Snow Makes For Rough Commutes Across Tri-State Area
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Once again, snow and freezing rain fell throughout the day and into the evening across the Tri-State area Tuesday.
A winter weather advisory expired at 7 p.m. for most of New York City, northeast New Jersey and the north shore of Long Island and until 9 p.m. in southern Connecticut.
It's the fourth snowfall for the region in the last 10 days.
A bitter blast will follow the snow overnight. Tri-State Area residents will wake up Wednesday to a temperature of 22 degrees in the city, 14 in Westbury, 13 in Sayville, and 12 in Armonk.
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A total of 1.1 inches of snow was recorded at Central Park. Greenpoint, Brooklyn, saw 1.0 inches; Franklin Lakes, N.J., saw 3 inches; and Washingtonville, Orange County saw a shoe-engulfing 4.8 inches.
With an overnight low temperature in the mid-20s, there are renewed concerns about driving safety as roads freeze again. The National Weather Service also warned that drivers' visibility could be diminished by the snow and blustery winds.
Winter Weather Advisory In Effect As Snow Falls Across Tri-State Area
"You've got to be careful about the ice or whatever's underneath," Lakeisha Harrison-Vick, of Dover, N.Y., told CBS 2's Tony Aiello.
The back-to-back storms have created a big demand for winter weather supplies such as shovels, hand warmers and rock salt.
"How much rock salt?" said Brian Holden, an employee at Morristown Lumber and Supply Co. in New Jersey. "Pallets of it. Lots of rock salt. I can't even tell you how much because I don't know. It's that much rock salt."
Winter Weather Advisory In Effect As Snow Falls Across Tri-State Area
A run on snow gear is typically a good sign for hardware stores, although Steve Heisel, vice president of Morristown Lumber and Supply Co., is watching his supply of salt very carefully.
"Now, we're trying to get into a crunch-type situation where now trying to get rock salt is kind of difficult," he said. "Our suppliers are getting low."
The snow started falling across much of region at the start of the morning rush, slowing commuters.
Snow Falls Across Tri-State Area
"I went to pull over and bashed into the curb, so you have to go 10 miles per hour at the most," Rahway, N.J., driver Jennifer Tomaszewicz told CBS 2's Weijia Jiang.
"It's crazy," said commuter Joe Aripa. "It's dangerous."
The speed limit was lowered to 45 mph on the New Jersey Turnpike between the Delaware Memorial Bridge and the George Washington Bridge.
The speed limit was reduced to 50 mph on the Garden State Parkway between Stafford Township and the New York border.
Even if you weren't ready for the first storms of the season, AAA New York says prepping your car for these conditions is a must.
"It can be a life or death situation when you're stuck in the snow, when it's icy," said Robert Sinclair with AAA New York.
AAA recommends keeping the gas tank at least half full and topping off your windshield fluid. Be sure to check your wiper blades and battery and clean off your headlights.
The New York City Department of Sanitation issued a snow alert for Tuesday, meaning crews and plows were ready to treat snow-covered streets throughout the city.
The MTA also had snow and ice-busting equipment on standby to clear train tracks and buses will be equipped with tire chains.
NJ TRANSIT trains and buses were cross-honoring tickets all day. All NJ TRANSIT rail station waiting rooms will remain open through Wednesday.
The tracking website Flightaware.com estimates more than 300 flights were canceled nationwide Tuesday and more than 1,100 were delayed.
"I'm not a fan of winter," one woman told 1010 WINS' Glenn Schuck. "As I get older, I like it less."
"I don't like winter," another man told WCBS 880 Long Island Bureau Chief Mike Xirinachs.
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