MANHATTAN — New Yorkers were digging out Monday morning from one of the worst snowstorms to hit the city in years, which dumped 11 inches of snow in Central Park.
As Manhattanites freed their cars on the first day of winter from snowbanks piled high by plows, children were headed back to school as roads were clear enough to prevent a snow day. Alternate side parking rules were suspended as well. Garbage pickup was expected to resume .
Cold temperatures were expected throughout the week, according to the National Weather Service. Monday's high was projected to be just above freezing 34 degrees, but as the week progresses, temperatures are expected to get warmer, topping out at 44 degrees on Christmas Day.
The storm, the worst since a 2006 blizzard dumped 26 inches in Central Park, cancelled many flights out of the city over the weekend and wreaked havoc on Christmas shopping. Mayor Michael Bloomberg encouraged New Yorkers to get back out there and shop, or see a show, or hit a museum.
Meanwhile, sanitation crews continued to clear the roads.
"Today our focus is first on clearing the highways, then the bus routes, and then the other 6,000 miles of city streets," the mayor said over the weekend, according to news reports. "All of us working together, we will get through this and by tomorrow morning we would think we'll be in pretty good shape."
Roughly 2,500 sanitation workers with 365 salt spreaders and more than 1,500 plows were working through the evenings, according to the New York Post.
Bloomberg also reminded New Yorkers that they are responsible for clearing snow from their own sidewalks.
The NYPD and FDNY also had emergency snow plans in effect, the Daily News reported, and extra EMS services were at the ready.
