Preparing for snow: Winter Storm Warnings issued in Tri-State

NEW YORK (WABC) — Winter Storm Warnings have been issued for parts of New Jersey and Long Island and the rest of the Tri-State, including NYC, remains under a Winter Weather Advisory.

They system is expected to bring quick-moving snow and high winds, prompting warnings for Suffolk County on Long Island and Monmouth and Ocean counties in New Jersey.

The timing of the storm could impact the morning commute, making travel difficult with hazardous conditions. The peak snowfall is expected between 4 and 8 a.m.

In New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy has announced a State of Emergency that goes into effect at 10 p.m. due to the storm. He anticipates a delayed opening in state officers on Friday.

RELATED | Watches, warnings and advisories from the National Weather Service

The New York City area could get up to six inches of snow overnight and into Friday morning and the Department of Sanitation has issued a Snow Alert for the city.

The alert went into effect Thursday at 7 p.m. and will last through 7 p.m. Friday and officials say more than 330,000 tons of salt are on hand for the storm while more than 700 salt spreaders are being deployed and 1,600 plows will be at the ready.

Gov. Kathy Hochul is also advising New Yorkers to avoid unnecessary travel as heavy snow and wind could cause dangerous road conditions across the state.

In the New York City, Long Island, and the Mid-Hudson Regions, up to six inches or more of snow is expected in some locations with winds gusting up to 40 mph. Given the forecast, New Yorkers, especially those in downstate regions, are being encouraged to utilize mass transit for commutes.

School Closures

Dozens of schools announced closures or delayed openings for Friday morning. Click here for a full list.

However, New York City school buildings will be open Friday and the city said all programs and activities will be held as scheduled.

MTA Preparations:

The MTA is urging customers to avoid non-essential travel ahead of the Friday morning commute.

Metro-North will operate on a Saturday schedule with additional trains during morning and evening peak periods. The agency says all articulated buses will be fitted with chains ahead of the Friday morning commute.

MTA employees will be throughout the operating region spreading salt and clearing surfaces of snow, keeping signals, switches, and third rail operating, and will attend to any weather-related challenges.

“While we are encouraging riders to avoid non-essential travel, the subway, bus and paratransit system will be running for those who need it,” said Craig Cipriano, New York City Transit Interim President. “Subway crews will be out before, during and after the storm to make sure staircases and platforms are clear. On buses, articulated buses will be fitted for chains ahead of the Friday morning rush hour. We will continue to carefully monitor road conditions and will be working with our partners at the New York City Department of Sanitation to make sure bus routes are passable.”

DSNY Snow Alert:

The DSNY Snow Alert means trash and recycling will be delayed during snow removal and Mayor Eric Adams announced that Alternate Side Parking regulations will be suspended through Saturday to facilitate snow operations.

Officials said 22% of the department was out sick as of Thursday, but that number was fluid and fluctuating each day.

“We ask all New Yorkers to give us the time we need, remember the men and women who are going to be fighting the storm for you are also the men and women who pick up your refuse and recycling, so we will be in a service delay as we respond to the storm,” Sanitation Commissioner Edward Grayson said. “However, our head count — despite COVID outages — is very very adequate for this storm. We are going to have thousands of sanitation workers out there plowing, salting and making sure New York City is safe.”

The city says Open Restaurants roadway dining may operate as normal during the storm if the business owner deems it is safe to do so. To prevent damage from the weight of snow, restaurants should remove the tops of structures if possible or regularly clear snow off, without putting it back into the street.

While the DSNY’s initial focus during an active snow event is to keep the roadways clear for emergency vehicles to ensure New Yorkers never lose access to critical medical, fire and police services, plowing and salting of bike lanes will begin after the emergency roadway work is underway. Protected bike lanes will be pretreated with brine and cleared as quickly as possible. Property owners may not move snow from sidewalks into bike lanes.

City officials are reminding property owners, including restaurants with outdoor dining structures, that they may not push snow into the street, including bike lanes. Snow may be moved against the building, to the curb line, or areas on private property.

Sidewalks should be passable for all pedestrians, including a minimum 4-foot clear path, where possible.

Con Edison safety tips:

-Do not go near downed wires. Treat downed wires as if they are live. Never attempt to move them or touch them with any object. Be mindful that downed wires can be hidden from view by snow, tree limbs, leaves or water.
-Report all downed wires to Con Edison and your local police department immediately. If a power line falls on your car while you’re in it, stay inside the vehicle and wait for emergency personnel.
-Members of the public should also avoid transformers that are brought to the ground. The transformers are gray metal drums attached to the wires and poles.

-Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for installing and using a portable generator. Never plug a generator into a wall unit, use it indoors, or set it up outdoors near open home windows or air-handling vents.
-If your power goes out, disconnect or turn off appliances that would otherwise turn on automatically when service is restored. If several appliances start up at once, the electric circuits may overload.
-Charge your cellphones and other mobile devices while you have power.
-Make sure your flashlights and any battery-operated radios are working. Have a supply of extra batteries. Weather updates and news on electrical service can be heard on local radio and television stations.

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