Autumn 2020, meet winter. Ice and fallen leaves shared space alongside Harding Road in Red Bank Wednesday afternoon as the first flakes of an expected snowstorm began coming down.

The National Weather Service dialed back its snow accumulation forecast for the area that includes the Greater Red Bank Green to about three inches by late Thursday morning. It had earlier forecast a total of four or five inches.

Still, with a “significant winter storm” expected to hit northern part of the state with higher totals, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency beginning at 2 p.m. one hour after an early release of state government employees.

(redbankgreen photo.  Click to enlarge.)