x
  1. Home
  2.  News
  3.  Local News

The Blizzard that wasn’t

| 14 Mar 2017 | 01:04
    Kathryn Buck took a break from clearing snow from the walkway in front of her West 23 Street building on Tuesday morning.  Photo: Genia Gould
    Kathryn Buck took a break from clearing snow from the walkway in front of her West 23 Street building on Tuesday morning.  Photo: Genia Gould
    The icy snow made for rough terrain on which to operate a remote control RV, but Lenny, 9, left, and his brother Kenzo, 12, found a spot on West 22nd Street Tuesday morning. Photo: Genia Gould
    The icy snow made for rough terrain on which to operate a remote control RV, but Lenny, 9, left, and his brother Kenzo, 12, found a spot on West 22nd Street Tuesday morning. Photo: Genia Gould
    Loki, in red boots, takes his owner for a walk along Seventh Avenue near 28th Street. Photo: Genia Gould
    Loki, in red boots, takes his owner for a walk along Seventh Avenue near 28th Street. Photo: Genia Gould

Despite dire predictions on Monday about a potentially record-breaking snowstorm, New Yorkers woke up on Tuesday to find that the blizzard warning had been cancelled. In anticipation of anywhere from 10 to 20 inches of snow, public schools were closed and more than 2,500 flights were cancelled between LaGuardia, JFK and Newark airports. Aboveground subway train service was suspended, Metro North trains stopped running at noon, and Amtrak and PATH trains ran on modified schedules. Governor Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency starting Tuesday at midnight.

In an update later on Tuesday morning, Cuomo said the storm had moved west and was mostly affecting New York City with sleet and wind. “When things are at their worst, New Yorkers are at their best,” he said. “This is the time to be a good neighbor.” Joe Pollina, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, told the New York Times that the storm “is tracking closer to the coast and warmer air is being brought in.” For the first time all year, the Department of Sanitation unleashed its entire fleet of 698 spreaders and 1,600 plows on the streets. So with some grumbling, much of the city’s daily grind proceeded as usual. Broadway shows remained open, as did many shops and stores, as well as all city agencies.