Hoboken Still Digging Out After Largest Snowfall In Years

HOBOKEN, NJ — The largest snowfall in years in Hudson County has resulted in the largest snow removal operation in years.

With wind chills as low as 5 degrees on Tuesday and schools reopening after a snow day, Hoboken residents young and old stepped carefully around ice and snow as the city dug out.

At least 11 inches fell on Hoboken, the city said Tuesday. Snowplows quickly cleared main roads during the storm, but city workers were still shoveling crosswalks Tuesday.

Residents and officials said there's much more work to be done.

Hoboken public safety spokeswoman Marci Rubin said Monday that the city will follow its longtime plan is to dump the snow on a closed-off part of Jefferson Street near the city's border. Patch found the pile Tuesday afternoon:

(Want to name this snow pile? Some forecasters referred to the snowstorm as "Storm Fern" — but what would you call the Hoboken ice pile that Fern birthed? Send your suggestions to Patch.)

City spokeswoman Marilyn Baer told Patch on Tuesday, "Snow removal operations are ongoing, so you will continue to see additional snow deposited there as the removal process continues. To clarify, snow is not hauled to this site continuously or immediately after it falls.

"Following a storm, snow is first pushed and temporarily staged in smaller piles near the curb throughout the city in order to restore basic access as quickly as possible. Once those smaller piles are made, City crews then begin the labor-intensive task of removing the largest piles from streets and sidewalks and transporting them to the snow stockpile."

'Day 3'

Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher said Tuesday that the current phase of the storm response, removing the snow from parking spots and intersections, "matters because it directly affects pedestrian safety, accessibility, drainage, and the ability to move around the city safely."

Fisher said she had heard praise from residents for new Mayor Emily Jabbour and the city's communications about the storm. But some crosswalks remain impassible.

"I dropped an 83-year-old senior off last night who lives near Second and Garden," she said. "That intersection was completely impassable for pedestrians on all four corners."

In response to storm updates on the web, one resident wrote on Tuesday, "The bus stop at Ninth Street is severely neglected, with only two very narrow foot paths over snow and ice."

Parking Updates

The city lifted its state of emergency on Tuesday at 9 a.m. Officials said the $5 parking for residents in city garages would expire at 4 p.m.

The city said it had cleared emergency routes on Third Street and Fourth Street for parking. They later said they'd cleared Washington Street, Grand Street, and some other blocks, but certain streets still remain unavailable for parking. They're posting updates as they clear more areas. (See the latest update here.)

Not Always Fun

On Tuesday, the Hoboken library reopened after two days of closure. They thanked their facilities team for clearing the pathways to the building, including in front of the book drop.

"Snow days look cozy on the internet," they wrote, "but they take real work behind the scenes."