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Winter Storm Stella arrived in New York shortly after midnight on Tuesday, bringing with it a daylong blizzard warning, school closures, a suspension of above-ground subway service and the promise of up to two feet of snow. New Yorkers stockpiled snacks and wine, and readied themselves for the snowpocalypse that every weather agency was predicting.
But at 8am, the blizzard warning was called off, and weather forecasts are now projecting just four to eight inches of snowfall. Rain mixed into the system as it hit the city this morning, lowering the total accumulation—the bulk of the major snowfall from the storm hit upstate New York and New England.
Even with the lower-than-expected snow totals, public transportation is seeing regular delays, and MTA trains are still not running above ground. Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that the Metro North will be shutting down at noon, and noted in a press conference that public transportation ridership is at 10 to 15 percent compared to a regular weekday. East River Ferry service has been suspended, and the Staten Island Ferry is running on a modified schedule. On top of all that, roughly 90 percent of the scheduled flights out of the New York area today have been cancelled.
Stella didn't bring the ruckus to New York like everyone expected (though there have been reports of thundersnow, which is pretty exciting). Nevertheless, the storm did give New Yorkers a great excuse to not have to leave their apartments, which is always a plus.