First snow in New York causes traffic disruption

New York received this year's first snowfall which led to traffic disruption, flight cancellations and travel difficulties.

The snow, which started on Thursday afternoon, swept across the city's five boroughs, with a maximum accumulation of up to 5 inches in the Bronx, reports Xinhua news agency.

Flight operations at the JFK Airport was disrupted by the extreme weather. Arrivals were reported to be delayed by an average of three hours.

Salt spreaders from the department of NYC Sanitation worked to keep the streets clear.

"Exercise caution during evening commute," Mayor of New York City Bill de Blasio said, warning the roads could be "very slippery" at night.

According to National Weather Service, a winter weather advisory for the city was in effect until 10 p.m., which means periods of snow will cause primarily travel difficulties.

The snow is predicted to change to a wintry mix of sleet and rain overnight.

--IANS

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