Record-breaking NYC snow totals as Tri-State Area's winter storm cleanup begins

Some residents are frustrated with the snow cleanup effort in Jersey City, New Jersey. 

CBS News New York saw cars struggling at Ogden Avenue and Mountain Avenue on Monday, as one resident said he's never seen it take so long for roads to be cleared. 

"Cars have been getting stuck on this corner all morning. I've shoveled out a couple cars just to get them off the hill. It's been rough," said Angel Perez. "We need to get this cleaned. I've never seen it this bad. I don't know what's going on." 

Mayor James Solomon acknowledged that many streets need more work, adding that 50 vehicles were out treating the roads. Residents can contact the city if there's a street in urgent need. 

Meanwhile, Jersey City Public Schools will be closed for a second day tomorrow.

A 52-year-old homeless man apparently froze to death Sunday, before he was found sitting upright on a park bench in Corona, Queens. 

State Sen. Jessica Ramos said the NYPD told her the man froze to death before officers found him. 

"In his pocket, they found discharge papers from Elmhurst Hospital. He had been there two days before with alcoholism issues," Ramos said. "He was known to the shelter system." 

Ramos believes the eight deaths across the city during the extreme cold were preventable. 

"This city need a much more detailed plan as to when Code Blue is triggered, making sure that first responders along with social workers are out, walking the streets, checking every playground, park, every city bench," she said. 

The medical examiner has not yet confirmed if any of the deaths were weather-related. 

Click here to watch the full story. 

Mayor Mamdani said New York City will increase its outreach after eight people were found dead on the street since Friday, as freezing temperatures and snow engulfed the five boroughs. 

It remains unclear if the cold weather caused their deaths as officials await autopsy results. 

Still, a spokesperson for the mayor told CBS News New York that 400 outreach workers were out trying to convince the homeless to get to shelter. The spokesperson said they were able to convince 200 people to seek shelter since the storm began.

"It has to be proactive. It cannot be a wait for homeless New Yorkers to come to us. We have to go out there and make the case directly," Mamdani said. 

Human Resources Commissioner Molly Park said three people were brought to hospitals against their will, under a policy enacted by the Adams administration. 

"When it comes to involuntary commitment, I think ... this is a last resort," Mamdani said. "However, it is a resort when it is of a medical danger to a New Yorker to stay out there." 

Last January, the city estimated a staggering 4,500-plus people were living on city streets. Another count was supposed to happen tomorrow, but City Hall said it might be postponed because of the weather. 

The New York Blood Center and New Jersey Blood Services said Monday they're extending their emergency call for blood donors for two weeks after the historic storm. 

NYBC said the storm brought blood donations to a standstill, forcing the cancellation of all donations Sunday. 

"This storm could not have come at a worse time," said Jeannie Mascolino, of New York Blood Center and New Jersey Blood Services. "We were just starting to rebuild the blood supply when nearly 2,000 lifesaving donations were lost in a matter of days. Patients don't get a snow day; surgeries, cancer treatments, traumas, and emergencies continue, and we need donors to help us recover."  

To make a donation appointment, call 1-800-933-2566 or click here.

Ice formed on the Hudson River as extremely cold temperatures continue to grip New York City. 

Video from a New York Waterway ferry shows many frozen chunks floating on the river. 

A 60-year-old man dedicated to service and faith died attempting to shovel snow outside a church in Floral Park, New York. 

Roger McGovern, a retired NYPD sergeant, suffered a heart attack after he walked about a mile through the brutal cold and snow Sunday to clear a path for parishioners at Our Lady of Victory Church, his family said.

"This was not an untypical thing for Roger to do, to go to the church," said Kevin Troy, a lifelong friend. 

McGovern was a church volunteer and a member of the Knights of Columbus. 

He had three children and retired from the NYPD in 2008, according to the police department.

Click here to watch the full story.

There are hundreds of delays today at all three major airports in the New York City area.

At JFK, 228 flights have have been delayed, with 495 cancellations, according to FlightAware. 

At LGA, 266 flights have been delayed, with 491 cancellations, according to FlightAware. 

At EWR, 260 flights have been delayed, with 502 cancellations, according to FlightAware.

New York City public school students will return to their classrooms tomorrow, after spending today learning remotely because their buildings were closed. 

"As dedicated city workers mobilized across all five boroughs to clear our streets and keep New Yorkers safe, teachers and students this morning came together online – reading, learning and staying connected," Mayor Mamdani said. "Thanks to the round-the-clock work of our schools facilities teams, we are ready to welcome students and staff back to classrooms tomorrow. I am deeply grateful to our school leaders, educators and families for making today's remote learning day a success and for preparing our students to return."   

