What was expected to be the first major snowstorm in Brooklyn in 2019 turned out to be more of a wet mess.
Up to eight inches of snow were expected to accumulate in the borough overnight from Sunday into Monday, March 3 and 4. Instead, according to the National Weather Service said just two inches had fallen in Kings County as of 7 a.m. Monday
Mayor Bill de Blasio had made the decision to close public school during the early evening hours of Sunday, Mar. 4, as well as cancelling alternate side parking on Monday, Mar. 4 through Wed, Mar 6.
A code blue was in effect and 695 salt spreaders were out all over the five boroughs. De Blasio said on Sunday, “We have 1,600 plows ready to go, as soon as the snow accumulation amounts to the point that the plows can get into action. But we do expect to see the snow in the next few hours, and then it will intensify, through the night. When we get to the early morning hours, we could see snow coming in at the pace of one to two inches per hour.”
Although snow accumulation may not have been as high as anticipated, the overnight storm did make for a rough commute in some areas. At 9:25 a.m. the upper-level of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge was closed in both directions due to falling ice. It reopened at 1:40 p.m.
Spokesperson Eric Phillips defended the mayor’s decision to close the schools.
“Any mayor’s school-closure process: safety first; accept criticism will come; be very skeptical of bureaucracy’s urge to close; add all real-time expert forecast data you can; listen & question those marshaling the resources; try to make best call in time for parents to adjust,” he tweeted.
“The @NYCMayor & @DOEChancellor made the right call and did so in a timely manner. Much appreciated,” also tweeted Councilmember Mark Treyger.
While, for some, the overnight snow meant shoveling, for parents and kids home for the day, in Bay Ridge it was a chance to take advantage of the snow day by going sledding in Owl’s Head Park.
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