The day after the second-snowiest day in Syracuse, N.Y., history, people came and went from New Year’s Eve celebrations at bars and restaurants, some appearing underdressed for the weather in their party clothes. One woman grumbled as she walked across a slushy crosswalk in high heels. In some places, the drifts along the sidewalks were knee-high.
On Tuesday, some 24.2 inches of snow had fallen, the most in a single day since 1946, according to Michael Murphy, the lead meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Binghamton.
Maya Castro, a paralegal who usually walks a half mile to work, said she had planned to work from home on Tuesday but realized she needed an item from the office. So off she went.
“Parts of it that weren’t plowed and that hadn’t compressed were, like, closer to my waist than my knees,” said Ms. Castro, who is 5-foot-6.
Syracuse is one of the snowiest cities in the United States, with more than 120 inches of snow in a typical winter. The snowiest day in Syracuse’s recorded history was Feb. 15, 1946, when 34 inches fell.
But even for a place used to heavy snow, the city has seen a lot lately: Since Dec. 1, the city has recorded 58.6 inches of snow, nearly twice its normal amount for the month.
After a brief reprieve on Wednesday, forecasters with the National Weather Service warned that more snow could fall in the coming days, potentially adding several more inches to start the new year.
Some residents have complained that the city has been slow to plow the streets; Ms. Castro said it wouldn’t have been possible for her to drive the half mile to work on Tuesday.
But Corey Driscoll Dunham, the deputy mayor-elect of Syracuse, said the city did its best with the record snowfall along with plow trucks that may have malfunctioned.
“We just had an incredibly historic snow event and today, everything was pretty much operating as normally,” she said on Wednesday. “I understand the conditions have been challenging, but I think all in all our response has been prioritizing safety.”
Rebecca Meyers has lived in Syracuse since she was 10, but this is her first winter with her husky, Frances.
“Normal errands were fine, but walking 15 to 20 minutes with her, I wore a balaclava,” she said.
Ms. Meyers posted videos of Frances in the snow on the dog’s TikTok account, under the handle frankbutlikefrances. In one video, Frances makes her way through a plowed path, with snow to her shoulders.
And as the New Year’s Eve revelers made their way through downtown Syracuse on Wednesday night, Ms. Castro was a few streets over, walking her dog, Mabel, around Armory Square. Mabel frolicked through the snow, jumping in and out.
“I grew up in Buffalo and so, as much as I don’t like the cold, I do love a good snowfall,” Ms. Castro said.
Rylee Kirk reports on breaking news, trending topics and major developing stories for The Times.
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