New York Weather: Plows, Power Crews Work To Clean Up Heavy, Wet Snow
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – Tri-State Area residents woke up to measurable snow Monday.
For many, it was the most significant of the season.
MORE: Check The Forecast | School Closings | Survival Guide
New York City public schools were closed, along with dozens across the area. City schools will reopen Tuesday, the mayor tweeted.
The city's sanitation department had 1,600 plows and nearly 700 salt spreaders treating the roads.
Web Extra: NYC OEM Assistant Commissioner Shares Update On Storm Cleanup
"We're monitoring the situation as we get through the morning commute, but I think the city was pretty lucky. The storm could have gone one of two ways, and I think we fared the best we could," Office of Emergency Management Assistant Commissioner Jonathan Jenkins told CBS2.
"Be careful. It's slippery, it's wet," he added. "So far, so good. Just give yourself extra time this morning."
Watch: CBS2's Janelle Burrell In Downtown Brooklyn
CBS2's Janelle Burrell spoke with commuters in Downtown Brooklyn, where things were unusually quiet for the morning rush.
Shane McGrane, of Long Island, was headed for the slopes. "It's a little slushy out here, but I'm really looking forward to hopefully getting some fresh powder when I get to the mountains," he said.
Watch: CBS2's Tony Aiello In New Rochelle
Areas north and west of the city saw up to 10 inches of accumulation, with some of the highest totals in Danbury, Conn., Highland Lakes, N.J. and Spring Valley, N.Y.
A good example of heavy and wet the snow proved to be? A Skid Steer being used to scoop snow at a New Rochelle car dealership tipped over as it tried to empty a load on the median of Palmer Road.
Three attempts to pull the vehicle back down ended with the strap breaking.
Eventually, workers decided to shovel the snow out from the bucket, and a worker fired up the unit and moved the arms until the wheels returned to the ground.
"Unfortunately, it happed, but thank God nobody got hurt. We're good," he said.
The heavy snow also took down tree limbs and power lines. One fallen limb caused power to fail at 17 homes in Mount Vernon.
"What's your message to Con Ed?" CBS2's Tony Aiello asked.
"Get it back on. It's very, very cold. Our refrigerators are packed. We don't want to waste food," said resident Sharon McKay.
Watch: CBS2's Aundrea Cline-Thomas In Tarrytown
CBS2's Aundrea Cline-Thomas heard from a public works plow driver in Tarrytown, where crews worked around the clock to keep the roads clear.
"At times we couldn't see when we were plowing the roads. As of right now, the main roads look pretty good, they're all black, wet. Secondary roads a little iffy, a little slushy," said Joseph Apollonio. "We have a full crew out, we've been out since 8-o-clock last night and we're still going."
Commuter Kevin Giblin said their hard work paid off.
"The roads look great. I see the blacktop, doesn't seem too icy out either. So I think on the roads it's going to be pretty good this morning. But as far as walking, some of the sidewalks aren't too well kept, but I understand because it just got over," he said. "So far it looks like a good morning, hopefully it's an easy commute for everyone."
Watch: CBS2's Jennifer McLogan In Mineola
Those who CBS2's Jennifer McLogan spoke with at the LIRR station in Mineola were impressed with the cleanup, too.
"Not as bad as I thought it would be. So go MTA, go everyone," said Matt Duffy, of Garden City. "What I think they need to be concerned about now is the ice. That will be the problem. Hopefully by tomorrow, we won't have any delays."
Sabine Victome was dropping off her son, who missed his plane and had to catch a train back to school.
"The driving was fine. They cleaned up the roads pretty well," she said.
Watch: CBS2's Jenna DeAngelis In Morristown
While driving conditions were better than expected, thousands of people were left without power. As of 7 a.m., roughly 10,000 customers were in the dark across New Jersey. Another 2,000 were affected in Westchester County.
Reporting Power Outages
New York:
New Jersey:
Connecticut:
LaGuardia, John F. Kennedy International and Newark Liberty International airports reported dozens of cancelations Monday. Travelers should check with their carriers and leave extra time.
Travel Delays
- Links To Specific Airline Websites
- FAA Flight Delay Information
- LaGuardia Airport (LGA) Delays | Airport Website
- John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) Delays | Airport Website
- Newark Airport (EWR) Delays | Airport Website
- MacArthur Airport Website
- Teterboro Airport Website
- Westchester County Airport Website
- TSA Travel Tips
- CBS News Interactive: U.S. Airport Tracker
Next, icing will be a concern as temperatures drop below freezing.
