Heavy snowfall is expected to begin in New York City Sunday afternoon, and meteorologists now say we could see up to two feet of snow.
According to the National Weather Service’s latest forecast, New Yorkers could expect between 16 and 24 inches of snow starting at 1 p.m. Sunday to 6 p.m. Monday. The forecast also said wind gusts could get as high as 60 miles per hour, with the heaviest snow and strongest winds overnight.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said that Department of Sanitation workers were already up and ready to salt roads throughout the city and dispatch plow trucks to clear the road from snow. According to Mamdani’s office, the department has prepped over 2,200 vehicles and 700 salt spreaders.
The mayor is expected to make a decision on moving Monday’s public school classes to remote learning by noon Sunday.
Meanwhile the Mamdani administration and the National Weather Service are warning New Yorkers of the dangers of the upcoming blizzard. Meteorologists said there will likely be whiteout conditions, meaning visibility could drop below a quarter of a mile due to the blowing snow.
The strong winds could also cause random power outages if tree branches fall on power lines.
Officials said New Yorkers should restrict travel to emergencies only.
“I’m urging all New Yorkers to look out for yourselves and your neighbors: stay home if you can, stay safe, and stay connected through Notify NYC for real-time updates,” Mamdani said in a statement.
Mamdani was applauded for his administration’s response to last month’s historic snowstorm the day after the snow made landfall. But in the following weeks, lawmakers questioned the city’s response to New Yorkers seeking shelter from freezing temperatures that followed after more and more people were dying while outside in the cold.
A “code blue” was put into effect Saturday, meaning when temperatures drop below 32 degrees, the city will guarantee shelter for homeless New Yorkers. Mamdani said the homeless outreach teams will “expand their efforts” through Tuesday morning, including deploying 22 warming buses, 11 hospital spaces and 13 school locations.
“Our city doesn’t wait for a crisis to act — we organize, we prepare, and we take care of each other. As this snowstorm approaches, our administration is mobilizing every resource available to keep New Yorkers safe, informed, and warm,” Mamdani said in a statement. “Our agencies will be here plowing streets, salting roads, and opening warming centers in every borough because public safety is a public responsibility.”
