An early snowstorm caught much of the New York metropolitan area off-guard, leading to major delays on the roads and extreme backups in public transportation Thursday evening.
While the storm hit a large swath of the Midwest and East Coast, few places appeared to have been as unprepared as the area in and around New York City. Some commuters reported being trapped on highways for 10 hours or more. Mass transit was crippled and ride-hail prices surged into the hundreds of dollars for short distances in New York and New Jersey.
Traffic was at such a standstill in many places that drivers got out of their cars and walked around, as in this clip from the George Washington Bridge:
Oops!! the winter weather has started. The GWB is a total lockdown. Expect Heavy traffic. pic.twitter.com/uYP0N067ka
— NYC Scanner (@NYScanner) November 15, 2018
Central Park received 6 inches of snow, tying for second-highest November total ever, according to ABC 7.
“Listen, we’re getting clobbered,” New Jersey Gov. Philip D. Murphy (D) said, per Weather.com. “No forecast ― none ― predicted this. This is slower, it’s deeper, it’s colder.”
Frustrated commuters vented on social media:
Heading to @MCNNY’s event tonight, I’ve been sitting in traffic in lower Manhattan for almost three hours.
— Councilman Deutsch (@ChaimDeutsch) November 16, 2018
How is it possible that the City is paralyzed by just a couple of inches of (predicted!) snow?? pic.twitter.com/dy4hgsSfJH
Hour 10 begins here on the Deegan. This is the view from my new home pic.twitter.com/4w50pNxzlb
— ba (@saturnineba) November 16, 2018
I’ve been getting a ton of messages, tweets, and reports about the disaster that is this evening’s commute. This wasn’t a surprise snow storm, there’s no excuse for this.
— Max Rose (@MaxRose4NY) November 15, 2018
A slushy mess. https://t.co/qMU9MNgwSd
— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) November 16, 2018
An early look at Friday's front page... pic.twitter.com/gdq6xBoBzm
Transportation and transit are the lifeblood of our city. 3 inches of snow have crippled #NYC and this is unacceptable. Moms are stranded with their kids, people are running out of gas. This is unacceptable & we demand answers. #NY13 @NYCSanitation pic.twitter.com/jMZdqOX7m1
— Adriano Espaillat (@RepEspaillat) November 16, 2018
A quietly fuming mob has formed at the Port Authority Bus Terminal. Second and third floors are closed and everyone is being urged to try something else. @wcbs880 pic.twitter.com/Wb5F6wohzr
— Steve Burns (@StvBurns) November 15, 2018
Oh so Uber was really outta pocket earlier pic.twitter.com/ugz6oF0o42
— Bicky Barnes (ShutterBandit)📸🥤⚡️🇩🇴 (@DontLiveDaHype) November 16, 2018
Nine hours from Parsippany to Belvidere...7 1/2 stuck on Route 10 in Randolph! pic.twitter.com/yCW43U2UKV
— Lynsey (@lynseyk2) November 16, 2018
7 hours and still completely stopped on Major Deegan. Not one plow on EITHER side of highway. You sure about those plows and salt trucks? And no aid sent. Great job 👍🏼
— GiannaMichaelopoulos (@GiannaMich806) November 16, 2018
The view outside of my building, an intersection of Gun Hill Road in the Bronx. The 3 buses have been stuck in the same place for 2.5 hours. @NBCNewYork just said there are still school buses stuck on the road. This is an emergency. pic.twitter.com/400Zi9TMne
— Nat Way (& Richley) (@NatalieWay) November 16, 2018
Ok y’all ... will it hit $300? pic.twitter.com/eWGWKDlDCV
— RAVEN B. (@RAVIEB) November 15, 2018
Southbound traffic is not moving. Well, neither is northbound. It’s been 8 hours to get to Deegan and 230th Street from west 21st street. This is insane
— John D Conto Jr (@JohnDContoJr1) November 16, 2018
Dear New York,
— Stephanie Ruhle (@SRuhle) November 16, 2018
We get snow
Lots of it
For months
This is our jam
How on earth did today’s inclement weather conditions translate into the most spectacular traffic disaster since Snowmageddon https://t.co/D74tBMGWJg
Left work in queens at 6:20, it 1:20 and I am still stuck on the ramp of the Sheridan exp, more than an hour away from home. I work 8miles away. I did not see not even 1 police officer. #nyshame
— Pierpaolo Capalbo (@pcapalbo) November 16, 2018
Going on 6 hours stuck in the Bronx. E Tremont ave near White Plains Rd pic.twitter.com/ncDjNXqa7y
— john w murray (@murray_johnw) November 16, 2018
Took me 5 hours - FIVE HOURS - to drive 10 miles along Hudson in NJ from CNBC 😫
— Krista Braun (@KBin140) November 16, 2018
Hey @MTA and @NYPDnews there’s a MTA bus that collided with a parked van due to snow still blocking almost all of 3rd avenue at 42nd street. It’s creating massive traffic in the area pic.twitter.com/bqXD2FhZVP
— Andrew H Gross (@AndrewHGross) November 16, 2018
This was as totally botched as I’ve ever seen. Just an enormous nightmare and zero prep done. complete failure. https://t.co/nQK5EWhfhF
— Ben White (@morningmoneyben) November 16, 2018
Hey @GovMurphy @CBSNewYork @PABusTerminal @PANYNJ @ABC7NY @NBCNewYork the Port Authority Bus Terminal is “closed” You didn’t hear snow was coming?! It looks like a riot waiting to happen. They keep saying take a train, what about when I’m in NJTransit park n ride ?!
— Rob V (@bygpopee) November 15, 2018
Somebody dropped the ball. No way a few inches of slush should bring the greatest city in the world to its knees. I've got constituents saying it took them 4 hours to get home. And not a snow plow in sight. WTF happened?
— Justin Brannan (@JustinBrannan) November 16, 2018
Gritty... what do you see. What’s up there pic.twitter.com/IEqLH5WUF5
— flynn (@ICELEVEL) November 15, 2018
I have to report that the snow storm was beautiful, though. pic.twitter.com/RC74esINfV
— d_twit (@d_twit) November 16, 2018
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