— New York City officials say clearing snow from the city's streets has been slow going thanks to a winter storm that intensified just in time for the evening commute.

Sanitation Commissioner John Doherty says the traffic of the rush hour on Tuesday evening "bottled" them up in many of the streets.

Mayor Bill de Blasio is asking drivers to stay off the roads so sanitation crews can have an easier time clearing the streets of several inches of precipitation. About six inches had fallen in parts of the city by late evening and up to 14 inches is expected by early Wednesday morning.

De Blasio says a decision on whether city schools will be closed on Wednesday hasn't been made yet.

nyc.gov