By: Richard L. Smith
My friends and family in Newark and the North Jersey region are waking up to a winter wonderland this Saturday morning. Several inches of snow blanketed the city overnight.
The National Weather Service reported heavy snowfall in the early hours, covering cars, roofs, and sidewalks in a thick layer of white – a picturesque but frigid start to the weekend.
At 5:30 a.m., temperatures hovered at 31 degrees in Newark, with even colder conditions recorded elsewhere in North Jersey.
Sparta registered 27 degrees, Morristown sat at 29, and parts of Passaic County dipped to a brisk 25 degrees.
According to the National Weather Service, snow is expected to taper off by 7 a.m., and the day's high will reach 34 degrees. However, wind chill values will make it feel much colder—between 20 and 25 degrees.
Northwest winds of 9 to 17 mph, with gusts up to 34 mph, will keep conditions blustery throughout the day.
As Saturday night sets in, skies will clear, but temperatures are predicted to drop sharply to 17 degrees. Wind chill values could plummet further, ranging between 5 and 10 degrees by Sunday morning.
For those planning to venture outside, bundling up! 
The National Weather Service warns that the brutal cold will persist, making for an icy and potentially hazardous weekend across the region.