to 3,660.

The number in Bernardsville, which earlier in the day had been up to more than 3,300 households, was at 2,330 as of just about 6 p.m., according to JCP&L's power outage map.

At the same time, another 120 outages were reported by JCP&L within Liberty Corner Village, an increase from earlier in the day. In Bernardsville, almost 3,300 homes suffered a persistent deja vu of again having trees down and power out in their neighborhoods. Five customers were reported without power in Gladstone, 853 in Bedminster and 190 in Peapack.

The map said 616 homes in tiny Far Hills Borough were without power as of about 6 p.m. But Far Hills Police Chief Kenneth Hartman earlier noted that he believed the outage numbers in Far Hills Borough itself are inflated because some surrounding municipalities (including Bernards Township) have sections with Far Hills mailing addresses.

As of Sunday morning, power had been restored in the Bernard Drive-Governor Drive area, as well as the Martinsville Road and Riverwalk area, said Sgt. Mike Shimsky, who is the Bernards Township coordinator of the Office of Emergency Management.

And although some previously closed roads were open — with previously closed Stone House Road and Finley Avenue again cleared — Shimsky said officials still are asking residents to minimize driving. "People should continue to refrain from driving until everything is cleared up," he said shortly before 9:30 a.m. on Sunday.

Power companies said to be in 'storm mode'

"There are numerous power failures effecting the township and area. Residents should be prepared to be without power for at least 24 hours. Both power companies are in “storm mode,” Police Sgt. Mike Shimsky, coordinator of the township Office of Emergency Management reported as of about 9:15 p.m.

No shelters are set up at this time and the Red Cross is advising for people to remain sheltered in place based on the forecast for milder weather tomorrow, Shimsky said.

The day's precipitation, mixed with rain, created a heavy snow that clung to trees, many still with their leaves, prompting another rash of outages that even outnumbered the 5,500-plus homes affected by Hurricane Irene on Aug. 28.

Township Deputy Mayor Mary Pavlini said that she arrived home at about 3:30 p.m. to find the power out in her home off Martinsville Road, and it hadn't yet returned as of after 8:30 p.m.

A resident's tale

One Lyons resident, Marie Castronuovo, said that after hours without power, as the house grew cold, she and her family headed over to her mother's house in Berkeley Heights.

The trip took over an hour, with downed trees all over Basking Ridge and even on Route 78, Castronuovo said.

"We walked into my mother's house, and two minutes later the lights went out," she said. That was at about 9 p.m., and the family had decided to head back to Basking Ridge.

She said one gas fireplace upstairs might keep that part of the house warm.

Pavlini said that as far as she knew other Township Committee members around the town also were in neighborhoods without power.

Pavlini said she knew that Mayor John Malay had been in touch with state Sen. Jon Bramnick's office (R-District 21) but she hadn't been in contact with him for a few hours.

She said the power outages were widespread all over the township.

Township police reported that roads remained in "rough" condition right before 9 p.m. and power lines and trees were down everywhere.

Dozens of accidents were reported all day in the area covered by State Police at Somerville barracks, which includes interstates 78 and 287 north through the Bernards Township/Bernardsville area.

"There's been no improvement," state police reported as of shortly after 10 p.m. Tree debris had been removed from highways in the area of Bernards Township at that time, but road crews still were at work clearing Route 287 to the north, a trooper said.

Shimsky said that as of about 9:15 p.m. on Saturday, the following roads were closed due to downed power lines:

• Lake Road between Brook Ridge and S. Finley Ave.
• South Finley Ave. between Lake Road and Collyer Lane
• Mount Airy Road between Lyons and Valley Road
• Mountain Road between Martinsville and Long
• Somerville Road into Bridgewater Township.

Many roads have protruding branches and brush encroaching into travel lanes, requiring motorists to be alert, Shimsky said.

During the day,

The snow could continue until 2 a.m., according to the national weather service. Basking Ridge and nothern Somerset County residents woke to heavy rains, but soon inches of the white stuff began piling up on laws, making roads slick — and dropping on trees. The snow started first the morning on the top of the hill in The Hills — as it always does.

The storm resulted in the cancellation of Safe Trick of Treat in downtown Basking Ridge, and the , both planned to begin mid-day on Saturday.

The township's "bond-fire," set to recognize the payoff of the township's final municipal debt, has been rescheduled from Saturday evening until 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, according to an official announcement by Township Clerk Denise Szabo.

The Somerset Hills YMCA also announced it has closed, and is rescheduled to reopen at 7 a.m. on Sunday. Please check the YMCA website for updates.

With winds and wet snow placing a heavy burden on trees still filled with leaves,

The National Weather Service had issued a winter storm warning for parts of Northern New Jersey, including Somerset County, from Saturday at 8 a.m. until Sunday at 2 a.m.

As of about 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, the National Weather Service said the Basking Ridge area would receive snow until about 2 a.m., with a low temperature of around 28 degrees and some wind gusts as high as 30 miles per hour. Total nighttime snow accumulation of two to four inches is possible, the weather service said.

Sunday's prediction was for sunshine with a high near 44 degrees, and a north wind between 9 to 15 miles per hour, with gusts as high as 28 miles per hour.