by David Cruz

Friends of Donnetta Reid of Norwood thought her crazy by her nifty idea in protecting her car from a snowstorm–draping it with a thin sheet of plastic. But it seemed to work during last year’s horrendous winter. And as a historic storm settled into the tri-state area, Ms. Reid thought it’d be a good idea to bring back her technique.

“When I get ready to go out, I just pull off this plastic and I go,” said Reid, utilizing the thin, $1.19 sheets

to insulate the hood and windshield of her 1999 Dodge Caravan. She laughed at the notion, though she couldn’t think of the half hour of shovel duty should she just leave the car as is. “I’m lazy,” said Reid, a Virginian native still not used to New York’s weather extremes.

The car had been parked around the corner of the Fine Fare Supermarket on the corner of Hull Avenue and East Gun Hill Road. Ms. Reid, like several dozen shoppers storming the local grocer, prepared themselves for what officials are deeming a historic snowstorm unseen in New York, including the Bronx, in over one hundred years. Roughly two feet of snow is expected, though projections have waffled some.

But 2 p.m. Monday, residents still trudged around the neighborhood, stopping by bodegas, laundromats and the local CVS pharmacy carrying bags and moving with haste. “It’s already started,” said a woman carrying to bags of groceries.

Inside the Fine Fare, shoppers buzzed about the aisles, loading up carts and baskets with meats, milk and fruits. A shopper who went by Carline stocked up on Ssips artificial drinks for her family. She had several more hours to go before heading to work an overnight shift at a nursing home.

“As long as they pay me, I’m good,” said Carline. “It’s all about the Benjamins.”

By 4 p.m. Monday, snow had blanketed all of the Bronx. Vehicles trickled out of the roadways, heeding the warning by Mayor Bill de Blasio to stay off the streets. At a news conference, the de Blasio administration instituted a ban on all non-emergency vehicles or face a summons or perhaps an arrest. Schools in the Bronx, and throughout the city, will be closed Tuesday, the New York City Department of Education announced. The Archdiocese of New York also announced that all Catholic schools will be closed Tuesday. The MTA announced it will suspend service at 11 p.m.

Locally, Community Board 7 announced that a forum it had organized with several New York City Council members was put on hold for Tuesday, January 29. It’s been rescheduled for Thursday, February 5.

The snow will likely put a pause on many of the area’s daily tasks. Chelsea Turley, a mother living in Norwood, looks forward to fresh snow banks canvassed this Wednesday.

“I’ll take him out to play,” said Ms. Turley. “Why not?”