Snow, Ice, Rain Pound Tri-State Area; System Will Last Into Thursday
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – They say March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb -- but even lions are tame and friendly once in a while.
So far, this month of March is not.
Snow transitioning to sleet and later rain Tuesday evening, leaving messy, slushy puddles on roads and sidewalks around the area. Rain was expected to continue off and on during the day Wednesday, but snow is expected to return on Thursday and could dump as much as 8 inches in parts of central and southern New Jersey, CBS2 Chief Meteorologist and Weather Producer Giorgio Panetta reported.
A winter weather advisory has been issued lasting until 5 a.m. Wednesday. But that's not the end.
Snow totals Tuesday topped off at less than an inch south of the city, but between 2 and 4 inches in some parts of the north and west, CBS2's Lonnie Quinn reported. Ice began to mix in with the snow after dark, and finally, rain predominated in the late night hours.
The front producing the storm is moving diagonally through the area, meaning rain will persist on Wednesday. Snow returns late Wednesday and Thursday, and 2 to 4 inches are expected in the city, with higher totals up to 8 inches to the south.
A new winter storm watch is in place for most of the Tri-State Area beginning Wednesday night.
EYE ON THE STORM: Forecast | Advisories & Radar | School Closings | Flight Delays
Delays were reported at area airports Tuesday evening. Flights at Newark Liberty International Airport were delayed 2 hours, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Flights leaving LaGuardia Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport were delayed an average of 15 minutes due to snow.
Meanwhile, snow-packed roads and low visibility combined with black ice created dangerous driving conditions across the area Tuesday evening.
More than 10,000 power customers also lost electricity Tuesday night. Public Service Electric & Gas customers in New Jersey reported 7,000 customers without power, Jersey Central Power and Light reported 3,000, and Con Edison reported 900.
CBS2's Lou Young was in Mobile2 along the Palisades Parkway in Bergen County, New Jersey, where he reported snow began falling around 3 p.m.
Motorists on the parkway were taking things slow as the snow fell, trying their best to make it to their destinations safely in the dangerous conditions.
The wintery conditions will make for slick spots for the morning commute so drivers are advised to take caution.
Cops in Orangetown were helping a stuck sedan off Route 9W as traffic crawled by in what seemed like the umpteenth winter storm of recent weeks.
The plows were back at that salt piles and the routine started again.
"Every couple of days it's more snow, and more shoveling," Rose Perez said.
On the Westchester side of the river, an epic back-up northbound on Route 9 from Irvington all the way to I-287. The snow brought homebound traffic to a crawl.
"I'm just going from Irvington to right down the road. An hour and twenty minutes. This is Irvington, Tarrytown. I've had it. I started to cry when I heard Thursday's weather forecast for another three to six inches. I'm done," Helen Volpe said.
The storm transitioned to slushy, cold-rain making it tough to move for pedestrians throughout the city as well as for drivers out on the roads. Rain hitting ice-ice clogged drains backed up in city streets and on highways.
Eastbound traffic on the Grand Central Parkway plowed through deepening puddles, but drivers actually find a certain amount of comfort in this.
"It washes away the snow and everything. We're tired of it," Richie Chin said.
As 1010 WINS' Kevin Rincon reported, patience is starting to wear thin, even with kids like Niko, who is tired of this winter weather.
"Cause it's freezing cold and I do not like getting wet," he said.
Akilah, who said she's usually a fan of snow, has had enough too.
"It's been great, but now we've had enough. We're ready for spring," she said.
But before we get to spring, we'll have to deal with more snow day later this week as another storm threatens to bring more of the white stuff to the Tri-State area.