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Snowy Conditions Blamed For Death In Newburgh

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Wednesday's snow and wintery mix are being blamed for an accident that killed one person and injured at least four others in Newburgh.

The accident happened on Route 32 and occurred when ice forced a vehicle traveling northbound to spin out and strike a car in the southbound lane.

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A winter weather advisory remains in effect through Thursday morning for Orange and Putnam counties in New York,  Sussex and western Passaic counties in New Jersey and Fairfield County in Connecticut.

Parts of the region got a wintry mix of snow and sleet. New York City was spared snow, but did get rain. People were left shoveling sidewalks and cleaning off cars for most of the day in Newburgh.

LISTEN: WCBS 880's Paul Murnane On The Snow In Ridgefield, CT

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"It's beautiful - I just hate driving in it and walking in it," Jennifer Brulatour told CBS 2's Elise Finch.

Even though there were only a few inches on the ground, employees at Orange Country's Department of Public Works spent hours loading their vehicles with sand and salt and treating the roads.

"Basically, we've slushed them off and put a a base coat of material down for traction, and that keeps it from adhering to the pavement. When it warms up, it melts right off," said Adrian DeWitt, of the Orange County Dept. of Public Works.

Wet snow isn't great for making snowballs, but it made for messy sidewalks outside local businesses.

"Because of the snow, business is a bit slower today than it normally would be," said Newburgh business owner Victor Cerillo.

After the snowfall, the roads were not quite a clear as they looked on Route 17 in Goshen. The Orange County village was littered with banged up and broken cars.

One car after another found out about the poor driving conditions the hard way.  Though some drivers were stuck waiting for help, they were thankful the situation wasn't any worse.

Severe weather left its mark in recent months in places like Ridgefield, Conn. and residents aren't taking any chances.

"I just want to make sure the gas is there," said Dienna Cunningham who was out with a gas can. "Whether I need it or not, I just want to be safe."

Cunningham says she went without power for nine days after the snow storm in October and eight days after Tropical Storm Irene.

Thursday's outlook will feature a  shower in spots, but no snow.  It will be cloudy with a high of 47 and a low of 36.

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