Snow continued falling across New York City on Sunday, with up to 5 inches possible by the end of the day.
Snow was expected to fall in two major batches, first an inch or 2 in the morning, then 2 to 4 more inches in the afternoon and evening, the National Weather Service said in a Sunday morning alert. Forecasters predicted a brief slowdown in precipitation in the early afternoon.
The powder wreaked havoc on travel over the holiday weekend, with JFK and LaGuardia airports leading the nation in flight cancellations, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware.
At JFK, 60 arriving and 61 departing flights had already been canceled before noon. At LaGuardia, 49 flights were also canceled in each direction, while dozens more were delayed at both airports.
Forecasters initially predicted a maximum of 3 inches of snow over the weekend. But the storm system moved north and temperatures dropped on Saturday night into Sunday morning, creating conditions for more snow.
“The snow will now be more widespread across the area into this evening as the coastal low off the Carolina coast slowly tracks northward,” NWS forecasters wrote Sunday morning.
City leaders advised people to drive slowly on the roads, take public transportation and expect delays throughout the city due to the snowfall.
With temperatures rising to around 32 degrees in the afternoon before diving below freezing later in the day, the morning snow could melt and refreeze in patches, creating additional travel hazards.
“Avoid unnecessary travel if possible,” the city’s emergency department wrote on social media. “Use mass transit when you can and expect delays. Drivers should slow down, increase following distance, and watch for slick spots especially on bridges and ramps. Pedestrians should use caution on sidewalks and stairs.”
About an inch of snow fell across the city on Saturday but melted quickly. However, Sunday afternoon’s snowfall was expected to remain on the ground much longer, as temperatures on Sunday night, Monday and Tuesday were predicted to remain well below freezing.
In Central Park, the high on Monday was expected to be 30 degrees, with an overnight low of 18 degrees. Tuesday was only predicted to reach 23 degrees before dropping to 14 degrees overnight.
