By Mark Hallum
Life was returning to normal in Queens Wednesday as subways and buses resumed full service, but LaGuardia and Kennedy airports were jammed with travelers trying to make up for the day lost to Winter Storm Stella.
Schools reopened after the second snow day was called Tuesday in the past two years. Mayor Bill de Blasio defended his decision to shut down classes based on the National Weather Service, which predicted blizzard conditions and snowfall of up to 17 inches in Queens right up until 4 a.m. Tuesday morning. Most New Yorkers appeared to support his judgment, but questions arose about why the Weather Service took so long to pull its blizzard warning.
Many New Yorkers faced treacherous conditions in the subways where steps leading down into stations were slick with ice buildup. On the elevated stations, untouched accumulations of snow on platforms posed a danger with riders fearful of slipping onto the tracks and being hit.
Many cars had still not been dug out of the snow and ice, with some complaining on social media that plowing had only made their cars even more inaccessible.
Despite the Weather Service’s reluctance to downgrade its blizzard forecast to a winter storm until well after the nor’easter had begun, Stella delivered a one-two-three punch of sleet, rain and snow that clogged sidewalks and streets throughout the borough. Wind gusts of up to 50 miles an hour blasted through Queens and the rest of the city. About 8 to 10 inches fell in the borough.
By Wednesday morning the wintry mix had turned into solid ice, creating treacherous conditions on roadways and pedestrian walkways.
All roads in the city had been plowed at least once. The Sanitation Department was salting and sanding the thoroughfares, but some side streets still were filled with frozen slush when the morning rush began.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey struggled with the fallout of rebooked passengers through LaGuardia Airport after 99 percent of 1,150 of the flights from Tuesday were cancelled and hundreds were taken off the board at Kennedy,
The Port Authority encouraged fliers to show up to the airport early and only if their flights had been confirmed. The Q70 from the No. 7 line from the stations in Woodside and Jackson Heights was running for free on Thursday and Friday to relieve traffic Fleets of bulldozers and plows were working at LaGuardia Airport to make gates accessible to planes and restore service to travelers. Although the public was warned to stay away from the airport, many did not listen to the warning, NY1 reported.
The Sanitation Department announced at midday Wednesday over Twitter that it was still playing catch-up with Snowstorm Stella and would be late collecting waste. The city agency said crews were still working by hand with steal-tipped equipment to clear bus stops and crosswalks, while reminding property owners to hit sidewalks with shovels for pedestrian safety.
Bell Boulevard in Bayside was still having its sidewalks and crossings cleared of icy sleet as business owners continued to busy themselves with stubborn mess late Wednesday.
Reach reporter Mark Hallum by e-mail at mhall
