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Heavy snow combined with poor visibility due to whiteout conditions resulted in treacherous travel Thursday as the major winter storm made its way through the Hudson Valley.
Metro-North experienced delays on all three lines much of the day. Normal service was restored by 4 p.m.
Westchester Bee-Line and paratransit bus services, which had been experiencing delays of about 45 minutes, was suspended around 11 a.m. Service is expected to resume at 3 p.m.
A plow truck that went off the road resulted in the 11 a.m. closure of the northbound Bronx River Parkway between the Westchester County Center and Old Tarrytown Road (Exit 23).
A crash on northbound I-95 reported just before 11:30 a.m. initially blocked the right lane at Boston Post Road (Exit 20) with traffic backed up to Playland Parkway (Exit 10).
A disabled vehicle blocked the right lane on a stretch of southbound I-684 at I-84 (Exit 9).
Farther west, another disabled vehicle, this one on eastbound I-84 was reported at 9:15 a.m. at Route 9D/Route 52.
A stretch of the northbound Saw Mill River Parkway was closed briefly shortly after 9 a.m. in Elmsford at Route 119 due to two disabled vehicles.
Nearby, an earlier crash blocked the right lane on a stretch of eastbound I-287 at the Hutchinson River Parkway (Exit 9) with traffic backed up to Westchester Avenue (Exit 8E).
In Rockland, a crash on northbound I-87 was reported around 9 a.m. at Exit 14 (Route 59) in Spring Valley and on southbound I-87, at Exit 14B (Airmont Road).
Tappan ZEExpress and All Transport of Rockland service were suspended as of 9 a.m. until further notice.
The storm, which will impact the area for about 12 hours Thursday, prompted most schools and school districts to announce closures on Wednesday evening. For the complete rundown of closures, click here.
Snowfall rates of 2 to 4 inches per hour are possible through noon Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.
Snow became heavy after dawn and will continue past midday. Winds will gust between 35 and 45 miles per hour, resulting in near-blizzard conditions at times. Scattered power outages are possible.
The snow is expected to taper off in the mid-afternoon Thursday and wrap up by nightfall with temperatures dropping to the mid-teens.
Much of the Hudson Valley will see between 8 and 12 inches of total accumulation, with locally heavier amounts possible, the National Weather Service said.
Sunshine returns to the area Friday, but the cold air continues as the high will only be in the upper 20s. Expect icy conditions and possible black ice in the aftermath of the storm Friday morning that could result in delayed openings at schools.
Areas farther north, including Putnam and Dutchess, could see some light snow before 8 a.m. Saturday on a cloudy day with warmer temperatures reaching a high near 40, there's a chance of a mix of snow and rain is Sunday.
State Police are reminding motorist to use extreme caution and to avoid all unnecessary travel.
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