A day after the new NYC mayor was sworn in, it looks like he will be busy digging his brand new city from under "blizzardlike" conditions including 5-6 inches of snow, which it seems are enough for New York governor Andrew Cuomo to declare...
Statewide state of emergency declared --> stay off the roads if you can #blizzard [4] #StormWatch [5] #NYS [6]
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) January 2, 2014 [7]
The road closures are already known:
At midnight tonight the #LIE [8], 87-S and I-84 will be closed until 5AM #blizzard [4] #winterstorm [9]
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) January 2, 2014 [10]
Finally, some details on what to expect [11]:
Authorities are prepping hundreds of plows and tons of salt, shutting down highways and making contingency plans for mass transportation as a powerful nor'easter that is expected to dump up to 10 inches of snow on parts of the tri-state area and bring caustic 25-mph winds bears down on the East Coast.
A blizzard warning is in effect for Long Island, and winter storm warnings are in effect for most of the tri-state through Friday morning and hundreds of flights at the region's three primary airports were canceled by mid-afternoon Thursday. A winter storm watch is in effect for central New Jersey and points south.
Flurries began falling late Wednesday into Thursday, leaving a light dusting of snow on roads and walkways for the first commute of the new year. Forecasters say snowfall will become heavier and steadier Thursday evening into Friday, accompanied by plunging temperatures and whipping winds that will make it feel like 10 degrees below zero in some spots overnight.
Gov. Cuomo has already announced the Long Island Expressway will be shut down at midnight within Nassau and Suffolk. The Queens section of the L.I.E. will remain open. Route 87 south of Albany will also be closed, and all of Route 84 will be shut down.
The roads will be reopened at 5 a.m., if conditions allow.
In New York City, 6 to 8 inches of fluffy snow are expected by Friday morning, and 8 to 10 inches of snow are possible north and west of the city and Long Island. Three to 6 inches are expected to fall in central and southern New Jersey.
The snowfall will combine with winds gusting up to 35 miles per hour to create possible white-out conditions, severely hampering visibility late Thursday into Friday, particularly in areas expected to see more accumulation. Drivers are urged to stay off the roads after Thursday afternoon.
The winds will cause the snow to drift onto roads, and the frigid temperatures will prevent any melting, which could make for dangerously slick roads for Friday's morning commute.
Mass transit is a "prudent option, given that highways may be closed," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a conference call with reporters Wednesday.