Snow, sleet and ice hit NYC and surrounding areas overnight
NEW YORK - Snow, sleet and ice hit the Tri-State Area on Saturday, and now the cleanup is underway before things freeze over.
Snow fell across the region for several hours Saturday night and transitioned into sleet and rain overnight.
NYC cleaning up 3-5" of snow
New York City saw anywhere from 3 to 5 inches of accumulation, including 4.6" in the Fordham section of the Bronx, 3.6" by LaGuardia Airport and 3.1" in Central Park.
The city issued a Snow Alert as of 1 p.m. Saturday. The Department of Sanitation started salting the roads and bike lanes at 12:01 a.m. Saturday in anticipation of the storm. Alternate Side Parking regulations were suspended Saturday, though meter rules remained in effect.
DSNY said thousands of staffers would work 12-hour shifts to spread salt and prepare snow plow equipment. The plows wait to hit the roads, however, until snow depths reach two inches. New York City residents can then track plow progress online.
Some 700 salt spreaders were ready to go, and the DNSY said the city had approximately 700 million pounds of salt on hand.
Garbage collection was expected to proceed as normal. While the DSNY plows streets, highways and bike lanes, clearing sidewalks is the responsibility of property owners.
Long Island residents urged to say off roads
Officials on Long Island also prepared for the storm. Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman held a news conference Saturday afternoon, which we brought to you live on CBS News New York.
"We are expecting nasty weather tonight into tomorrow morning. The precipitation could be between 3-5 inches but, rest assured, that we are prepared if it gets worse, because it is nature," Blakeman said. "Sometimes we get more than we anticipated. So here at DPW, we hope for the best and plan for the worst."
Blakeman said the county has about 80 DPW trucks, which were scheduled to start salting roads around 6 p.m.
Meanwhile, Nassau County residents who experience power outages should call 1-800-436-7734. The warming center at Mitchell Field will be open 24 hours.
Blakeman said people should expect dangerous conditions on the roads, and if they don't have to go out, they should stay home.
In Hempstead, crews began pre-treating village roads around 4 p.m.
"We want the residents of the Village of Hempstead to know we are ready. We have our equipment ready," Village of Hempstead Mayor Waylyn Hobbs, Jr. said. "We urge our residents to please stay home, unless it's an emergency. We ask that you would please park in your driveway so that our employees will be able to take care of our roadways."
Plows and salt trucks busy in the Northern Suburbs
Crews across much of the Tri-State Area were bracing for the storm, including towns across Westchester County which brought in additional staff, tons of salt, and putting more trucks on the street.
In Yonkers, we saw shoppers pick up gear they need to clean up and dig out before the Super Bowl on Sunday. People were also grocery shopping early for the big game.
An emergency traffic alert went out from Yonkers warning Stew Leonard Drive will be intermittently opened and closed throughout the day Saturday to prepare for the influx of shoppers.
"I've never seen where they have three officers directing traffic just to shop in Costco. That's ridiculous. And I'm pretty sure it's gonna get worse later on," Manhattan resident Cheryl Moody said. "Like everyone else, I shop before it starts snowing. Put some salt on the ground before."
While many shopped, Department of Public Works crews were hard at work. They were loading up the salt spreaders and hitting the road.
"We actually started yesterday. We have a brine solution that we put down, and now we're starting up the vehicles making sure everything's operational. We'll continue to salt throughout the night," Yonkers DPW Commissioner Thomas Meier said.
By daybreak Sunday in Mount Vernon, the sleet and rain had wrapped up, and the main streets were mostly clear, but still wet. Trucks could still be seen plowing side roads and salting.
Rockland County Executive Ed Day spoke with CBS News New York about the road conditions on Sunday morning.
"The major concern we have right now is things such as the ice that could be out there right now and also first thing in the morning," he said, adding the county had no power outages, major accidents or downed trees.
Shovelers in New Jersey say "it's a handful"
Meanwhile in New Jersey, winter storm warnings were in effect for several counties, including northwest Bergen County and northwest Passaic County. Salt trucks were out pre-treating roads earlier in the day, with plows at the ready.
"We've got a ton of equipment pre-positioned. Good news is it's a weekend, so God willing, we get a lot lighter traffic flow. I would say to folks if they don't have to be out, this is a good one to sit out. Stay home tonight, and God willing, this will clear out by the morning," New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said.
The state put some temporary travel restrictions in place as it prepared for the storm. As of 3 p.m. Saturday, commercial vehicles, RVs and motorcycles were banned on major interstate highways, including I-80. The restrictions do not apply to the New Jersey Turnpike or Garden State Parkway.
"These things have a tendency, particularly in ice, to jack-knife, and that's obviously a bad thing for the driver, but it's also a very bad thing for traffic flow and other innocent folks who are out on the road," Murphy said.
Once the snow started, it was a steady downpour in northwest Bergen County. Vehicles with their blinkers on were cautiously maneuvering slick roadways.
"Route 17 was definitely a little tough," driver Luke Chakonis said. "Definitely take it easier on turns, especially when you're getting off the highway. You're definitely probably going to spin your rear end."
In Ramsey, the Office of Emergency Management filled salt trucks and had plows on deck for an expected 6-8 inches in their town. Crews were alternating between 12-hour shifts.
"You could have rain or ice on top of the snow, so the roads will be slippery," said Glen Karpovich, with Ramsey OEM.
Snow plows and shovelers began their cleanup before the sun came up Sunday, and some expected to be out there all day.
"I hope until kickoff, and then I'll be done," one plow driver in North Haledon said.
"It's a heavy one, there's a lot of snow, it's got a layer of ice on top, so it's a handful," a shoveler added. "We started about 2, we'll probably be out all night again."
Passaic County Commissioner Orlando Cruz also checked in with CBS News New York on Sunday morning, saying crews worked overnight to make sure the main roadways would be clear. He said more than 100 employees covered 240 miles of road and 60 bridges across the county's 16 municipalities.
