Snow, Wintry Mix Muck Up Roads, Delay Travel

After a record-breaking deep freeze over Valentine's Day weekend, tri-staters were dealing with snow and freezing rain Monday ahead of soaring temperatures and heavy rain Tuesday. 

Roads became dangerously slippery when the snow turned into rain in the evening hours, especially in New Jersey. A two-car crash on I-80 in Morristown was blamed on the slushy roads, and local roads weren't much better as drivers found themselves sliding at times.

"I was going 10 to 15 miles an hour, and a couple of times a car almost slid into me," said driver Jean Cadet, who was heading to the Poconos. 

Much of the tri-state got about 1.5 to 2.5 inches of snow by the time it stopped falling Monday night. 

Extensive airport delays because of the weather were reported Monday afternoon. Delays of close to four hours were reported at Newark Liberty Airport, while John F. Kennedy International Airport was experiencing delays of close to two hours, authorities said. 

Scattered water main breaks in Newark and New Rochelle were believed to be weather-related. 

A winter weather advisory is effect until midnight Tuesday for most of the area, with the exception of Monmouth and Ocean counties. Over that time period, precipitation will go from snow to sleet to freezing rain to rain, according to Storm Team 4. 

More rain is expected on Tuesday, when temperatures will move up into the 40s and 50s. Coastal flooding might occur as the rain picks up Tuesday, Storm Team 4 says. 

The day will start cloudy, and the morning commute shouldn't be too bad, according to Storm Team 4. The heaviest rain is expected mid-afternoon through the evening, and winds will be gusty, about 20 to 35 mph, possibly even reaching 45 mph.

Commuters should expect evening delays, and airport delays are very likely. 

On Sunday, bone-chilling temperatures shattered records at locations throughout the tri-state, including Central Park, Islip, Bridgeport and John F. Kennedy International Airport.

In Central Park, the mercury dipped to 1 degree below zero on Sunday morning — the lowest Feb. 14 temperature since record-keeping began in the 1860s. The previous record, set in 1916, was 2 degrees.

Biting winds and bitter conditions made it feel even colder. At one point Sunday morning, it felt like 19 degrees below zero in Central Park. In Monticello, perhaps the chilliest spot in the tri-state, it felt like 33 degrees below zero.

It was also the coldest New York City day in more than twenty years. Jan. 27, 1994, was the last time that metro temperatures sank to zero or below. It was the coldest February day since 1962.

Warming centers were set up in Jersey City, Nassau County, Newark and Westchester for those without a place to go during the brutal freeze.

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