All programs and activities will resume as scheduled on Tuesday as well, the mayor's office said. 

Gov. Kathy Hochul took to social media to share some snow shoveling pro tips with New Yorkers. 

"Easy does it! Take it from a governor from Buffalo, there's a right way to shovel out from the storm," Hochul posted with a video on X. 

In the video, the governor starts by shoveling some light snow on a sidewalk. 

"Just push it out of the way, OK? See what I'm doing here? No strain on the back from doing that," she says. 

The governor then moves over to a heavier mound of snow.

"You're going to have to do a little bit more, but don't lift much. Just do smaller bits, OK? Little bit, little bit. You can do this," she says. 

Hochul's video ends with a warning against digging up big piles of snow at a time, otherwise the shovel gets too heavy. 

"Because that can lead to a heart attack. You don't want that," the governor says. 

Rockland County crews are using an army of equipment after 18 inches of snow blanked the hamlet of New City. 

Snow is being scooped into dumpsters and dump trucks, which will haul it to a park. 

Town Supervisor George Hoehmann said the cleanup is a key step in the struggle to get the business district back to normal. 

"Over the next couple of nights, different crews will be out hauling snow away, probably for the next several days," Hoehmann said. 

One plow driver told CBS News New York that residents have been putting snow from their properties onto the street, forcing them to make multiple trips back. 

As another arctic airmass arrives with more dangerously cold temperatures, the First Alert Weather Team is now declaring an unprecedented First Alert Weather Week.

Subfreezing temperatures will continue through Friday, which is forecast to bring the coldest morning of the season so far.

A new snow totals map shows a whopping 30 inches fell in Napanoch, a hamlet of Ulster County, New York. 

New Milford, Connecticut, logged 18.6 inches of snow and Wantage, New Jersey, totaled 16.5 inches.

Big snow totals

• Napanoch, New York: 30.0"
• West Shokan, New York: 22.2"
• Monroe, New York: 18.0"
• New City, New York: 17.6"
• Greenwood Lake, New York: 17.5"

NJ Transit service is resuming in phases after the entire system was suspended due to Sunday's winter storm.

Rail service picked back up Monday on a Severe Weather Schedule Level 2, except on the Gladstone Branch, Pascack Valley Line and Princeton Dinky, which are still suspended, NJ Transit said. 

Light rails are back on weekday schedules, but there could be delays. 

NJ Transit bus service resumed on 45 routes. 

Click here for details on specific NJ Transit lines and routes. 

City Hall confirmed the deaths of eight New Yorkers who were found outside during this historically-cold stretch, but said it's still too early to blame the frigid weather.  

Six people were found overnight Friday, before the winter storm began, a City Hall official said. One person was found overnight Saturday and another person was found overnight Sunday, the official said. 

NYPD said it was investigating seven of the deaths. City Hall was waiting for autopsy results from medical examiners to determine how they died.

"We can confirm that several of these individuals have had contact with [homeless] shelter and/or street outreach services in the past," the City Hall statement said. 

Mayor Zohran Mamdani said this is the coldest stretch of weather in eight years for the city. A Code Blue has been in effect, which means city shelters cannot turn anyone away due to the extreme cold.

Due to dangerous cold and windchills, a First Alert Weather Day has been declared for tonight and tomorrow morning. 

Low temperatures will range from 0-10 degrees Fahrenheit, while windchills will average between minus 10 and zero. 

A cold weather advisory is also in place for most of New Jersey from 7 p.m. Monday-10 a.m. Tuesday.

Officials announced the CitiBike system reopened with limited access to some stations due to the weather.

Riders may need to try a few stations to release or dock a bike. 

A New York City Public Schools officials said there were "only minor hiccups" with students and teachers logging into remote classes. 

"Our Helpdesk has reported that the number of support requests is in line with a normal school day, and our students are logged in and engaging in virtual schoolwork," NYC Schools Press Secretary Nicole Brownstein said this afternoon. 

The statement was sent in response to reports of issues logging into Google Classroom. 

Mayor Zohran Mamdani said over 400,000 parents, students and staff logged on by 9:15 a.m. today.

Now that the storm has passed, some are coming out to enjoy the snow with some good old-fashioned fun.

A hill in Central Park is covered in discarded makeshift sleds ranging from cardboard boxes to yoga mats to storage box lids.

Dozens of kids took advantage of the almost foot of snow to make some epic memories. The storm also brought out the inner child of some adults who came to join the fun.

One man came dressed in a garbage bag because of a tip he saw on TikTok. Another lady tried to get her dog to pull her down the hill. 

