New Yorkers who procrastinated about making Valentine’s Day reservations Friday night now have the perfect out—another winter snowstorm is set to hit the tri-state area. New York City is expected to get 6 to 10 inches of snowfall when all is said and done by 6 a.m. Friday. It’s the fifth snowstorm of 2014 to hit New York City, which has already seen about 33 inches of snow this year.
As an added bonus to warnings from the National Weather Service of heavy snowfall, there will be 15 to 25 mph winds, with gusts of up to 40 mph. The temperature will be in the low 30s. Already accumulated snowfall from recent storms has left pockets of thick ice on the ground and frozen piles of unmelted snow along many curbs.
The good news is that going into Thursday, the snow will probably start to mix with sleet and rain. At some point in the day, it might turn completely to rain. But before there’s a chance for everything to wash away, it will likely begin to snow again Thursday night.
At City Hall Wednesday, Mayor Bill de Blasio made light of the weather pattern that has become routine in the past couple of months.
“Depending on which groundhog you talk to, we have another five to six weeks of snow,” joked de Blasio during his preliminary budget press conference. He added that the Department of Sanitation’s (DOS) 2014 budget was raised by $35 million because of this year’s snowstorms. The DOS handles trash pickup and snow removal in city streets.
The harsh winter weather has also exacerbated the city’s pothole problem, according to the mayor. The Department of Transportation has been proactive in fixing the potholes before they become a problem. The agency said that on Feb. 11 alone, they repaired 3,441 potholes—one every 25 seconds.
The weather service has warned that there will be other, greater hazards than stepping into frozen, slush-filled potholes, though. As the snow gets heavy and wet with Thursday’s daytime sleet and rainfall, roofs might start to collapse and tree branches could snap and fall.
On the bright side, workers at the city’s airports have the promise of overtime. Many of them will likely be put on 12-hour shifts to stay ahead of the weather, a step that’s considered routine.
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey spokesman Ron Marsico said the agency has more than 200 pieces of snow removal equipment at its airports. That includes melters that can liquefy up to 500 tons of snow an hour. He said plows can clear snow at 40 mph.
Some bridges and tunnels might have restricted access, depending on how the impact of the weather plays out during the day Thursday.
Epoch Times staff members Catherine Yang and Kristina Skorbach contributed to this report.
Essential Storm Information
Stay Warm
Don’t use your oven to warm your home
Wear a hat, hood, or scarf, as most heat is lost through the head
Wear layers
Keep fingertips, earlobes, and noses covered outside
Keep clothing dry; if a layer becomes wet, remove it
Stay Safe
Don’t use hands to clear a snowblower
Do not cover fire hydrants with snow when clearing sidewalks and driveways
Do not shovel snow into manholes and catch basins
Snow and rain that collects on roofs becomes heavy and may damage buildings
Remove leaves and debris from roof drains to prevent water from collecting
Clean out gutters and clear snow from roofs and drains, especially flat roofs
Power Outage
Con Edison 24-hour hotline: 1-800-75-CONED (752-6633)
National Grid 24-hour hotline: 1-718-643-4050
Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) 24-hour hotline: 1-800-490-0025
Heat or Hot Water Outage
Call 311
Stay Informed
On Twitter:
City alerts at @NotifyNYC
Online: www.nyc.gov/severeweather
On the Phone: 311
On TV: Channel 8
MTA alerts:
Port Authority alerts: www.airportinfoalerts.com
Real time subway updates (on select routes) App: MTA Subway Time
Be Prepared
Trash and recycling pick up are canceled Thursday
Alternate side parking is canceled Thursday
Payment at parking meters is in effect
