Gov. Kathy Hochul says N.Y. under "arctic siege" with "dangerous" and "bone-chilling" cold

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul gave an update on the massive winter storm Sunday.

Hochul started by acknowledging first responders statewide who are working at a time when others are being urged to stay home. 

Hochul warns of "bone chilling, dangerous" cold

Hochul said the state is under an "arctic siege" and conditions are "brutal ... bone chilling and it is dangerous." 

"We are anticipating the longest cold stretch and the highest snow totals the state has seen in several years," Hochul said. "Already, records in the state have been shattered."

Hochul said upstate Watertown had a temperature of -34, and it was -49 in the upstate town of Copenhagen. 

"That is not the real-feel. That is not the wind chill. That is the actual temperature," Hochul said. 

State of emergency in New York

New York City is likely to get 8 inches of snow for the first time in years, but totals can be more than a foot in the northern suburbs.

On Friday, Hochul announced a state of emergency due to the storm. The entirety of New York is under the state of emergency, allowing officials to deploy resources efficiently, according to the governor. New Jersey and Connecticut are also under states of emergency. 

Commercial vehicles have been restricted to the right lane only on state roads, and Dutchess and Ulster Counties have full travel bans in place, Hochul said. 

Hochul said the state is prepared for power outages, though officials said is not expecting widespread outages as a result of this storm. 

"Stay off the roads"

"If you can be off the roads, that is the best advice. Stay off the roads," Hochul said. 

The MTA is planning to maintain a weekend schedule through Monday, and that trains and buses will continue to run, the governor said.  

"New Yorkers: stay home. Hunker down. Root against the Patriots - that's up to you personally, a personal decision," Hochul said. "The bottom line is this: we're not through it. This is sort of the beginning. We've been talking about this for days. Different parts of our state are being affected differently at different times, but this is state-wide event. It is unrelenting. We don't expect any relief from this forecast at this time." 

You can also sign up for emergency text alerts from the state by texting 333111 with your county and borough name.