All New York City Ferry service is suspended Tuesday as freezing temperatures cause thick ice to build up in the city’s rivers.
File photo courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office
Train and bus service are recovering from the weekend’s snowstorm, but Arctic weather is causing issues for New York City’s more fluid form of transit: the ferry.
All NYC Ferry service was suspended starting 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 27 due to thick ice in the East River and the Hudson River, the agency announced just before 1:30 p.m. By the time the announcement was made, final trips on all routes had already set sail.
On Tuesday morning, ice at four ferry landings — including the Brooklyn Navy Yard and Atlantic Avenue/Pier 6-Brooklyn Bridge Park — was thick enough to prevent boats from docking, forcing ferries to skip those stops. A number of ferry trips on the East River routes were also canceled on Tuesday morning.
Conditions continued to deteriorate throughout the day, with “significant, continuing ice build-up in the East and Hudson Rivers and across New York Harbor,” an NYC Ferry spokesperson told Brooklyn Paper.
Ice build up in the East River, as seen from the Staten Island ferry on Tuesday.Photo by Michael O’Neil
“Operating in heavy ice conditions requires slow speeds and little to no notice regarding landing service suspension,” NYC Ferry wrote on X. “NYC Ferry crew will continue to monitor evolving waterway conditions and prepare the fleet to ensure service can resume once conditions improve.”
But, the spokesperson warned, the ferry suspension may last for several days, depending on weather conditions.
“We will provide ongoing updates regarding resumption of service as soon as it is safely possible to do so,” the spokesperson added.
Temperatures plummeted on Saturday night and are expected to remain unseasonably low through the weekend, according to the National Weather Service. Highs on Tuesday were expected to reach just 22 degrees Fahrenheit, with wind chill values hovering in the single digits and expected to drop even further after sunset.
The rest of the week will look much the same, with a slight reprieve — a high near 31 degrees Fahrenheit — predicted for next Monday.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.