Year’s first snowstorm blankets Riverdale area

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Buses plowed through the snow-covered streets on the northwest Bronx with “not in service” signs, a few pedestrians struggled against the stinging wind, and schools were closed for the day as the first major snowstorm of 2017 hit New York City today. 

Before winter storm Niko moved out in the afternoon, it had brought up to 14 inches of snow to the New York area, according to the National Weather Service.

All Bronx buses were running with delays, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced. Subway maintenance crews were clearing the above-ground platforms of the No. 1 train in Kingsbridge on Thursday morning, even as heavy snow continued to fall. 

Some 2,300 plows had been out since 8 a.m. clearing the streets and roads, the Sanitation Department said via Twitter. Where plows had cleared the sidewalks, a few pedestrians rushed along towards their destination—and then slid ankle-deep in snow in areas that the plows were yet to reach. 

Along Broadway, a few cars moved slowly in both directions, occasionally skidding in the snow. During what would have been the morning rush hour on an ordinary day, a few pedestrians walked in the middle of Broadway, sharing the road with the cars. Near a bus stop on Broadway and W. 242nd Street, a man stood on the side of the street, trying to hail down a cab. None of the passing drivers stopped, as minutes dragged by. 

New York City's Emergency Management Department had warned that the storm would “create slick and hazardous travel conditions... especially during the morning commute.” Mayor Bill de Blasio asked New Yorkers to avoid using their cars when going out. 

“We need to let @NYCSanitation clear roads. They've been out since 3 a.m. putting down salt,” he said via Twitter. 

Public schools and CUNY campuses were closed for the day. Some of the stores that opened for business in the morning displayed signs in their windows, warning they would be closing early. 

Local institutions, such as the Hebrew Home for seniors in Riverdale, went into emergency mode. The home had a team of some 30 employees staying overnight to assist elderly residents on Thursday morning, many nurses were doing double shifts, and some “traveled great distances to get here to care for the residents,” Wendy Steinberg, the Hebrew Home's vice president for communications, told The Press in an email. 

To see how the what areas of the city have already been plowed, please visit http://maps.nyc.gov/snow/.

To request a city service, contact 311 and call 911 for any emergencies.

Riverdale: How did you fare in the morning’s snow? Send us your photos and comments at newsroom@riverdalepress.com or contact us through Twitter: @riverdalepress or visit us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/riverdale.press/.

Snowstorm 2017, school closings, Riverdale, snow

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