And Now We Dig Out
Officials said the 26.8 inches of snow that fell in New York City's Central Park was just short of the record in 2006. Snow stopped falling in the area shortly after 10 p.m. Saturday night, with the brunt of it seeming to fall in the city and on Long Island, as well as in Newark, which may have set a record at 28 inches, according to NBC 4 New York. North of the city, there was less snow — but Westchester received more than a foot.
Mayor de Blasio announced that he's suspended alternate side parking rules for more than a week, through Monday, Feb. 1. He said that will allow snow plows to do a better job clearing the streets. He urged New Yorkers NOT to dig out their cars and let the warmer temperatures in the coming days do the work.
"Mother Nature brought us the snow, let Mother Nature melt the snow and get it out of the way," de Blasio said. "What we do not want is for New Yorkers to start shoveling out their cars and putting all their snow in the middle of the street. That is only going to make things worse."
The mayor also said school is in on Monday. No snow day for students seeking another day of prime sledding.
Let us know how you fared in the blizzard and how you're digging out by calling 1-855-8-MY-WNYC. We'd like to play some of your comments on the air.
The Roads
Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio lifted the travel bans in New York. Plows were out all night and many of the city's main roads have been cleared, but they continue to work on secondary roads. You can monitor the city's snow plow tracker here.
A travel ban is still in effect in Newark, as plows continue to clear a record 28 inches of snowfall there. There is no overall travel ban on New Jersey roads.
Transit
The above-ground subway lines are coming back to life. Cuomo said the MTA was working to restore service to some above-ground lines that had been suspended on a line-by-line basis:
New York City bus and Access-A-Ride service was restored at 7 a.m. but may take a while to ramp back up. You can check the status of your route here.
The governor said Metro-North service would be restored at noon and fully operational by 3 p.m. But Long Island Rail Road will take longer to dig out, and there's no estimated time for service yet.
NJ Transit's rail, bus and light rail service remains suspended until further notice.
PATH train service remains operational east of Grove Street. There is no service between Jersey City and Newark.
Get the latest information on WNYC's transit tracker below.
How serious was the storm?
The NYPD said 3 people died while shoveling snow in New York City. The New York Times reported they lived in Queens and Staten Island and were aged 67, 78 and 80. The Times also reported 2 deaths on Long Island, also senior citizens, in West Hempstead and Smithtown.
With the Associated Press
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