An ice storm in New York’s metropolitan area is causing headaches for travelers.
About three quarters of an inch of ice was expected by midmorning before the sleet/freezing rain changes to all rain by midday.
In Central Park, pathways were like an ice-skating rink. Commuters from north of the city getting off buses along Fifth Avenue had to carefully maneuver sidewalks covered in sleet.
Transit across the region was hit with delays and suspensions.
During the morning commute, Metro-North railroad reported delays of up to 25 minutes on its New Haven line due to crowded trains and weather-related equipment shortages. The Long Island Rail Road was operating on a weekend schedule.
NYC subway service was running on a normal schedule but straphangers were told to expect delays. Bus riders were also warned to expect weather-related delays and service changes on routes throughout the city.
NJTransit restored bus service after 7 a.m. but riders saw delays and detours due to local road and weather conditions thoughout the morning. All trains and buses were running on normal schedules going into the evening ride home.
Amtrak passengers faced delays between New York City and Philadelphia after service was suspended for more than an hour because of power problems Wednesday.
Flight disruptions were reported at JFK and LaGuardia airports. Travelers are advised to check with their airline before heading to the airport.
Motorists, meanwhile, had to deal with a slushy mess.
Transportation officials say major roadways throughout the city, Long Island and Westchester County are very slick. But traffic was light to moderate.
The Office of Emergency Management says city public schools and government offices are open.
Sso far only a few power outages have been reported in the New York City area.
The Long Island Power Authority reported more than 6,000 outages. Its crews are working 16-hour shifts to restore power.
Con Edison reported about 290 customers without power Wednesday morning, most of them in Queens
A colossal blizzard roaring across a third of the country paralyzed the nation’s heartland with ice and snow, leaving motorists stranded for hours and shuttering airports and schools as it barreled toward the Northeast.
The monstrous storm billed as the worst in decades delivered knock-out after knock-out as it made its way from Texas to Maine, bringing a huge swath of the country to a halt.
In upstate New York, Mike Schumaker was already into his fourth hour of what he predicted would be a 24-hour plowing marathon as he cleared snow from a suburban Albany gas station around 5 a.m. Wednesday.
“I figure I’ll be going to about 1 or 2 in the morning. That’s my guess,” said the 42-year-old private contractor from Latham.
“It’s not so much about plowing as it is about to where to put it,” he said. “We still have snow from Christmas that hasn’t melted.”
Over 5,300 flights have been canceled Wednesday as of 10 a.m. EST, according to flight tracking service FlightAware. Most were scratched well in advance of the fast moving storm. Boston’s Logan Airport is closed as of 9 a.m.. It’s expected to re-open later Wednesday morning.
Airlines canceling the most flights Wednesday morning were regional operators for bigger airlines, including American Eagle and ExpressJet, which Delta and Continental.
On Tuesday, nearly 7,000 flights were canceled. There have been about 13,000 cancellations so far this week as airports from Texas to New England shut down.