"We're trying to get her to pull a bit. She's liking it. This is a once-in-a-lifetime storm for her in the city, so she's loving it," said Ashley Morelli.

It's cold out, but when you're climbing up the hill after sledding down, you warm up quickly. 

NJ Transit President and CEO Kris Kolluri said a majority of the train lines have resumed operating.

Gladstone Branch, Pascack Valley Line and Princeton Dinky will remain suspended on Monday.  

"They will be operational, we just got to make sure we get the right crews in there," Kolluri said.

NJ Transit will operate on a modified weekend schedule Tuesday, as crews focus on fixing the infrastructure affected by the storm. 

Storm cleanup is a grind, and Clarkstown highway crews have endured one of the biggest snow removal events in recent decades.

Clearing roads has left huge piles of snow, and businesses can't return to normal until they are gone. 

But, residents dump more snow on the street when they pull their cars out to wipe the snow off. 

"When you have a lot of people doing that at once, it almost looks like you didn't do anything," said Spokesperson George Russo. 

Crews are exhausted as it's an endless loop of loading trucks and treating the roads.

"We're gonna go home, freshen up, come back tomorrow morning and do the sidewalks, bus shelters and commuter lots," said Roberto Milone, the highway superintendent. 

Orange County Executive Steven Neuhaus announced the local state of emergency will be lifted at noon.

Road conditions have improved, and travel can return to normal, officials said.

"However, I encourage residents to remain off the roads as much as possible and use caution when traveling, as there are still snow removal operations in progress," Neuhaus said. 

The county's Code Blue remains in effect due to freezing temperatures. Anyone who sees someone without housing is asked to call 311.

Warming centers are still available throughout the county. The emergency operations center is also still activated and will operate until 3 p.m. 

Commuters stepped over snowbanks, trying to avoid much of the slush as they made their way around New York City.

The monster storm left the streets and sidewalks slippery. 

The mayor said more than 400,000 parents, students and staff were able to log in for a remote school day Monday. 

The remote learning applies to K-8 students, while high schoolers and some 6-8 students already had the day off due to a professional development day for staff. 

NYC Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels said the transition has "gone very well."

"It was a smooth start to the day. Students were able to log on to their virtual classroom quickly and get right into their school day," Samuels said.

NJ Transit's Light Rail and some buses have resumed, but Access Link and rail services are still suspended. 

"Crews continue to work around the clock to prepare the rail system for a gradual ramp-up of service later today," a statement read.

The bus services resumed 45 routes, and Light Rail operations resumed weekday schedules. Officials say customers should expect delays and possible cancellations as roadways continue to be cleared. 

Rail lines will resume beginning around noon, but service will be on a severe weather schedule. The Access Link will resume around the same time 

Commissioner of Emergency Management Zach Iscol became emotional while looking back at the city's response to the storm and other recent events.

Iscol is resigning from his position and teared up during Monday's press conference.

"I just want to say how lucky I have been alongside the team at our sister agencies. I found that it's best when it's a team sport," he said while getting choked up. "I'm supposed to get emotional in two weeks, not today."

He warned residents that extreme cold is still underway, placing vulnerable New Yorkers at risk.

"It's important for everyone to understand that as a city, we have a lot more work to do," he said. 

Snow piled on top of cars and trapped tires as plows pushed the snow toward the side of the road. 

Residents started to dig their vehicles out Monday morning. 

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani held a press conference Monday morning and said the city is working on getting back to normal.

He asked residents to still stay off the roads, and alternate side parking is suspended Monday and Tuesday.

Mamdani said crews are working to restore all services by Tuesday. Currently, the NYC Ferry is operating at 90% capacity, and the Staten Island Ferry is on a modified schedule, running every 20 minutes. 

"New York weathered the storm," he said. 

Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino announced the executive order restricting non-essential travel will end at noon Monday.

The county will remain under a winter storm warning until 7 p.m. Residents there are expecting light snow totalling one to three inches.

Crews are working to plow the roads, but they are still hazardous. Snowbanks are also creating visibility issues at intersections.

"Observing the travel restrictions and staying off the roads has helped keep accidents to a minimum and helps the crews deal with moving the significant amounts of snow," said Serino. "Even once the travel ban ends today at noon, if you don't have to travel, please continue to stay home and respect the highway crews and essential workers who still have a lot of work to do."

Commissioner of Public Works Robert Balkind also asked parents to keep children away from roadway snowbanks. 

"While they look fun for forts, sleds and more, it is very dangerous for children to play on or around them," he said. 

The county bus service is suspended for the day. 

Connecticut Department of Transportation spokesperson Eva Zymaris said crews are focused on state roads and highways.

