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Tri-State Hit With Bitter Blast; Cold Not Going Anywhere

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A snowstorm followed by brutally cold temps seems to be the norm around here this winter.

Tuesday's snowstorm left more than a foot of snow in some parts of the region and also left behind biting cold across the Tri-State Area.

Forecast: Bitterly Cold

Heavy wind gusts earlier in the day died down, but wind chills remained below zero throughout the day.

As of 11 p.m., the air temperature was 10 degrees, with a winds to the north at 18 mph and a wind chill of minus 6, CBS 2's Lonnie Quinn reported.

The temperature Wednesday topped out at just 18 degrees.

And if you are looking for relief and a break in the misery, you will probably just have to go on vacation. The low overnight Wednesday into Thursday will drop to 6 degrees in the city, with a high of 22 following during the day Thursday.

The low for Thursday night drops to 9 degrees, followed by a high of 19 for Friday. On Saturday, the high jumps just one degree above freezing to 33 degrees – hardly enough to melt much snow, Quinn reported.

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"Russian winter," a Latvian native living in Brooklyn told 1010 WINS' John Montone.

Tri-State Hit With Bitter Blast After Storm Dumps Snow Across Region

With as much as 13 inches of snow in some spots Tuesday, authorities cautioned throughout the day that road conditions could be treacherous. The National Weather Service says black ice was possible on some roads.

Some of the highest snow totals are in New Jersey where the National Weather Service says 16 inches of snow fell in Manalapan.

As WCBS 880's Sean Adams reported, Route 9 in Manalapan was mostly clear by Wednesday morning.

Plows and front-end loaders worked through the night to move 16 inches of powder, which greatly hampered the Tuesday evening commute.

"What usually takes me 50 minutes to get home took me over three hours," said one driver.

Tri-State Hit With Bitter Blast After Storm Dumps Snow Across Region

More than 11 inches of snow was reported in New York City Tuesday, while Stony Brook on Long Island recorded 11 inches and Armonk in Westchester County had just under 10 inches.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency for New York City, Long Island and Westchester and Rockland counties.

The MTA says subway service is expected to be normal but riders should anticipate delays. Bus service is subject to delays due to road conditions.

The agency says bus service will operate at 80 percent capacity on Wednesday. Suspensions are possible on a route-by-route basis.

As 1010 WINS' Juliet Papa reported, in many parts of Manhattan, the streets are clearer than the sidewalks.

"They could've done a little better job with the salt," said one man.

Tri-State Hit With Bitter Blast After Storm Dumps Snow Across Region

In Westchester County, Bee-Line buses and Paratransit vehicles are operating on a normal weekday schedule. Passengers should anticipate delays due to icy and snowy road conditions.

The Long Island Rail Road is running on a weekend schedule. The railroad also says that fares will be off-peak on Wednesday.

The LIRR runs approximately 60 percent of its weekday trains on weekends.

There will be no train service on the West Hempstead line and also on the Greenport lines east of Ronkonkoma. Bus service will be provided on those lines.

As WCBS 880's Paul Murnane reported, the snow was so light that crews were using leaf blowers at the Stamford Metro-North station.

Riders are finding cancellations as express trains are combined or turned into locals. But one commuter said it's not a problem.

"There's no rush to get there. My manager's fine with it. He said just get in safe and that's it. You get there when you get there," he told Murnane.

Metro-North Commute Slower In The Snow

Hundreds of schools across the Tri-State area are closed Wednesday, including Manhattan, Staten Island and Bronx catholic elementary schools, the Archdiocese of New York announced Wednesday morning.

But schools in New York City remained open.

NYC Schools Chancellor Carmen Farina said travel conditions may be difficult and families should exercise their own judgement when taking children to and from school.

De Blasio said although his own son was hoping for a snow day, keeping the schools open after the storm was "the right thing to do.''

"Dante went to school today, I escorted him personally," said the mayor.

Families of students with disabilities who have transportation concerns can call 718-392-8855 for assistance on Wednesday.

Alternate side parking suspended Wednesday and Thursday to facilitate snow removal.

Parking meters remain in effect.

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(TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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