Frigid Cold, Icy Conditions Remain As Tri-State Digs Out Of Winter Storm
LINDENHURST, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A strong winter storm made its way through the Tri-State area Saturday, with the highest snow totals registering east of New York City.
The storm that swept through the area Saturday had moved away from the shore as of Sunday morning, leaving residents to dig out in below-freezing conditions. As CBS2's John Marshall reported, temperatures are only expected to get up into the mid-20s throughout the day, with wind chill factors making it feel even colder.
Blustering winds and thick, heavy flakes made the streets of Long Island look more like the inside of a cloud, CBS2's Ali Bauman reported.
The snowstorm blanketed Patchogue in Suffolk County. Many people were busy shoveling, salting and brushing away the snow that just kept falling.
"Very bad, very bad, we come from Jamaica, Queens -- the road is not that clean and they didn't put enough salt traffic was very bad," Aslam Hossain said.
PHOTOS: Snow Blankets Tri-State Area Saturday
Suffolk County officials prepared for the worst, rolling out 175 pieces of snow equipment.
"The weather shifts, the wind shift, can easily turn into a 12 to 15 inch storm," Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said.
The totals weren't quite that high, but parts of Suffolk County saw up to 11 inches by the time the skies calmed.
In New Jersey, dozens of accidents and spin outs were reported across the state, as drivers dealt with tough conditions on the roads. The southern coast of the state was hit the hardest, with eight inches on the ground in parts of Atlantic County. Newark got up to five and a half inches.
CBS2's weather watchers recorded one of the highest totals of 8.5 inches along the Jersey shore.
New Jersey State Police said in a Facebook post authorities responded to 318 motor vehicle crashes and 536 "motorist aids" statewide from midnight until 11:59 p.m. on Saturday.
Despite some messy roads Saturday night, some New Jersey residents reveled in the snow, heading out to local parks Sunday for a day of sledding.
More: Best Sledding Spots In NYC
At Thompson Park in central New Jersey, adults and children alike took on Devil's Hill, one of the more celebrated sledding locations in the area.
"I'm a kid at heart, and just I love this," one 53-year-old man told WCBS 880's Kelly Waldron. "It just brings you back to your childhood."
In New York City, more than 1,500 snow plows and 670 salt spreaders were out, plowing snow from the streets across the five boroughs. Some mains roads, like Northern Boulevard in Queens, were in decent shape, but smaller side roads were still covered in snow.
The city made changes after January 2016's record-setting blizzard dumped nearly three feet of snow on the city. The Department of Sanitation now uses more small plows to hit tight side streets, and uses GPS to make sure all roads get hit.
"We will keep track of all of the folks who call into 311 to see if there are any clusters," Kathryn Garcia, DSNY commissioner, said. "All roads are treated equally."
The city now has an app and website called Plow NYC where you can track the progress of snow cleanup in real time.
If you are heading out to shovel today, be careful -- doctors warn that freezing cold conditions can pose risk for heart attacks for those who live more sedentary lifestyles, have high cholesterol, high blood pressure or heart disease.
