Shoppers dash for provisions amid forecasted blizzard

As snow flurries picked up their pace around 9:30 a.m., so did news of postponed weekend events and a mad dash to stores for snow supplies.

The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard advisory with a predicted 12-18 inches of snow for Ocean County.

This morning, shopping was brisk at home improvement centers Lowe's, Home Depot and Ken's Hardware, as customers piled in to buy ice melt, shovels and snow throwers to prepare for the storm.

Lest the pantries be bare, shoppers also dashed to supermarkets for the usual provisions of milk, eggs and bread. Fischer Shop Rite remained packed. Many of the stores were closed the day prior to the storm due to the Christmas holiday, acerbating the rush.

High school basketball tourment, the WOBM Christmas Classic, is now postponed until Tuesday, announced the radio station. The second round of boys and girls basketball was scheduled for today and tomorrow, and instead is scheduled to resume Tuesday.

Held at Toms River High School North and the Poland Spring Arena, the tournament has teams from throughout the state participating.

Schools themselves are on winter break. On Jan. 3, classes resume.

For more announcements of conditions and the status of scheduled events, follow us on twitter: @TomsRiverPatch