A Snowy Holiday Mess: Flights Grounded, But City Streets Clear

New York City and North Jersey got off easy during a recent snowstorm, but airports were a different story. While the city saw only a few inches of snow, airports like JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark faced major delays and cancellations. The storm hit hardest in areas like Long Island and Connecticut, where snow piled up to nine inches. The snowfall totals in NYC ranged from two to four inches, with Central Park getting 4. 3 inches. This was the first time since January 2022 that Central Park saw more than four inches of snow. The lower snow totals in the city were due to a mix of snow and sleet early in the storm. This mix made it harder for snow to pile up. City officials said roads were fine, but drivers were still told to be careful. The Q train was rerouted, and subways had some minor delays. But the real trouble was at the airports. By Saturday morning, nearly 200 flights were canceled at JFK, with 137 delayed. LaGuardia had 100 cancellations and 70 delays, while Newark saw over 100 cancellations and 60 delays.The heaviest snow fell east of the city, in places like the lower Hudson Valley, southern Connecticut, and Long Island. These areas saw four to six inches of snow, with some parts of Connecticut getting up to nine inches. A dry slot, or an area with less moisture in the air, also limited snowfall in the city. This meant less snow overall. Even with the light snow, roads were still slippery. The city's sanitation department started salting roads on Friday and had plows out all night. By Saturday morning, every street in NYC had been plowed and salted at least once. The city said everything was running normally, with no major disruptions. Looking ahead, temperatures were expected to rise, with highs near 40 degrees on Sunday and in the lower 50s on Monday. Rain was also expected Sunday night into Monday.