NEW YORK, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- A wintry mix of snow, sleet and rain hit New York City on Tuesday as a winter storm moved through the Northeast United States.

Snow arrived in the Big Apple in the morning and turned into icy sleet and eventually freezing rain, creating a wide swath of messy slush and a headache for pedestrians and drivers.

Winter storm warnings are in effect for much of the tri-state area, which generally covers the state of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Major airports in the area, such as the J.F.Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport, are facing hours-long ground delays and hundreds of flights have already been canceled.

According to the New Jersey State Police, road accidents also surged due to the slick conditions. Some 100 motor vehicle accidents took place Tuesday morning in New Jersey, although Governor Phil Murphy declared a State of Emergency for the entire state on Monday ahead of the storm.

Over 2,400 workers have been on the roads with 695 salt spreaders and 1,000 plows across the five boroughs of New York city, according to the city's Department of Sanitation.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio warned earlier on Tuesday on Twitter that the evening rush hour "will be very slippery for motorists and pedestrians" and urged commuters to use mass transit.

Temperatures in the city remained around 32 degrees Fahrenheit, or 0 degree Celsius for most of the day, and are expected to rise above 40 degrees Fahrenheit (around 4 degrees Celsius) after the storm, according to weather forecasts.