New York Today: A Foot of Snow, a Tough Commute

Updated 12:27 p.m.

Good morning on this frigid white Wednesday.

Public schools are open in New York City, but closed across much of the region.

Here’s what’s happening:

- Complaints are growing about the response of the city, including initial delays in clearing streets.

- It’s brutally cold, if sunny: it was 7 degrees this morning with gusting winds and a wind chill of about 12 below. Temperatures will not get past the midteens today.

- The snow has stopped in the city - 11 inches fell in Central Park, 13 in parts Long Island, 15.8 in Manalapan, N.J. (See chart.)

- But the wind is blowing the powdery snow around, limiting visibility and causing drifts.

- Mass transit is running, but on a limited basis in some cases. Check the “Commute” section below for latest updates.

- Mayor de Blasio said at a news conference this morning that as of 6 a.m., 100 percent of primary streets had been plowed, as well as 99 percent of secondary streets and 90 percent of tertiary streets.

- Mr. de Blasio brushed off complaints that the city was unfairly slow to plow the Upper East Side. “They were not treated differently,” he said of Upper East Siders.

- You can see which streets are plowed via the city’s plow tracker. Check Plow NYC.

- Schools: See list of closings around the region.

- At the news conference, Mr. de Blasio was asked why schools were opened despite the snow and cold. He said that after consulting with officials on Tuesday night, he was convinced that students could safely get to school.

- “If we can make the school day work, that’s our legal obligation,” he said. “Closing school is a very big deal with a lot of ramifications.”

- Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña said Tuesday night, “Travel conditions may be difficult, and families should exercise their own judgment when taking their children to school.”

- Weather forecast: back down to 7 tonight, up to only 19 on Thursday. Same deal Friday. It won’t get above freezing till Saturday, and then just barely. This snow will be here for a while.

Bryan Thomas for The New York Times A man walked past snow-covered steps in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

Here’s what else you need to know:

COMMUTE

- Subways: Check latest status. PATH running with 10-minute delays between Hoboken and 33rd Street.

- Trains: Full Metro-North service. L.I.R.R. on weekend schedule; buses replace trains on the West Hempstead branch and between Greenport and Ronkonkoma. N.J. Transit: enhanced weekend schedule. Amtrak: modified schedule. Check L.I.R.R., Metro-North, New Jersey Transit or Amtrak status.

- Buses: city buses are running at 80 percent capacity, and slowly, so expect delays. Check status. N.J. Transit buses are running as usual. Check status.

- Roads: Check traffic map or radio report on the 1s or the 8s.

- Air Travel: Many flights have been canceled. Check your flight status here.

COMING UP TODAY

Please check on events for weather-related cancellations.

- Daniel Boulud and other chefs will start delivering meals to homebound elderly residents throughout the city with Citymeals-on-Wheels to kick off the “Chefs Deliver!” program.

- Madame Tussauds in Times Square unveils an exhibition of wax figures in the likeness of past Super Bowl players and performers. [$36]

- The mayor’s wife, Chirlane McCray, takes part in a Town Hall-style meeting on the subject of  immigration reform at the Christian Cultural Center in Flatlands, Brooklyn. 12020 Flatlands Avenue. 6 p.m.

- The novelist Chang-rae Lee discusses his new novel, “On Such a Full Sea,” at Barnes & Noble on the Upper West Side. 7 p.m. [Free]

- Learn how city agencies can support your community improvement project at a free workshop at the GreenThumb office. 49 Chambers Street. 5:30 p.m.

- Last chance to see “The Disinherited.” The director Jay Scheib films and edits a performance of a dystopian Chekhov play at the Kitchen â€" live. The results screen at AMC Empire 25 in Midtown at 8 p.m. [Free]

- For more events, see The New York Times Arts & Entertainment guide.

IN THE NEWS

- The human remains found on the Queens shoreline were confirmed to be those of Avonte Oquendo, the missing autistic 14-year-old. [New York Times]

- When it appeared snow had not been equitably removed from the Upper East Side, some residents claimed Mayor de Blasio was “trying to hurt the more wealthy people.” [New York Post]

- The sanitation commissioner, John Doherty, countered that a salt truck with a faulty G.P.S., and traffic, was to blame. [CBS]

- Governor Cuomo has offered $1.5 billion to expand prekindergarten, but Mayor de Blasio said he would still seek to tax the rich to pay for the program. [New York Times]

- Gov. Chris Christie, amid a scandal that is stretching the lowest point in his governorship in New Jersey, took the oath of office on Tuesday in Trenton. [New York Times]

- Members of the band Pussy Riot, who served nearly two years in prison for staging a protest performance against President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, will perform at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. [Gothamist]

- Scoreboard: Nets beat Magic, 101-90. Islanders over Rangers, 5-3. Devils beat Blues, 7-1.

AND FINALLY…

Do you remember the great snowball fight of 2009?

A blizzard was in progress that would leave about 10 inches across the city.

Two opposing lines of people formed at Duffy Square “as if about to start a game of Red Rover,” as The Times reported.

“Shortly after, arcing white comets with powdery dust tails filled the space between the two lines.”

Shoppers set down their bags to join in. A police officer, trying to break up the fight, was fluff-bombed.

Here are photographs of that unlikely snowball fight.

Joseph Burgess contributed reporting.

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