Near-blizzard conditions, gusty winds and a stretch of bitter cold not seen in years are expected to hit the New York City area as a major winter storm moves across the region Sunday.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Saturday that snowfall would begin as early as midnight and intensify by early Sunday morning with heavy snow and strong winds combining to create whiteout conditions. Snowfall rates could reach one to two inches per hour for several hours, according to National Weather Service forecasts.
And while the heaviest snow is expected to taper off by Sunday evening, as the snowfall begins to mix with sleet, Mamdani said a hazardous travel advisory will be in effect through Monday. Frigid temperatures threaten to pack the region in snow and ice for much of next week, and officials are urging residents to avoid travel and brace for days of subfreezing temperatures.
“It will be colder than any sustained period that New York has experienced in about eight years,” Mamdani said during a press conference.
Crews of workers have already been at work prepping the city for what’s to come, Mamdani said, repeatedly praising sanitation and emergency personnel for the work they’ve done and will continue to do in the coming days.
”While I am looking into every camera I can find to say, ‘New Yorkers stay home,’ these are the New Yorkers who are going out, they are rushing out into the very conditions that are dangerous enough for us to ask people to avoid them,” the mayor said. “The gratitude I have for these workers … it knows no bounds.”
The sanitation department isn’t the only agency preparing for the storm. Mamdani said NYCHA will also have additional staffing on hand in case buildings need weather-related repairs.
Extra ambulances will also be out in the field and that the city’s Emergency Operations Center will be prepared to send out new units if any ambulances get stuck in the snow, the mayor said. He added that ambulances would also receive escorts if necessary.
Meanwhile, outreach workers have been canvassing the five boroughs ahead of the storm to offer shelter, Mamdani said. He emphasized that no one who needs cover from the storm will be turned away from city hospitals or from shelters or drop-in centers run by the Department of Homeless Services.
The mayor urged New Yorkers to call 311 if they see someone who needs help getting inside or staying warm, adding that 311 calls will be rerouted through 911.
Sunday may actually be one of the warmer days in the extended forecast, according to Matthew Wunsch, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. Temperatures are expected to remain below freezing throughout much of the upcoming week, with highs near 30 degrees Monday before dropping back into the teens and low 20s by Tuesday through Thursday.
“Pretty much highs all next week will be below freezing,” he said.
The accumulation of ice could bring a greater risk of power outages as it weighs down power lines throughout the region. While most of Manhattan’s power lines are buried underground, the outer boroughs and suburbs could face more serious damage.
Crews are expected to work through the storm to clear roads and infrastructure, but the combination of heavy snowfall and frigid temperatures is likely to make the morning commute treacherous.
Mamdani said a decision on whether schools will be remote or in-person would be announced by noon Sunday.
He warned that anyone who can avoid going out should stay inside to keep roads clear for sanitation and emergency workers.
“I urge every New Yorker who can to put a warm sweater on, turn on the TV, watch ‘Mission Impossible’ for the 10th time, above all to stay inside,” Mamdani said. “Together, New York, we are going to get through this. Stay warm, stay prepared, stay safe.”
This story has been updated with new information.
