New York City is now under a winter storm warning ending Wednesday at 2 p.m.
Blizzard conditions with winds as fast as 50 miles per hour are expected to hit the five boroughs tomorrow at 4 p.m. and last until the early morning hours on Thursday causing some parts of the city to be covered in eight to 12 inches of snow.
On Tuesday, officials issued a series of precautions to help protect New Yorkers ahead of what could be the city’s biggest storm in the last three years.
“This is a serious storm and people need to take it seriously. You need to be ready for a disruptive storm and start to make adjustments now,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio.
Sanitation trucks will begin spraying de-icing liquid and spreading salt on streets starting Tuesday easing the work of plows which will be deployed once the snow begins to fall.
Mayor Bill de Blasio urged New Yorkers to stay off the road if possible and ordered the suspension of alternate side parking for Wednesday and Thursday.
“If you are planning to drive tomorrow to work or anything else please do not take your car particularly into Manhattan or any place else if you can avoid it,” de Blasio urged New Yorkers. “When you get to the evening rush that snow could already be a major factor.”
The city is also temporarily closing down all Health + Hospital COVID-19 testing centers beginning Wednesday at 2 p.m. as well as outdoor dining until noon Thursday. Food deliveries to homes will not be suspended due to the inclement weather, de Blasio said.
Schools will remain open for in-person learning on Wednesday but parents should prepare for an announcement on school closures for Thursday to come from the city at 6 p.m. on Wednesday evening. If schools close for in-person classes, students will not have a traditional snow day and will be expected to log on to remote classes.
The possible snowstorm is coming as the first batch of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines are arriving in the city. De Blasio assured New Yorkers that vaccine deliveries to hospitals and freezing centers will continue as scheduled despite the nasty weather.
