Sunday’s brilliant sunshine and gently rising temperatures provided a respite from the blizzard that paralyzed New York and part of the East Coast.

Overall snowfall of 26.8 inches in Central Park made it New York’s second biggest winter storm since records began in 1869, and Saturday’s 26.6 inches made for a single-day record in the city. Some of the blizzard’s heaviest snow bands wound up over New York City and Long Island, sending snow totals spiking higher than the 12-18 inches forecasters predicted Thursday.

The storm’s snowfall total was the second-greatest in city history, missing the record by a tenth of an inch, according to the National Weather Service’s measurement in Central Park, meteorologist Faye Barthold said.

The weekend timing could not have been better, enabling many to enjoy a gorgeous winter day. On Roosevelt Island, a little piece of haven between Manhattan and Queens,  families went outside sledding, surfing the snow, or just shoveling on post-blizzard to-do list – or just to take photos, as I did, since there are so many options.

Always intrigued by the patterns…sand, snow, everywhere; check it out!