New York City could get most snow since 2022 in latest winter storm
NEW YORK -- With another winter storm in the forecast, New York City activated its Winter Weather Emergency Plan on Monday.
It's been over 700 days since the city got more than an inch of snow, DSNY wrote on X, formerly Twitter, but up to four inches could fall between 6 p.m. Monday and Tuesday night.
DSNY crews were busy disbursing salt onto the streets. The department said it had 700 million pounds of salt on hand and brought in a record number of uniform staff for the storm.
One way streets on the Upper West Side were treated as salt spreaders prioritized highways and other roads prone to icing.
Erin Anderson, who lives on the Upper West Side, said the salt preps made the sidewalks painful for her 14-year-old dog Josephine to walk on.
"It's the salt that is the big problem, there's salt everywhere. Even today there's salt," said Anderson.
The city said 800 salt spreaders are ready to go as soon as the snow starts falling. Plus, more than 2,000 garbage collection trucks can transform into snow plows.
"Whether or not we have enough snow to plow, we need at least two inches in order to plow, remains to be seen," said Commissioner Zach Iscol, with New York City Emergency Management.
Iscol said there's also concern about roads refreezing during the Tuesday morning commute and into Wednesday.
"If we get some warmer temperatures and that snow melts, and then you get freezing temperatures again, now you can have some icy conditions going into tomorrow night's commute. Certainly that's also a concern on Wednesday," said Iscol.
An enhanced Code Blue is in effect due to the temperature drop below 32 degrees, including wind chill, in Central Park.
"We have teams that are going out every two hours doing what they can to get homeless New Yorkers off the street and into shelter," said Iscol.
It last snowed several inches in New York City on Jan. 29, 2022.
Upper West Side residents, like Jane Deckoff, were looking forward to this round of winter weather.
"I'm hoping for a great, big snow and I'm gonna play in it," said Deckoff.
"It's probably going to be fun," said Cadence Balseca.
Charlene Charriez likes the snow, but isn't looking forward to her commute.
"For traveling purposes, a lot of people need to go to work," she said.
Gordon Francis, from the Bronx, was bundled up and bracing for the city to finally break its snowless streak.
"Hoping we just get a little bit and then it all clears away and we can say 'Wow, we finally got some snow,'" he said.
"My kids are excited, they want to sled. Hasn't been really snowing a lot," said Michael Schedler, from Washington Heights.
City schools will reportedly be open Tuesday. Alternate side parking will be suspended, but you'll still have to pay the meters.
Remember, it it stops snowing between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m., the city says property owners are responsible for clearing sidewalks by 11 a.m. There must be a path at least 4 feet wide for pedestrians.
