New York City just logged its first meaningful snowfall of the season, with totals varying sharply by borough and higher amounts piling up in parts of Queens and Staten Island. City and transit agencies activated winter operations over the weekend, while air travel, street parking rules, and the Monday commute all felt the ripple effects.
How much snow fell in NYC
Official National Weather Service observations showed 2.7 inches in Central Park by early Sunday afternoon, while JFK reported 4.6 inches around the same time. Neighborhood totals ranged higher in spots, especially along the city’s southern and coastal areas.
Spectrum News NY1 reported some of the highest totals in Staten Island, including 6.1 inches in Grasmere and 5.2 inches in Dongan Hills, with Brooklyn generally landing in the 3 to 4 inch range depending on the neighborhood.
What the city did, brine, plows, and a snow alert
Ahead of the storm, the city issued a DSNY Snow Alert (a higher-level notification than a standard advisory) and pre-treated roads using brine, including the main lanes of city highways. DSNY said it had more than 700 salt spreaders ready and roughly 700 million pounds of salt available this season, and that plowing begins once snow reaches two inches.
NYC Emergency Management also issued a weather alert in coordination with the National Weather Service, warning of slippery roads and sidewalks and urging New Yorkers to avoid unnecessary driving during the heaviest period of snowfall.
Transit preparations and holiday travel headaches
The MTA said it staged crews and equipment systemwide, with teams salting and clearing station surfaces, monitoring outdoor track segments, and preparing de-icer trains and switch heaters where needed. It also noted that certain above-ground lines are more vulnerable during snow and freezing precipitation.
Air travel was hit harder. Business Insider reported significant congestion at JFK, including passengers stuck on the tarmac for hours and widespread delays and cancellations across the region, with the worst impacts concentrated at JFK as crews worked through snow and ice conditions.
Parking rules and the deep-freeze risk
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To support snow operations, the city suspended Alternate Side Parking for Monday, Dec. 15, and also announced a suspension for Tuesday, Dec. 16, while keeping parking meters in effect.
NY1 also warned that the bigger concern after the snow was the cold: gusty winds and sharply lower temperatures pushed wind chills toward near-zero, raising the risk of rapid frostbite on exposed skin and increasing the likelihood of icy patches as the city refreezes overnight.
What’s next for NYC weather
Temperatures remain cold early this week before a midweek warm-up, with milder conditions expected later in the week (and rain possible by Friday).
