New York City has suspended commuter ferries after its iconic rivers began to freeze over.
Ferries were suspended because of continued ice buildup in the East and Hudson rivers and across the harbor, officials said.
There was no immediate timeline for when service would return to normal after the weekend’s massive winter storm.
Commuters were only told that the closure ‘may last for several more days,’ NYC Ferry said on Tuesday.
The city has been submerged in freezing conditions for days, with temperatures dipping into the teens.
Chunks of ice have prevented the ferries from operating safely and taking commuting New Yorkers to work.
A ferry captain who has navigated New York Harbor for 16 years called the icy conditions in the rivers ‘nerve–wracking.’
‘You’re moving people from place to place, and you’re navigating through these kind of like ice patch[es] and ice floes,’ Luis Melendez, a riverkeeper patrol captain, told CBS New York.
New York City ferries have been suspended due to continued ice buildup in the East and Hudson rivers and across the harbor
The NYC Ferry said Tuesday that the closure caused by the freezing conditions ‘may last for several more days’
The bitter cold is expected to continue into next month.
A service alert posted on the NYC Ferry website Wednesday morning said no boats were operating ‘across all routes due to continued ice in the East and Hudson Rivers and across New York Harbor.’
Service was first suspended on Sunday due to worsening visibility caused by snow.
The statement added: ‘The safety of all crew, passengers, and vessels is of the utmost importance, and NYC Ferry crew continues to monitor evolving waterway conditions and prepare the fleet to ensure service can resume once conditions improve.’
Exasperated New Yorkers took to social media to vent about the disruption.
‘How am I going to get my child to school in the morning?’ one user asked on Instagram.
Another commenter added: ‘Since it’s gonna stay freezing for two more weeks, I guess the ferry’s shutting down until spring.’
More than 7.4 million total passengers used the NYC Ferry service last year, per the city’s Economic Development Corporation.
Ice floes around ferry piers in the Hudson between New Jersey and New York City
Temperatures in New York City have dropped to dangerously low levels due to the Arctic cold snap
At least ten New Yorkers died during the winter storm last weekend, according to Mayor Zohran Mamdani
The ferries operate multiple routes connecting Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx, including stops along the East River.
New York has seen below–freezing temperatures since Friday night and could remain that way through at least next Monday.
Subzero wind chills have been reported at night as a result of the Arctic air blowing in from Canada.
At least ten locals died during the last storm, according to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Not all ferries in the area have been affected.
The Staten Island Ferry, which is run separately from the NYC Ferry, is operating on its regular schedule.
From Edgewater, service on NY Waterway has been suspended, with a bus shuttle available to the Port Imperial terminal. Seastreak trips to the West 39th Street terminal have also been halted.
The Haverstraw–Ossining Ferry, which crosses Haverstraw Bay and the Hudson River, has been replaced by a bus since January 20.
Ferry service was initially suspended on Sunday due to the worsening visibility during snow
Another massive snowstorm could arrive in NYC this week
Another winter storm could batter the eastern half of the US this weekend, according to the National Weather Service.
The dangerous cold will remain, although forecasts are still mixed on whether more ice and snow will fall in New York.
Regardless, it appears unlikely that the rivers will begin melting shortly.
The Daily Mail has reached out to the NYC Ferry for further comment.