UPDATED 4:40 p.m.
Snow much for that.
Though earlier prognostications had Queens expecting up to a foot of snow or more, the Blizzard of 2017 is producing more of a freezing mix than snow — and after suspensions in some transit service, things are slowly starting to return to normal.
Forecasts in the hours leading up to the storm were so dire that both Mayor Bill de Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo declared states of emergency, mobilizing various government agencies to prepare for the worst. Public schools were ordered closed on March 14 — it was the second such cancellation this year — and the MTA stopped all service on above-ground New York City Transit lines at 4 a.m. Tuesday.
Cuomo’s office announced that above-ground subway service will be restored tonight at 6 p.m. New York City bus service is still limited but is expected to be running normally starting at 5 a.m. Wednesday morning.
De Blasio said the state of emergency for New York City would be lifted at midnight Tuesday. Public schools will also be open on Wednesday.
Sanitation plows are working furiously to clear the streets of whatever snow is on the ground; de Blasio continued to urge residents to stay off the roads so the plows and salt spreaders can do their jobs.
Thus far, most of Queens has received less than a foot of snow; as of 8 a.m., according to the National Weather Service, John F. Kennedy Airport recorded 3.9 inches, while LaGuardia Airport had 5.9 inches. The most recent report out of Queens was in Queens Village, where 7 inches were observed on the ground at 9:55 a.m.
Even though it’s not the paralyzing blizzard that most had feared, it’s still a mess out there. If you must travel, please take it slow and use public transportation; check www.mta.info for the latest update.
