In New York, Blanket of Snow Covers Up Any Sign of Spring

In a region that had already broken records for snowfall this winter, more snow, freezing rain and sleet fell on metropolitan New York and New Jersey for several hours Friday, defying spring and making roads slippery for commuters.

The area’s three major airports remained open with scattered delays. There were also some delays on suburban train lines during and after the storm, which lasted about five hours.

A National Weather Service spokesman said 3.8 inches was measured in New York City’s Central Park, where a record 70.8 inches had piled up during the winter. He said accumulations in the suburbs north of the city and in New Jersey were between 2 inches and 4 inches.

“We’ve sometimes had snowstorms in April,” weather service spokesman Bob McElhearn said. Spring officially began on March 20.

As commuters negotiated icy, slippery roads and pedestrians with umbrellas stepped around and over puddles of water, the weather service said temperatures would rise for the weekend.

Snow had fallen Thursday night in parts of the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, and the morning commute into the city from Long Island, the Hudson Valley and Connecticut began with freezing temperatures and rain.

Forecasters said the winter-like weather was being caused by a clash between warm, moist air and dry, cool air coming up the coast from the southeastern United States.

Removal of snow from city streets made the 1995-96 winter the most expensive in New York’s history. The city spent $59 million on snow removal, officials said. The previous high was $50 million in 1993-94.

A Daily News headline on Thursday summed up the feelings of many of the winter-weary legions: “Mr. Weatherman, say it ain’t snow.”