Snowstorm paralyzes traffic and disrupts transit during peak hours



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The first snowstorm of the season that hit the New York area brought several inches of thick, wet snow that slowed the evening's journey by crawling, completely paralyzing it in some places.

Transit commuters wait for a stormy return homeTransit commuters wait for a stormy return home

Thursday's snowfall destroyed countless tree branches throughout the city, causing congestion in some areas. Police advised people to stay inside and avoid roads, if possible, but it was too late for commuters trying to get home. Check out the latest traffic and transit notices here.

The bus terminal of the port authority had to be partially closed due to overcrowding. The lines outside the terminal extended around the block even as the evening race calmed down. Authorities said bad weather prevented buses from getting to the terminal.

Extreme overcrowding closes port terminal of the port authorityExtreme overcrowding closes port terminal of the port authority

Penn Station in Newark was also a nightmare for many, packed wall to wall with exasperated commuters, who resorted to shoving in the middle of the mess and lack of communication. Long Island Rail Road and New Jersey Transit also experienced system-wide delays.

An accident involving several vehicles on the George Washington Bridge added to the nightmare of traffic jams. After sitting in end-to-end traffic, people jumped under vehicles and started the hike on the bridge and snow-covered ramp to Manhattan, to the 178th Street exit.

According to spokesman Vito Turso, the city's sanitation department announced that nearly 700 salt spreaders had been deployed in the city around noon, but that "the snowfall from after -midi were much more important than expected by all the weather points ".

November the snowiest since 1938November the snowiest since 1938

"The closure of several bridges has complicated things, and the traffic, especially in the Bronx, Upper Manhattan and Staten Island, has stopped with the blockage of our snow removal equipment," Turso said.

The Storm 4 team had predicted snow early in the week, with forecasted totals slipping from Wednesday to Thursday.

The sanitation department says that more than 1,000 pieces of equipment will work all night to clear all roads during the morning rush hour. Parking on the alternative side is suspended on Friday.

The mayor of Blasio tweeted Thursday night: "The first storm of the year hit hard at rush hour, cutting down trees and causing delays. @NYCSanitation: plows and salt spreaders are advancing as the traffic slows down, they will be out all night to find clear roads before the morning commute. "

Storm Downs Trees through New York, Tri-StateStorm Downs Trees through New York, Tri-State

In New Jersey, the Bayonne Bridge was closed for several hours (it has since reopened), all major tunnels have suffered delays and major highway sections – including the Garden State, the I-280, I-78, RT-10 and RT-130 – were closed at the height of the storm. The Palisades boardwalk was at a standstill at one point. Thursday night, all main arteries through Newark were closed. Police reported frost and collisions.

Flight delays took more than four hours at Kennedy Airport, and they were not much better at Newark and LaGuardia airports.

Children were stuck for hours in school buses after being sent away. A News 4 reporter said her daughter had been sitting on her bus for more than two hours, completely trapped over the Harlem River. Another reporter said that the bus after his daughter's school was making a two-hour commute between Murray Hill and the Upper East Side, and a counselor called the parents to keep them informed . They reported that MTA buses were stranded throughout the Upper East Side and that the streets were closed everywhere.

The storm made this November the snowiest of the last 80 years, with 6 inches recorded at Central Park.

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