NEW YORK (PIX11) – New York City issued a “Snow Alert” for Monday and Tuesday, as a storm system threatens to bring as many as 5 inches of snow to the five boroughs.
The Snow Alert, issued by the Department of Sanitation, will be in effect from 4 p.m. Monday to 9 a.m. Tuesday. A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for New York City and coastal areas through Tuesday morning. A Winter Storm Warning is in effect north and west of New York City.
Folks can expect early sunshine to fade behind clouds in the afternoon, with rain and snow developing during the evening. New York City and northern New Jersey could see snow and sleet accumulation of 3 to 5 inches, according to the National Weather Service. Long Island could get between 2 and 4 inches of snow. The snow is expected to mix with sleet overnight before switching over to rain and sleet by Tuesday morning.
Snowfall was expected to begin in the New York City area between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Heavy snow will fall for several hours before sleet begins to mix in. In areas north and west of New York City, precipitation will remain all snow. In New York City, the snow-sleet mix will continue overnight before switching over to rain by Tuesday morning.
The Department of Sanitation (DSNY) is preparings its full fleet of 700 salt spreaders ahead of the storm’s arrival, officials said. Crews will also treat roadways with brine ahead of the evening rush hour commute. DSNY’s snowplows will be deployed after 2 inches of snow has fallen.
Alternate side parking has been suspended for Tuesday. However, parking meters will remain in effect. Garbage collection will continue as scheduled, according to DSNY.
Some school districts in the New York and New Jersey area have announced delayed openings for Tuesday in anticipation of the snowfall. New York City public school students no longer get snow days. If school officials deem the weather too dangerous for students to travel in, students will pivot to remote learning for the day, however, no such call had been made, as of 4 p.m. Monday.
This has been the least snowy winter to date for the New York City area, according to the National Weather Service.
With less than a month left until the start of spring, less than an inch of snow has been recorded at each climate station in the region. Usually, those stations will have seen an average of about 17-21 inches from the start of December through Feb. 18, according to the NWS.
