NYC’s big snow day a W for Sanitation, major L for remote learning
After a weekend of record-breaking highs and toasty temperatures more akin to spring, New Yorkers woke up on Tuesday to a winter wonderland, courtesy of a blustery nor’easter.
The precipitation started as rain late Monday, turning into a wet wintry mix overnight before transforming into dusty snow in the early hours of the morning. By about 8 a.m., amid prime commuting hours for most, snow was falling across the Hudson Valley and parts of southwestern Connecticut at a rate of about 1–2 inches an hour, according to New York City Emergency Management.
The same snow bands from there shifted and then loomed over the NYC metro and Long Island areas, according to New York’s National Weather Service. The heaviest snowfall came between 8 and 11 a.m., making a trip into the office trickier and significantly more slippery than most days. Local leaders and officials across the East Coast, as a result, urged residents to avoid travel as much as possible early Tuesday.
“I really want to thank New Yorkers,” Mayor Adams told reporters as the storm began to wane. “They were not on the street. Cars were not out there. People were home enjoying their families, and I really want to thank New Yorkers for taking this seriously, because we did.”
Approximately 3.2 inches of snow coated Central Park by about 1 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.
Ahead of the storm, the city school system, the nation’s largest, announced it would switch to remote learning and close its buildings on Tuesday. While both students and teachers were able to avoid a snowy commute, their mornings were plagued with other issues. Public school students struggled to access the city’s remote learning system early Tuesday, a technical error Schools Chancellor David Banks blamed on IBM.
While the National Weather Service has since lifted winter storm warnings for Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island, a travel advisory issued early Tuesday remains in effect. The agency warned that as temperatures drop and snow melts, icy roads and sidewalks pose a potential risk.
Travel cancellations and delays
More than 1,500 flights nationwide were canceled and at least another 900 were delayed, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware.
“Due to severe weather in the Northeast, contact your airline for flight information prior to arriving at #EWR Airport,” Newark Liberty International Airport warned on social media.
Amtrak trains across the Northeast were also running on a modified schedule because of the storm.
The winter storm had little impact on the city’s subway, though the 1, B and L trains experienced some delays late in the morning.
“We will be running our regular weekday schedule on subways, buses, and @LIRR, and a slightly modified schedule on @MetroNorth,” the MTA said in a tweet.
PHOTOS: Blustery nor’easter dumps snow over New York City
Snow accumulation
By the day’s end, Central Park got just over 3 inches of snow accumulation. The last time more than 3 inches of snow fell there was Jan. 28–29, 2022.
Some of the highest snowfall totals were forecast for the northern suburbs of New York City and southwestern Connecticut, where 12 to 15 inches were possible, the NWS forecast.
Satellite imagery showed the massive nor’easter hovering over an expansive portion of New England as well as the tristate area before moving out to sea around 4 p.m. Despite the serious snowfall, the impacts of the storm are not expected to last.
“This is a fast-moving storm,” Christina Speciale, a meteorologist for the weather service in Albany said Monday, “so things should be cleared out by tomorrow afternoon.”
Road conditions and snow removal
Jessica Tisch, the city’s sanitation commissioner, confirmed Tuesday morning that all city streets had been cleared of snow with a first “full” pass of plowing.
“We got the streets, we got the bike lanes, we got the highways — we’re doing our thing,” she said. “We need property owners to do their thing as well — and that means four hours after the final flakes fall, we need all property owners to clear paths on the sidewalk in front of their property so that the sidewalks are safe and passable.”
With News Wire Services
