Scenes from NYC During the Blizzard That Rocked the City

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Scenes from NYC During the Blizzard That Rocked the City

Photographer Jackson Krule went out during the historic blizzard and shot the New Yorkers who explored the city during the storm.

First we were told to expect a foot, slowly it became "20 inches max," then 30 inches, and then New York City started shutting shit down. In the end, it was the most snow to ever cover NYC in one day and the second biggest snowstorm in the city's history.

New Yorkers, often apprehensive about meteorology reports, seemed overwhelmed by the storm. By 2:30 PM Mayor de Blasio ordered a travel ban (and also warned against food deliveries), meaning all non-emergency vehicles were told to vacate the streets, or else be subject to arrest.

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At 10 AM on a Saturday, I noticed only a handful of people in Prospect Park. In some parts, the snow was so deep it was difficult to see dogs on all fours. Kids had a particularly difficult time navigating the snow, which for some reached up to their shoulders, though the lucky ones were pulled on sleds by their parents.

People walked in the roadways, as many sidewalks were still unplowed. At the Brooklyn Bridge, the 50 mile-per-hour gusts of winds felt the strongest. The eye-watering skyline was masked by onslaughts of snow, and the Manhattan Bridge appeared more like a blurred-out illustration of the iconic structure from where I stood. The mixture of snow and wind burned any exposed skin. The wind ravaged construction tarps, and, at times, I questioned the structural soundness of the 133-year-old bridge.

The later I stayed out in NYC during the blizzard, the fewer people I saw. By evening, the only cars were giant garbage trucks moving giant piles of snow into other giant piles of snow, with a few unlucky cars buried underneath.

Visit Jackson's website and Instagram for more of his photo work.