Travel Ban Lifted in New York, Public Transit Reopens

New York (PNA/Xinhua) – Most travel bans were lifted and transit services gradually resumed Tuesday morning in New York area after a snowstorm whose impact is far less than expected for most of the area.

New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo held a morning storm briefing in which he announced the reopening of roadways and public transportation in the Hudson Valley, New York City and Long Island region.

The travel ban for all state and local roads has been lifted, he said. But drivers should continue to use extreme caution and prepare properly as driving conditions remain poor and other states still may have travel bans in effect.

Many flights remain canceled at LaGuardia and JFK airports, the governor said, suggesting travelers to contact individual airlines to see if their flights are delayed or canceled.

New York City got about 6 inches (15 cm) of snow by Tuesday morning, far less than the 2 feet (61 cm) that had been forecasted.

The National Weather Service downgraded blizzard warning to winter storm warnings for the five boroughs of New York City on Tuesday morning, leaving Suffolk County remains under a blizzard watch. (PNA/Xinhua) FPV/EBP