Update: Feb. 7: 9 p.m.: New York City public schools will be open Friday but after school programs are subject to cancellation, Mayor Bloomberg announced.
Alternate side parking is suspended Friday to allow city workers to prepare for the storm.
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The National Weather Service has now issued a blizzard warning for Brooklyn, Manhattan, the Bronx, Queens, Staten Island, and Long Island from Friday morning through Saturday afternoon.
The blizzard warning is in effect from 6 a.m. Friday through 1 p.m. Saturday for the entire tri-state area.
It is forecasted that the is expected to bring snow accumulation of 10 to 14 inches, with localized higher amounts developing within snow bands up to 18 inches. Wind is expected to blow north at 15 to 25 mph, with gusts up to 45 mph.
This major winter storm is predicted to impact the tri-state area from Friday through Saturday, specifically hitting New York City, Southern Westchester County, and coastal portions of Northeast New Jersey with hazardous heavy snow and strong winds and temperatures falling into the 20s by Friday night.
The NWS said that the strongest winds and heaviest snow should occur Friday evening and into Saturday morning.
Nemo is expected to make for dangerous driving conditions on the roads with visibilities close to zero during “white-out” conditions. It is possible that the strong winds will bring down heavy tree limbs, potentially causing “scattered power outages.”
Technically speaking, a "Blizzard" is categorized by the following conditions sustained over a period of three or more hours: strong winds or frequent gusts to 35 miles per hour or higher with considerable blowing and/or falling snow that frequently reduces visibility to less than a 1/4 of a mile.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that in anticipation the storm, the State Emergency Operations Center (EOC) will be activated starting at noon on Friday to monitor the storm and coordinate response efforts.
NYS Department of Transportation has more than 1,270 plow trucks and 1,582 drivers standing by to pre-treat roadways with salt brine in advance of the storm and clear snow and ice once precipitation begins. NYSDOT also has 366,500 tons of road salt on hand.
It is a good idea for you to check road conditions before venturing out by accessing NYSDOT’s free 511NY traffic and travel information system, which provides real-time travel information, by calling 511 or visiting www.511NY.org.
Stay tuned in with Patch for more updates.
