Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today declared a state of emergency in New York City and 9 other counties across the Hudson Valley and Long Island. Specifically, the counties included in the emergency declaration are Sullivan, Ulster, Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Westchester, Nassau and Suffolk counties.
The governor also issued a warning to travelers and passengers – depending on the severity of the storm, the subway service above ground, as well as service on parts of the Long Island Railroad and Metro-North, could be significantly delayed or stopped this afternoon. In addition, several major highways, including Long Island Expressway, I-84 and others, may be banned from traveling if snowfall rates reach the expected rate of 2 to 3 inches per hour. New Yorkers are being urged to avoid all unnecessary travel. New Yorkers who need to travel should do so with extreme caution and try to reach their destination BEFORE NOON.
“This storm is no joke and the main concern now is that the expected rate of snow of five centimeters an hour this afternoon creates an extremely dangerous situation on our roads”, Governor Cuomo said. “When the snow is falling so fast, it’s very difficult for plows to keep up with it. I want New Yorkers to hear me loud and clear – stay home and off the road and if you need to travel, get to where you are going before midday and we hope to stay home for a while. We’ve been there before and we’re going to be there again. “
The storm, which has already started producing snow in the interior of the state at night, is expected to be a long-lasting event with snow spreading northwards tonight and continuing to some places until Wednesday morning, especially parts of the North Country, Southern Tier and Central NY. The highest snowfalls are expected in the New York, Long Island and Mid-Hudson regions, where some places can see up to 60 centimeters of snow on Tuesday morning. Other locations in the capital region, downtown NY, Mohawk Valley and Southern Tier are expected to see up to 12 inches of snow or more on Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning.
Snowfall rates are expected to increase to 1-3 inches per hour later this morning as the storm advances north. Wind gusts can reach 50 mph or more on Long Island, especially in east Long Island, where gusts of 60 mph can occur, while many places in the state can see gusts of up to 40 mph. Probably, the wind blowing and falling snow will cause reduced visibility and dangerous driving conditions in some places.
For a complete list of weather alerts and warnings in your area, visit the National Weather Service website for your area.