There are more than 900 drivers out and 650 trucks working across the state.

Zymaris said drivers should give themselves ample travel time and give plows their space. 

"The roads are improving, but there is still a lot of work to be done today," she said. 

Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine said the roads are drivable as crews work around the clock, but he encouraged residents to stay home. 

County roads are passable and state roads, such as Sunrise Highway, are even more passable.

"We've had crews out since 6 a.m. yesterday. They're working around the clock. We're going to have them out all day today and probably tomorrow to finish the cleanup," he said. 

He also urged people to avoid parking on the sides of local and town roads so the plows can get through. 

Senior Director for Emergency Preparedness and Logistics Larry Torres said there were some scattered outages, and the "system held up very well."

He said fewer than 800 customers were impacted since midnight on Sunday. Torres credited this to the storm-hardening repairs done over the years.

Crews will continue to restore any outages across Long Island. They will be slower than normal since roads are hazardous, Torres said.

"Crews are working as safely and as quickly as possible," he said. 

A German shepard named Brooklyn was seen trotting through the snow.

The dog's tail was wagging while checking out the winter wonderland in Nanuet, N.Y. 

Buses and subways are running on a normal schedule as the snow wraps up. 

MTA chair and CEO Janno Lieber says crews "got you covered" if you need to get around New York City Monday. 

"Fifteen-thousand MTA workers worked through the weekend to make sure we could maintain service," he said. "You got your commute."

The snowy weather wasn't stopping anyone from taking photos or going for a stroll in Central Park.

Many were spotted out and about on Sunday, even in the freezing cold. Some made snow angels, and others were skiing. 

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont is asking residents to avoid driving Monday.

He lifted the emergency order prohibiting commercial vehicles from traveling on limited access highways at 6:30 a.m.

Lamont is urging all drivers to stay off the roads so the plow crews can continue clearing the snow and ice. 

"While the height of the storm has passed, lingering light snowfall is expected to remain throughout the day on Monday," he said. "I am strongly advising everyone to stay off the roads if at all possible and let the plow crews do their jobs," he said.

Westchester County students have a snow day Monday.

Mount Vernon Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard encouraged kids to make the most out of the day and enjoy the time outside.

"Find something, even an old lunch tray, something. Go to the park, slide down the hill, not into traffic. But, children, this is the perfect day to get out and make snowmen, snow angels," she said. 

LaGuardia, Kennedy and Newark Liberty airports are dealing with more than 1,000 delays and cancellations. 

Flights at LaGuardia were halted Sunday afternoon, and the airport was closed until around 9 p.m. Sunday.

Sidewalks and roads are slippery due to the snow and ice.

It will be difficult for drivers to get out of parking spots and challenging for pedestrians as they navigate these conditions.

Snow banks created by the passing plows have buried bus stops. Stairs leading down to subways are hazardous as they are covered in snow. 

Light snow is coming down as the winter storm is still impacting the Tri-State Area. 

Monday morning feels-like temperatures will be in the single digits and teens. By lunchtime, snow showers will be north and east.

In the afternoon, there will be breaks of sun but still cold with highs in the upper 20s. 

Tonight will be frigid and blustery, feeling like -10° to 0°. 

NJ Transit will gradually restore to normal service on Monday. 

Newark Light Rail, Hudson-Bergen Light Rail and River LINE are operating on a normal weekday schedule.

NJ Transit posted photos showing its workers clearing snow, de-icing and plowing its facilities. 

The agency is monitoring roadway conditions to see when bus and Access Link service will resume. They also have to inspect infrastructure at its 165 rail stations.

Customers are encouraged to check NJTransit.com or the NJ Transit mobile app for the latest updates.  

A very cold pattern, featuring air straight from the Arctic Circle, has settled into the northeastern U.S. and will be here through at least early February. 

Temperatures are not expected to rise above freezing during this time, and we may even challenge or set a record for the longest number of days below freezing.   

A Cold Weather Advisory will go into effect at 7 p.m. Monday through 10 a.m. Wednesday for Northwest, Central and Coastal New Jersey. Feels like temperatures will be -10° to -5°.

The total snowfall broke daily records in some areas.

With a tally of 11.4 inches in Central Park, that was the most snow ever recorded for the date of Jan. 25. Every single one of our local climate reporting sites set new daily records for snowfall.

Bridgeport, Conn., shattered its record with a 14.5-inch total, besting the 4-inch record from 2000.

Double-digit totals were quite common across the region, especially across northern New Jersey and the Lower Hudson Valley. 

New City, N.Y., had the highest total with 17.6 inches.