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WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) — Crews have been working around the clock to clear the snow in Westchester County.
In downtown White Plains, snow has been steadily coming down all day. By the early afternoon, there was at least 5.5 inches, and 30 mph winds were whipping it up.
Westcheseter County Executive George Latimer declared a state of emergency, set to end at 1 p.m. Thursday.
Crews have been working hard to keep up.
Starting at 4 a.m., two friends bundled up and hit the street, shoveling for extra work.
“Shovel the snow, make sure it’s safe in the city for everyone to walk around,” said Jean Joseph.
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“Are you layered up?” asked CBS2’s Natalie Duddridge.
“Yep. Have about four shirts on, my jacket. Good to go,” he said.
The plows were in full force by midnight, working 16-hour shifts to keep the streets clear.
Snow plows in White Plains during a winter storm on Feb. 1, 2021. (credit: CBS2)
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One man was gassing up his car to take his wife to her job as a frontline worker.
“With this car without four-wheel drive, it’s bad. And I have to pick her up later, so I know I’m going to be in the middle of the worst part of it,” he said. “So I’m a little worried. I have two kids that have to go back in the car.”
Most kids got an official snow day, with the majority of schools in Westchester closed, and just a small handful moving to remote learning.
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The few people that did venture outside layered up.
“Wearing a sweater, a hoodie, sweatshirt, undershirt, and another undershirt, and another,” said Roland Matthews.
LINK: Winter Storm Survival Guide
It has been very quiet on the roads. In Westchester, people seem to be heeding the warnings to stay at home.
The worst of the storm was expected to hit Monday afternoon and evening. Local leaders ask you to stay home and keep cars off the streets to help snow removal.
Plow drivers were focused on the main roads, before tackling the side streets.
In New Rochelle, CBS2’s Tony Aiello reported plow crews are spending long hours behind the wheel, and dumping tons of salt and sand onto main roads to try to keep them clear.
“How do you handle a 16 hour shift?” Aiello asked Cevia Dalton, a plow driver.
“I don’t know. A lot of coffee, bit of rest, and determination man,” Cevia said.
“Most people should probably just stay home, there’s nowhere to go anyway,” said New Rochelle Mayor Chuck Strome. “Most everything is closed, we’re gonna hit it as hard as we can and keep it going.”
Meanwhile, schools are closed in some districts, including Mount Vernon, White Plains and Yonkers.
CBS2’s Natalie Duddridge and Tony Aiello contributed to this report.
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