City in New York state gets nearly 3 feet of snow

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. -- Much of the Northeast woke up Wednesday beneath a thick blanket of snow. 

The totals may have underwhelmed in the big cities near the coast-- but not to the west. Some 20.3 inches fell in Vernon, New Jersey, 26.2 in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, and 22 in Syracuse, New York. 

But they got more than that in Binghamton, N.Y. Cars were either stuck or buried in snow across the city. 

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said the Binghamton area was one of the hardest hit by Tuesday’s nor’easter. Cuomo went to Binghamton on Wednesday and said he was sending over 100 plows and 100 members of the National Guard as people started to dig out.

With snow still falling in Binghamton, emergency crews toiled around the clock to dig out from a blizzard that dumped nearly three feet of snow. 

Dozens of drivers were stranded -- even a plowtruck, and the National Guard was activated. 

“Mother Nature is an unpredictable lady,” Cuomo said. “I don’t know what we did to offend her but she is showing us her wintery fury.”

The storm that blanketed central New York largely missed most major cities across the Northeast. Predictions of up to 16-20 inches of snow did not pan out, leading to provocative headlines. 

In Binghamton, postmaster Lorna Millers’ crew did not deliver mail yesterday -- for the first time in 25 years. Service resumed Wednesday, even though the delivery trucks had to be dug out.  

“Our job is to serve the customers,” she said. “That’’s what our logo is. That’s what our commitment is, and it’s very disappointing if we can’t get to them.”

Across the city, at least 50 percent of the 100,000 mailboxes are buried in snow. The area is about to hit an all-time seasonal snowfall record. For the season, it’s about to hit 128 inches.