Wintry Mix Makes for Hazardous Morning Commute

A winter storm system that flooded some roadways in and around the city with heavy rains and dumped nearly half a foot of snow in the Hudson Valley is making for a hazardous commute throughout the tri-state area Wednesday morning. 

Ice pellets, sleet and freezing rain pounded the region overnight, beginning with strong downpours that transitioned into sleet in some spots before turning into heavy snow in areas north and west of the city. Dozens of car accidents were reported Tuesday night into Wednesday morning as drivers grappled with water pooling on highways and black ice conditions that caused them to lose control without warning.

Most of the wintry mix had turned back to rain before sunrise, except for spots west of the Garden State Parkway in New Jersey and along Route 287 in the Hudson Valley, where between 2 and 5 inches of snow had accumulated by 6 a.m. Forecasters said locally higher amounts of up to 6 inches were possible in high elevation areas in Sussex and Orange counties.

The dangerous conditions caused some tri-state schools to delay opening, and others were closed. Click here for an updated list of school closings and delays.

Meteorologists say much of the snow and sleet is expected to move out by late morning. A new line of showers is expected to cross the city Wednesday afternoon, but the storm system is likely to clear the region entirely by the evening and the forecast for Thursday is free of precipitation.

Temperatures are expected to linger in the high 30s and low 40s for most of the day Wednesday and Thursday before turning cooler and falling into the low 30s on Friday.

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