Winter Storm Blankets Tri-State With Snow; Black Ice Remains A Concern
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Plows were out in force Friday during the second part of what was a slow-moving winter storm that blanketed the Tri-State Area with snow.
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Those plows were also racing to clear the roads Friday night because of ripe conditions for black ice.
The storm left behind some significant snow totals for parts of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
In New York, Kent Cliffs received 15.5 inches of snow while Chappaqua was hit with 12.5 inches and the Bronx 7 inches.
In New Jersey, Highland Lakes was impacted with 11.8 inches, West Paterson saw 9.5 inches and Harrison got 7.8 inches.
In Connecticut, Newtown got 13.1 inches of snow, Shelton received 13 inches and New Fairfield dealt with 12 inches.
The end of the storm was expected to give way to sunny skies and temperatures near 50 degrees for both Saturday and Sunday. Temperatures on Monday are expected to be near 60 degrees.
The winter storm of the last few days left its mark. All county buildings were closed in Putnam County on Friday.
New York City suspended alternate side parking regulations to facilitate snow removal. Meters and other parking regulations remained in effect.
Westchester County Digging Out
Many schools also delayed their start times Friday by one to two hours. Some schools in Westchester and Rockland County as well as a few schools in Conn. and New Jersey were closed.
Interstate 95 northbound in Clinton was closed for several hours before reopening Friday morning because of a jackknifed tractor-trailer. Several other highway accidents were reported.
Stuck after a spin-out on the Saw Mill River Parkway, Howard de la Cruz said he regretted not taking the dangers of the storm more seriously.
"I'm just glad it was a little empty out here. I'm okay right now. It's very dangerous. People gotta be very careful on the roads out here," de la Cruz told CBS 2's Tony Aiello.
The very wet snow caused some slippery road conditions for most of the Tri-State area Friday. In Thornwood, drivers struggled to keep control of their cars on slick, slushy and slippery roads.
Keep It Slow And Steady
"I spun out a lot. I don't have four-wheel drive, so it's been pretty rough for me," said driver Scott Miozei.
Much of Westchester County was digging out of nearly a foot of snow.
"It's a little sticky, like wet," said Mario Escobar. "You lift the shovel, it's heavy and when you throw it, it's coming back into the shovel."
One plow driver told WCBS 880's Sean Adams that it takes time to get the roads cleared.
"We're out here to service the public," he said. "Unfortunately, they (drivers) don't realize that and they play games with us. They get close to us, they come around us. They don't give us a chance and all we need is a few minutes just to get the road clear."
On Long Island, the snow was heavy and wet, but manageable, according to one plow operator.
"It's not too bad. You know, this actually cleans up better, this wet stuff, because it comes right off the road," he told WCBS 880 Long Island Bureau Chief Mike Xirinachs.
Manageable Snow On Long Island
He said last month's blizzard was simply out of control.
"That was unplowable," he said.
Parts of storm-battered Suffolk County were ready, armed with high-tech military-style snow plows.
Winter Storm Blankets Much Of Tri-State With Heavy, Wet Snow
In New Jersey, road crews were out treating major highways and the snow was mainly sticking on the grass. However, motorists were urged to use caution because of slick spots.
Winter Strikes Again
Along streets from Essex County to Morris County, it was at least one more time pushing snow blowers and shovels.
"I'm so sick of this winter," one man told WCBS 880 reporter Levon Putney.
NJ TRANSIT was cross-honoring rail and bus tickets throughout the day.
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