New York gets enough snow to dig, not despise

NEW YORK – Worrisome forecasts and technical glitches with remote school gave way to sunshine in New York City by Tuesday afternoon, as the storm moved out of the area without as much drama as initially feared.

The snow total reached 3.2 inches in Central Park – less than expected, but still the city’s highest snowfall in two years.

The thin blanket of white quickly turned to muddy slush on the city streets, while residents dutifully shoveled it away from cars and off sidewalks. The snow had significantly more staying power in the city’s parks, and by midday scores of children had overtaken the snowy hills of Brooklyn’s Prospect Park. They careened down the slopes on colorful plastic sleds and inflatable tubes, lobbed snowballs at each other and rolled snowmen into formation.

“It’s exciting to actually have some snow to go sledding,” said Simon Bacchus, 47, whose 4-year-old son Kai munched on snow while sitting in a sled.

With forecasters predicting up to 8 inches of snow in the city, New Yorkers had prepared for snarled commutes and potential power outages, but such problems never materialized. Subways ran fine, and few problems were reported with the streets, although some travelers at the region’s airports did have to deal with flight cancellations.

The mess was largely confined to the city’s attempt to transition public schools to a day of remote learning. Issues logging into classes frustrated many parents, who then decided to bail and bring their children outdoors.

As some kids adjusted to a disjointed school day, others were navigating significant snow for the first time.

Victoria Roberts, 38, and her husband, Alex, brought their son Julian to McCarren Park in Williamsburg. Julian, 3, was decked out in a snow jacket and pants decorated with dinosaurs, but he was adjusting to his snow boots, which he said were uncomfortable.

“He’s still figuring it out,” Victoria Roberts said. “He’s got to learn, this is only his third winter.”

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.