NEW YORK (PIX11) — New York and New Jersey officials laid out their plans Thursday to mitigate the impact of an incoming winter storm.
The winter storm is expected to start around 10 p.m., moving from the southwest to the northeast, according to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.
“Every county in our state has a winter storm warning, advisory or watch in place,” she said.
In New York City, precipitation is expected to move in between 10 p.m. and 1 a.m. Friday. It will begin as snow or sleet, with the possibility of freezing rain through 5 a.m. It will then change to rain until about 4 p.m. Friday. Snow and sleet totals are not expected to exceed 1 to 2 inches in the five boroughs and 3 to 7 inches north and west of the city.
Hochul emphasized the importance of preparing early for weather events. Gusting winds could knock down power lines and trees, causing outages.
“That’s why we’ve deployed already 5,500 powerline men and women from utility companies who are standing ready to support our efforts,” Hochul said.
Jackie Bray, the commissioner of the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, said the storm will be at its worst during the morning commute.
Marie Therese Dominguez, the commissioner of the New York State Department of Transportation, urged everyone to stay at home if they can.
Her department will deploy 40 plow truck operators, 1,750 large- and medium-duty plow trucks, 48 tow plows, 326 loaders and 36 snow blowers.
In New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy held a storm briefing Thursday morning but did not issue a state of emergency. Residents in northern New Jersey can expect up to 6 inches of snow with wind gusts up to 30 mph, the governor said. Icy roads will also be a major concern heading into Friday morning’s commute.
“DOT has crews ready to go,” Murphy said. “Same can be said for state police.”
