By David Cruz

The city’s first major snowstorm of the season did dump a batch of snow on the Bronx, but it wasn’t much to put Norwood in complete hibernation. 

It wasn’t quite a dud, though predictions estimated the 2015 blizzard would cripple the the city, including

the Bronx. Prior to the storm, officials stood firm the snow event would be hist oric, predicting as much as two feet of snow would cover the city.

“[We] got about half as much as what the projections had been or even under half as much,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio at a news conference updating New Yorkers on the city’s snow removal efforts.

In Norwood, residents benefitted from Mosholu Parkway, a leafy spur that normally sees several hundred cars pass daily. On Tuesday afternoon, sleigh riding was the order of the day alongside the freeway, with neighborhood children sliding down the steep terrain, which came with friendly yelps.

Christine McNally, a Norwood neighbor, stood at the bottom of the hilly as she instructed her grandchildren to keep their hands inside while sledding. McNally, a supervisor at the Home Depot at the end of East Gun Hill Road, admitted that pre-snow coverage was overblown, though she thanked the city for closing the schools, a decision the city barely takes lightly.

“The call that they made for the schools to be closed was a good choice because of the snow, the driving and conditions would have made it hard for the kids,” said McNally, glad to be given the day off by the hardware giant.

Thy Than, a truck driver, was given the day off. He too spent a few hours along the massive lawn, nudging his children down the slippery bend by Mosholu Parkway North and Van Cortlandt Avenue.

“It’s good to have that day off to be with the kids,” said Thy, who can hear his kids shout, “daddy, daddy, push me.”

Some forewent the sledding for some time to dig out. Modell and Carol Warren, a couple living in Norwood for 58 years, spent a half hour dusting off a layer of snow and ice that accumulated on their Volkswagon. The first major snowstorm wasn’t terrible they admitted.

“The cleanup is pretty good,” said Carol, a blue dustpan in her hand. “The roads were drivable.”

Modell said the cleanup was much improved compared to the winter of 2013, where some roads hadn’t been plowed properly, forcing the Warrens to keep their car in the same spot for ten days. Modell, not a major supporter of Mayor de Blasio, did tip his hat to him for imposing a travel ban starting Monday at 11 p.m.

“Between [de Blasio] and the Governor (Andrew Cuomo), they made the right direction,” said Modell.

On Rochambeau Avenue José Guzman, a taxi driver living in Norwood, cleared his work taxi of snow after

the travel ban forced him to stay off the streets. Assessing the amount of snow, Guzman thinks I’m driving around will be impossible since some streets have not been completely plowed. He suspected the next storm will also shut down business for a bit.

Garbage can be seen piled up on the streets, as the New York City sanitation department put a hold on snow pick up.

Along the Jerome-Gun Hill Business Improvement District several stores were closed given the snow that was expected. Some streets were completely not having cars parked. Some shops saw Margie no business while others or just closed. Some street along Jerome Avenue or cleared but others forced neighbors to walk on the side of the street. Some cars were buried in a mountain of snow.

But on Bainbridge Avenue, it was business as usual for Eddie’s Kosher Delicatessen. Customers trickled into the neighborhood deli for hot-off-the-grill food. Manager Kevin Sardanovic slumped behind the counter and shrugged off the latest snowstorm, calling the result normal. “We’ve seen worse,” he said.

His sister Nusreta, agreed. “The city kind of hyped it up.”

A block up, Altagracia Reynoso, a four-year Norwood resident walking her dog Suzy towards Williamsbridge Oval Park, was glad the city heeded the warning despite the end result.

“This is nature,” said Reynoso. “No one can decide how it’s going to turn exactly.”