Temperatures fall well below freezing, but New Yorkers say they're making the most of winter
NEW YORK -- New York City and the surrounding area woke up to freezing cold temperatures Wednesday morning and it didn't get much warmer as the day progressed.
Any snow or slush left on the ground from Monday's storm quickly froze, creating black ice on streets and sidewalks.
Temperatures stayed well below freezing, with highs in the 20s and wind chills in the teens.
New York City public schools were open, but several New Jersey schools had delayed openings.
A "code blue" was activated in the city, meaning shelters were to remain open for 24 hours, along with other warming centers.
CBS New York's Tony Sadiku caught up with people Wednesday morning around Columbus Circle. He found a group from New York Road Runners getting ready for a chilly run.
"The cold doesn't scare me at all, I'm actually originally from Finland. So this is nothing," one woman said.
Another person agreed it was time the city saw some winter weather.
"If we get it for like a week, we can handle it, and it's like the beauty of New York City. And if we don't have it, I don't think New York would be New York, because it's beautiful to have a winter wonderland and have the kids go out and play in the snow," said Nazila Jarrahian.
Many people had to layer up and get creative to stay warm Wednesday.
CBS New York's Lisa Rozner went on a rooftop on West 25th Street near Sixth Avenue in Chelsea, where there was a beautiful skyline view from the 39th floor at the spot called "Somewhere Nowhere."
She was just one of several New Yorkers who found ways to keep warm on the job.
Temperatures in the 20s were not a problem for food cart vendor Mohamed Ali, because he was sandwiched between lots of hot coffee and a grill. He said he didn't need a coat.
"This swoosh car has grill and coffee machine, so I'm in the middle but my feet are frozen," Ali said.
Some people getting around by foot had to take it slow.
"It's nasty," one person said. "Yes, I don't want to slip."
The fountain at Bryant Park wasn't completely frozen, but it seemed like just a matter of time. The bumper cars at the winter village were busy and so was the ice skating rink. Surprisingly, some braved it in just hoodies.
"First time seeing ice. It's interesting how sun and ice can survive together," said Karina Miranda, who was visiting from Brazil.
"I like the trees. I love so much this weather and I just never seen that ever," 7-year-old Isabella Miranda added.
Meanwhile, CBS New York's Christina Fan was in Mobile 2 checking on road conditions in New Jersey.
She spoke with one driver who stopped to pump up his tires at a Wawa in North Bergen.
"I noticed that I had low air pressure because the temperature drop, so I just came to fill it up just to be safe," he said.
"I live in Mahwah so around here it's really not that bad, in Mahwah it was bad," said another person. "If you go like 30 mph, you'll start sliding. It was that bad."
"Yesterday on Tonelle, especially down there, it wasn't even plowed or anything. And then the day before, I actually slipped on some black ice," another person added.
See our Winter Survival Guide and stick with our First Alert Weather team for the latest forecast.
