A blizzard warning was to remain in effect until 1 p.m. Sunday, said Lt. Matthew Tiedemann, the Bergen County Office of Emergency Management coordinator.
After that, temperatures were expected to warm somewhat -- perhaps to around 30 degrees -- before dropping again after nightfall.
Strong winds -- with gusts approaching 40 miles an hour -- turned the heavy snowfall into a blizzard.
This made driving extremely hazardous.
Youngsters, dogs and adults frollicked in the winter wonderland.
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Although most people heeded authorities' warnings, not enough of them stayed home, Bergen County Jim Tedesco told Daily Voice.
"There are still too many cars on the road," Tedesco said while out with a snow plow. "It’s causing problems for snow removal operations."
SEE: Amount Of Drivers On Snowy Roads 'Disheartening,' Bergen Executive Says
Lt. Matthew Tiedemann, the county Office of Emergency Management coordinator, asked local police departments to post notices uring people to stay off the roads.
Some municipalities closed roads: Leonia closed its stretch of Fort Lee Road from the Fort Lee border to Broad Avenue for safety reasons. New York City shut down all of its bridges and tunnels.
Once the storm ended, Paramus Mayor Rich LaBarbiera said, DPW crews in his town would "hit all the streets so hard so that when we all wake up tomorrow morning, they'll be clear."
That couldn't happen unless people stay off them, he warned.
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This story was reported by Daily Voice Community Editors Joshua Jongsma and Matthew Speiser, Assistant Managing Editor Cecilia Levine and Managing Editor Jerry DeMarco. KEEP CHECKING BACK FOR CONTINUING COVERAGE
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