NEW YORK — New York City came out overprepared Friday for a weak storm that delivered just a few inches of snow — not enough to plow in most places and likely not enough for the mayor to redeem himself from a disastrous response to a post-Christmas blizzard.
Flakes melted onto wet streets as snowplows — some equipped with global positioning devices since the blizzard foul-up — and salt spreaders sat idle all across the city.
The National Weather Service reported the highest accumulation citywide was 2 inches in Queens. Six to 12 inches was forecast Friday for parts of upstate New York, where dozens of schools were closed, but in the New York City area, a total of 3 to 5 inches was expected.
“They probably spent a small fortune getting prepared for nothing. For nothing!” said Richie Quinn, 53, a butcher who lives in Brooklyn. Commuters who had taken their cues from morning forecasters stood bundled up in winter gear at bus stops or trudged in snow boots along clear streets.
