Heavy Snow Slams the Tri-State

MYFOXNY

A snow storm and brutally cold weather hit the New York City region on Tuesday into Wednesday, causing serious traffic and transit problems all over.

Winter Storm Warnings were posted for New York City, Long Island and parts of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut for Tuesday, January 21, 2014.

New York City and Long Island could see more than a foot of snow. Higher amounts are expected on the east end of Long Island.

New York City’s Office of Emergency Management issued a Hazardous Travel Advisory. The snowstorm was expected to result in wet, slick sidewalks and roads.

The NYC Sanitation Department was in full alert with workers on 12-hour shifts and 450 salt spreaders and more than 1,700 snow plows on the roads Tuesday, according to Commissioner John Doherty. New Yorkers can track the progress of clearing operations by using the PLOWNYC feature at NYC.gov.

The plowing of snow on many roads was proceeding slower than normal because of the high number of cars on the road and the traffic that caused, according to city officials, including Mayor Bill de Blasio and Sanitation Commissioner John Doherty. Traffic on the Upper East Side and well as in Midtown was especially brutal, with cars barely moving.

The mayor urged motorists to stay off roads so that snow plows can “do their job.” He also asked New Yorkers to avoid driving at night and on Wednesday morning to allow the Sanitation Department to get as much accomplished overnight when the snowfall was expected to die down.

Alternate side of the street parking rules in NYC were canceled for Tuesday and Wednesday. Parking meters remained in effect.

Trash and recycling pick-ups in NYC were canceled for Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Port Authority placed crews on 12-hour shifts to deal with snow removal at the airports and bridges and tunnels.

By Tuesday afternoon, more than 2,200 flights were canceled and thousands more delayed at airports from Washington to Boston.

The snowfall will be done Wednesday but the cold weather will set in for several days. The high temperature on Wednesday is only going to be around 18 degrees.

A Wind Chill Warning and other advisories were posted for several counties in the Tristate area.