So much for staying home! New Yorkers don skis and grab sleds to glide through Central Park after Storm Gail dumps 10 inches of snow and lakes freeze
New Yorkers donned their skis and grabbed sleds to glide through Central Park Thursday after Storm Gail dumped 10 inches of snow and plunging temperatures froze parts of the lakes.
Manhattan's iconic park was blanketed in 6.5 inches of snow and sleet by midnight Wednesday, and another 3.5 inches landed before many of the Big Apple's residents stirred Thursday morning.
By 8 a.m., Central Park was under 10 inches of snow and COVID-weary New Yorkers weren't about to pass up a chance to have some fun in the first snow of the 2020 season.
Dozens of people headed to the 'slopes' of Manhattan Thursday afternoon with plastic and makeshift sleds, and even skis.
New Yorkers donned their skis and grabbed sleds to glide through Central Park Thursday after Storm Gail dumped 10 inches of snow on it and plunging temperatures froze parts of the lakes
Dozens of New Yorkers took to the slopes of Central Park's Pilgrim Hill Thursday after Manhattan's iconic park was blanketed in 6.5 inches of snow and sleet by midnight Wednesday, and another 3.5 inches landed by morning
A child sleds along the park taking advantage of a day off school and some high levels of snowfall in the Big Apple
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With schools closed across the city Thursday due to the storm, numerous families bundled up warm and headed out to enjoy the snow.
Children were pictured whizzing down Pilgrim Hill on brightly colored plastic sleds, while others improvised using pieces of cardboard to slide down the slopes.
Adults also joined in the fun with a man seen squeezed onto a tiny sled with his child while a woman was seen laughing as she clambered on board another.
A handful of New Yorkers took it one step further, donning skis to glide along the pathways.
Footage on social media showed one person skiing through the park - either as a means to get from A to B or for some lighthearted relief to top off what has been a difficult year for the city.
Another woman had the same idea as she was seen skiing along the pathways around Central Park Pond.
Governor Andrew Cuomo had urged New Yorkers to stay home Thursday morning, and in particular to avoid the perilous roadways, after more than 600 car crashes were recorded throughout the state overnight.
A handful of New Yorkers took it one step further from sledging, donning skis to glide along the pathways
Footage on social media showed many people skiing through the park - either as a means to get from A to B or for some lighthearted relief to top off a difficult year for the city
'Newsflash it snowed a lot in New York state,' he said. 'It is not safe and you shouldn't be out there if you don't have to be out there.'
More snow has been dumped on Central Park from Storm Gail than throughout the whole winter season last year, when just 4.8 inches fell.
Parts of the Bronx were under almost 11 inches of snow while the rest of the city was grappling with about 5-6 inches by midday.
But the 10 inches recorded in Central Park Thursday is still a long way from the record snowfall seen in 2016 when a single storm dumped 27.5 inches on the park.
Other parts`
A child takes a tumble from a makeshift sled while a man joins in the fun by glides down on a tiny sled with his child
A woman was seen laughing as she clambered on board a sled to join in on the fun with the children
COVID-weary New Yorkers weren't about to pass up a chance to have some fun in the first snow of the 2020 season
With schools closed across the city Thursday due to the storm, numerous families bundled up warm and headed out to enjoy the snow. Children were pictured whizzing down Pilgrim Hill on brightly colored plastic sleds, making the most of a snow day from school
NEW YORK CITY'S BIGGEST SNOW STORMS BY SNOWFALL:
1. January 2016 - 27.5 inches
2. February 2006 - 26.9 inches
3. December 1947 - 25.8 inches
4. March 1888 - 21 inches
5. February 2010 - 20.9 inches
Source: Weather 2000
But it wasn't all fun and games as Storm Gail left vast swathes of devastation in its wake, with at least six people killed in snow-related car crashes across the East Coast in the last 24 hours.
Two people died in accidents in New York state overnight, Governor Andrew Cuomo said in a press conferemmce Thursday morning.
Further details of their deaths have not been revealed.
This comes after one person on a snowmobile was killed when they collided with a tractor-trailer on I-787 in downtown Albany early Monday.
More than 600 crashes were reported across New York state through Thursday night, including a 27-car pile up in New York City that left six injured - four in a serious but non life-threatening condition.
Cuomo declared a state of emergency in 18 counties of New York state including Capital Region, Southern Tier and Hudson Valley Thursday morning as he held a storm briefing from Kingston.
Schools shuttered in-person learning Thursday but will reopen Friday.
Restaurants and bars can reopen roadside dining in Manhattan Thursday night as Gail has now passed through the city.
An aerial snap shows a handful of people walking through Central Park Thursday as the cityscape is covered in snow
Governor Andrew Cuomo had urged New Yorkers to stay home Thursday morning after more than 600 car crashes were recorded throughout the state overnight, in particular avoiding the perilous roadways
New Yorkers dress up warm to walk through Central Park Thursday after the snow stopped falling
People walk through the Harlem section of Central Park following the snowstorm which dumped the most snow New Yorkers have seen since 2016