New York City and Snow: Images from a Winter Storm

When a snowstorm hits the Big Apple, the city has to clear 6,000 miles of streets, 12,000 miles of sidewalk and 794 bridges and tunnels of snow. The job is done by a small army of 6,300 workers and 2,000 vehicles that battle to remove the snow as quickly and as efficiently as possible. To help keep the streets and sidewalks free of snow and ice, the city has stockpiled 330,000 tons of road salt. It adds up to a lot of work and money to ensure New York's 8.4 million residents are able to move along, more or less, during the winter months.

 

As the first flakes fell, ice-melting salt is spread on a Manhattan sidewalk. 

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An arsenal of jet-powered melters, snow throwers and front loaders keeps the subway moving when it snows.

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New York City’s fleet of 2,000 sanitation trucks do double duty as snowplows in the winter.

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When the sanitation trucks are pressed into service as plows, trash collection has to wait. 

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Heading into Brooklyn by taxi.

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As offices and stores empty out in Brooklyn, a pedestrian proceeds on foot.

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The Brooklyn side of the Manhattan Bridge nearly disappears as the storm increases. 

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Pedestrians take to the streets near Penn Station.

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 Not the best option in the snow, bike rentals go unused.
 

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Someone chose to ride out the storm without their bike.

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Most of the city’s sidewalks are shoveled by hand.

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Flowers bloom year round in New York City.

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Bad weather means a lot of people will order in.

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At least for now, no one pays any attention to this ad.