Gloria Chung

Good morning, East Village.

In what EV Grieve dubbed “The Great Thunder Blizzard of 2011,” we were only one inch away from getting the 20 inches of snow that blanketed the city in the Dec. 26 blizzard. NY1 reports it’s our snowiest January ever, our sixth snowiest winter, and the eighth largest storm in city history. This time, “We were ready for it,” Michael R. Bloomberg told NY1 this morning after declaring a weather emergency last night. Grieve has some great neighborhood photos of the storm, including a snow-covered Tompkins Square Park, a fallen tree at East 10th Street and Second Avenue, and a downed awning at Kafana on Avenue C.

Brooklyn-based emcee Saigon has been out volunteering at the Bowery Mission the last few days, handing out blankets to the homeless, according to Bowery Boogie. Over on Avenue D, the homeless were bracing for the snow, as we reported yesterday.

If you’re off for the day and down for some sledding, Gothamist has a list of the best places to get your sled on.

After working up an appetite in the chill, head over to Ray’s on Avenue A and try his new roast beef on rye sandwich for $5. Nadie Se Conoce has a photo that’ll make you drool. Or, head out for some brunch since, surprise, surprise, according to Crain’s, New Yorkers love brunch more than residents in any other metro area.