The frigid weather caused a lot of misery for subway commuters Monday morning. NY1's Rocco Vertuccio filed the following report.
There was commuting chaos for hundreds of thousands of subway riders Monday morning.
Q: What time did you get on the train this morning?
Commuter: 7:40.
Q: And what time is it now about?
Commuter: It's 10 o'clock exactly.
Q: How long does it usually take you?
Commuter: About 35 minutes. And now, it's more than two-and-a-half hours.
It started at the busy West Fourth Street-Washington Square station just before 7 a.m.
With the temperature at 15 degrees, drains became clogged with ice, causing water to get on the tracks.
The MTA had to cut power, crippling the commute on eight letter lines: the A through F trains, as well as the M and R lines.
Commuter: Two trains, R to Roosevelt and E to West Fourth.
Q: And you've just been waiting for the trains all this time?
Commuter: I'm in the train, and the train is not moving at all.
The MTA cleaned up the water and ice by 10, but delays and disruptions continued into the afternoon.
Above ground, those not impacted by the service disruptions had their own problems: staying warm.
Vertuccio: You've got how many layers on? Quite a few.
New Yorker: Three. I have three.
Vertuccio: And how are you feeling?
New Yorker: It's OK. My hands are still cold.
Vertuccio: Still cold?
New Yorker: Yes, still. (laughs)
Oddly enough, some working outdoors in the frigid temperatures didn't need the extra layers.
New Yorker: As you keep moving, you stay warm.
Vertuccio: So the physical activity keeps you warm.
New Yorker: Definitely. Definitely.
Soon, we will all be warmer. Temperatures are expected to reach the 40s Tuesday and Wednesday and be near 60 Thursday.