Relief, Disappointment After Minor Snowfall

A wintry mix of relief and disappointment swept across Chatham Saturday when snowfall levels fell far below their predicted amount.

 Although forecasters warned that northern New Jersey could potentially rack up to two feet of snow, barely two inches fell upon Chatham.

 David Whitman, from Chatham, who was walking his dog, Sadie, around the field at Washington Avenue Elementary School, was frustrated that winter wasn't living up to its reputation.

"I had been hopeful that we would have gotten at least a foot because I like it, it's great. It's winter. This is a little disappointing because it's only a couple of inches," he said.

Ed Fischer, from Chatham, shared his sentiments.

"I love it. I wish we had ten times more," he said. "If it's gonna be winter, it might as well snow."

Adults took the light dusting harder than kids, who snowboarded and sledded despite the thin covering.

Bella Marshall, 11, and Tony Devio, 10, both from Chatham, didn't let the little snow fall stop them from having fun. They spent the afternoon snowboarding down the hill at Washington Avenue Elementary.

"I like [the snow]," Marshall said. "It was good and slippery."

Shop owners around Chatham, who had been anticipating a drop in business because of the storm, were happily surprised that the snowstorm was a bust.

"It's good for business because it doesn't interrupt. So far only two clients cancelled. It's nice when things keep going," said Lisa Widocki, who owns Les Cheveux on Main St.

Lewis Demeter, who owns Chatham Bakery with his wife, Julianne, agreed.

"I'm glad it is what it is because it helps business," he said.

He added, "It makes it easier to drive. If it's really bad, nobody comes in. Thank God it's not that bad—it makes it easier for the people."

By 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, snowplows had already cleared Main Street, which remained snow-free for the rest of the day. An operator for Service Magic, an agency based in Colorado that connects people to snow plowers all over the country, said that the agency got 1500 calls for snow removal around Chatham Saturday.

"All I can say is they're very, very busy. People panic, two inches, and it's like too much," he said.

For the most part, however, people went with the flow. Barbara Powers, from Chatham, spent the afternoon shoveling her driveway with her son Jack, 7,  and daughter Tess, 5.

"It would have been fun for the kids to have more snow to play in," she said. "But any snow they're happy to be playing in."