Another quick-moving winter storm dumped a mix of rain and light, fluffy snow on the tri-state area Tuesday, securing this month's place as New York City's second-snowiest February on record.
More than 28 inches of snow has fallen in Central Park this month, which is second only to February of 2010, which had 36.9. The February total has now also surpassed the yearly winter average of 27 inches.
This winter has been the seventh snowiest on record in New York City, with 57.1 inches of accumulation in Central Park. The city's all-winter record for snowfall is 75 inches, set during the 1995-96 winter.
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In New Jersey on Tuesday, children in one district were let out of school early after concerns about heavy snow on the rooftops of school buildings. Sparta Superintendent Dennis Tobin said the roofs were being inspected on all five buildings and children would not return until they had been deemed safe.
Meteorologists say warmer temperatures are on the way this week, though, giving the winter-weary region a reprieve from shoveling and shivering.
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Temperatures Tuesday afternoon rose to around 40, which felt like a near-meteoric rise compared with the teeth-chattering wind chills that tri-state residents awoke to Monday.
And then the area will begin a week-long thaw. Highs in the 40s are expected from Tuesday through Sunday and could top 50 degrees Friday. The warmer temperatures will rapidly melt snow, which could cause localized flooding in some spots. It'll turn cold again next week.
The break from snow couldn't have come at a better time for New Jersey, which is suffering from a road salt shortage. State DOT spokesman Joe Dee told NBC 4 New York that the state has just enough for one more storm, and not a large one.
A barge is leaving from Newark to pick up a small supply from Maine, he said. It can only carry 9,500 tons though. New Jersey typically goes through more than 20,000 per storm.
--Brian Thompson contributed to this story
