Season's First Snow Blows Into Parts Of Tri-State Area

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- While a cold and bone-chilling rain was blanketing New York City Thursday night, some parts of the area were seeing the season's first snowfall.

CBS2's Lonnie Quinn reported the active weather kicked in a little earlier than expected, and will also leave the area earlier than expected.

As of 9 p.m., snow was seen in the Ramapo area, as well as parts of northwest New Jersey. Heavy snow squalls were later seen in Toms River and other locations farther south in New Jersey.

The system continued to advance closer to the city as the night went on, and light snow was expected to hit Manhattan and the rest of the city in the late-night hours.

Once the system is out of the area by around 6 a.m., the areas just north of the city are expected to see a trace to an inch of snow, while areas farther north and west – including Sussex County in New Jersey, and Sullivan, Ulster, and Dutchess counties in New York – may see greater accumulation.

The New York City Department of Sanitation issued a snow alert in advance of the system.

The snow alert took effect at 8 p.m. Thursday, which meant crews, salt spreaders and plows were sent out to handle any potential snow removal throughout the city.

"We have increased our staffing, we have filled all of the spreaders but we are not planning to use the collection trucks with plows, we don't anticipate we will have a plowable storm, which would need to be over 2 inches," Sanitation Department Commissioner Kathryn Garcia told 1010 WINS. "We do anticipate that there will be very slick conditions out there this evening and I hope that drivers will please take care particularly as it moves from to rain to sleet and snow."

The overnight low is expected to drop to 36 in the city, with winds northwest at 5 to 10 mph.

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