Rapid snow melt a concern for residents in northern suburbs of New York City
MONROE, N.Y. -- As people across the Tri-State Area dig out from the snow, some towns are now looking ahead to another concern: the effects of a rapid warm-up.
Some of the sidewalks in the Orange County were still buried on Tuesday night, but the streets in Monroe were clear. That doesn't mean driving was easy, because the wind was creating hazardous conditions.
The rumble of snow blowers and the scraping of shovels was the soundtrack of Monroe, where the National Weather Service reported 15 inches of snow in one part of town.
Edwin Vargas' neighborhood didn't see that much, but it was enough to keep him busy.
When asked what the road conditions were like, Vargas said, "I wouldn't even know because I have not been driving. When I came home last night I stayed home and, yes, I wouldn't even know."
And Monroe Mayor Neil Dwyer warned those who were on the roads to take their time.
"As far as the winds, that's gonna be a challenge tonight. There's a lot of heavy snow on these trees," Dwyer said.
In Brooklyn, ferry service to the Bay Ridge landing was suspended Tuesday night due to the wind. And on the Verrazano Bridge, there was a temporary ban on tractor trailers, minibuses and motorcycles.
In the Bronx, the weather caused a tree to topple onto Efrian Nieves' car on Tuesday morning.
"A little angry, a little sad. It's a little emotional, but, you know, it can be replaced, God willing. Everything went smooth and that's all that matters," Nieves said.
Back in Orange County, Dwyer said another challenge lies ahead, when warmer temperatures melt all of the snow.
"It's going to melt real quickly and that's going to overburden some of our catch basins and things like that, so we have to be really monitoring that," Dwyer said.
New York State Police say it has responded to 350 storm-related crashes across the state.