By Justin McCallum

The blizzard, originally forecast to hit the tristate area yesterday, has bared down on the Bronx, where there is a winter storm watch in effect until 7:00PM.

Although public schools opened this morning, after school programming, field trips and PSAL games have been canceled “due to inclement weather conditions,” the Department of Education Chancellor Fariña announced in a press release.

“Since snow is expected to make roads slippery, we urge New Yorkers to exercise caution when traveling to and from schools,” Fariña said, citing safety as the top priority of the Department.

Mayor Bill DeBlasio visited the Sanitation Department command center this morning to help organize the cleanup during and after the storm.

“Snow is coming down faster than we can plow it,” DeBlasio announced at a news conference.

Mayor DeBlasio explained that the Sanitation Department is employing all resources available to clean up the storm., including 450 salt spreaders, 1,500 plows and 2,000 workers on 12-hour split shifts according to CBS New York.

“We have on hand 175,000 tons of rock salt to deal with this snow and the upcoming storms as well,” DeBlasio said, noting the two other snow storms set to hit New York later this week.

The sticky snowfall is still making for hazardous and slowed commutes, for pedestrians and drivers alike. Travelers should expect delays and allot extra time to travel, pedestrians taking caution walking and drivers choosing the more frequently plowed highways and major roads.

After the mild controversy of inconsistent plowing following the Jan. 22 storm, DeBlasio stated, “we did a review of our efforts and we’ve come up with some initial changes that we actually were able to implement right away to improve the snow clearing operations and the response to the storm this time.” To see the progress of plowing in your neighborhood, visit PlowNYC here: http://www.nyc.gov/html/oem/html/nycsevereweather/weather_plowtracker.shtml.

With four inches of powder already on the ground, The Weather Channel predicts 1-3 more inches of snow before the end of the night. Some areas across New York City and Southern New Jersey may receive up to 8 inches of snow before the storm peters out early this evening.

As workers return home, it is important to note that alternate side parking is canceled both Monday and Tuesday. Additionally, landlords and residents are reminded to shovel a pathway wide enough for pedestrians or wheelchairs to cross within four hours of snowfall, or face a $150 fee and up to 10 days in jail according to city law.

For additional updates, visit the city’s severe weather informational site here: http://www.nyc.gov/html/oem/html/nycsevereweather/weather_home.shtml.