Children and their parents received a well deserved “snow day” from both in-person and remote learning this week as a winter nor’easter dumped close to a foot of snow in some parts of the Bronx by Thursday morning, Dec. 17.

 

Residents awoke to blankets of blinding, white snow spread all across the borough’s streets and parklands ushering in, for those receptive to it, an atmospheric, Christmas-like, peaceful silence at the end of what has been a tumultuous 2020.

The National Weather Service reported six to ten inches of snow fell across the five boroughs, as bus services from the Port Authority Bus Terminal, Metro North train service and New Jersey Transit all shut down overnight on Wednesday, Dec. 16, when the snow rolled through.

 

For some, it meant a good few hours of hard, back-breaking labor as retailers shoveled snow from in front of their businesses on Bainbridge Avenue in Norwood while around the Reservoir Oval E, neighbors helped each other out clearing what seemed like three feet of snow from rows of parked cars.

 

Now and then, a few, friendly snow fights broke out among the adults, breaking up the cumbersome work, much to the delight of onlooking kids.

Other cars were spotted with the windshield wipers straightened up and sticking out from the windshield, presumably in order to stop them from sticking to the windshield and to make it easier to clear the snow from the car and window the following day.

 

However, the strategy resulted  in something of a comical look at night when, together with the headlights, which appeared like eyes, the dark wipers set against the white snow at times resembled reindeers’ antlers.

As previously reported by Norwood News, the Department of Sanitation had warned New Yorkers to prepare for the storm, advising businesses to ensure outdoor dining was finished up by 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 16, in order to keep sidewalks clear.

 

The department had more than 1,600 large snow plows out on the roads in recent days, scattering salt in an effort to keep traffic moving and ensure everyone got to their destinations safely.

Miriam Quiñones, photographer with the Norwood News, said she was completed blocked from exiting her car space in Bedford Park, such was the extent of the snow build up there.

 

In fact, in some cases, the snow ploughs appeared to undo the work already carried by individual car owners by frustratingly pushing piles of snow, and later ice, back beside the parked cars even after it had been cleared.

It’s understood that snow was also a contributing factor in what was reported as a 27-car pileup on the Henry Hudson Parkway Bridge, connecting Spuyten Duyvil with Inwood, on Thursday, Dec. 17.

 

According to reports, the drivers involved in the incident left the Bronx for Manhattan at 6:25 p.m. that evening. Some victims had to be removed from their vehicles, but no serious injuries were reported.

 

For the younger generation, and maybe for the adults too, the snow was an exciting and welcome distraction, however, from what has otherwise been a depressing year for most families, if not a tragic one for many others.

 

Snow sleighs were out in force, and squeals of both terror and delight could be heard far and wide, as some kids witnessed snow for the first time in their lives.

 

Across the borough’s parks, some pretty well-put-together snowmen of all shapes and sizes were built right up until the sun went down.

Aleksander Nilaj, president of the Albanian American Open Hand Association, took it to the next level, however, building a life-size, 12-foot snowman on Holland Avenue together with his wife and kids.

 

The fluffy, white snow effect was also the perfect addition to the recently-lit, Mosholu Parkway holiday tree and display, sponsored by Bronx Community Board 7 and coordinated by Friends of Mosholu Parkland, perhaps making up somewhat for the absence of the annual, traditional tree-lighting ceremony, cancelled this year in a judicious move to prevent crowds from gathering.

 

Meanwhile, two little dogs out on a walk in Williamsbridge Oval Park with their owner, Bosco, could not seem to contain their joy or wonderment at the sight of the snow-covered park, while young locals, Emily, Tina and Fernand were just happy to be out and jumped for joy at the novelty of it all.

 

 

*Síle Moloney contributed additional reporting to this story.