NYC snow drought to end Monday with 1-4 inches predicted overnight

The long-awaited end to New York City’s snow drought was set to come on Monday night, with the city alerting residents to brace themselves for at least a few inches of dry, powdery stuff.

“SNOW IS COMING,” Mayor Adams’ office tweeted Monday afternoon. “It’s been over 700 days, but 1-4 inches of snow will fall between tonight at 6 p.m. and tomorrow at 6 p.m.”

After spending nearly two years on standby, the Sanitation Department “has never been more prepared,” the mayor’s office stated. “They have record-high uniform staff and 700 million pounds of salt.”

New York City’s Emergency Management Department issued a travel advisory and the National Weather Service (NWS) put out a winter weather alert from 8 p.m. Monday until 1 p.m. Tuesday. The city Department of Transportation suspended alternate-side parking regulations for Tuesday, though parking-meter payment will still be in effect.

“Accumulations of 2 to 3 inches are expected by daybreak tomorrow, likely resulting in slippery roads for the morning commute,” the city’s Office of Emergency Management said in a statement. “The northern portions of the city could see as much as 4 inches of snow. New Yorkers should anticipate and plan for at least minor travel delays, with difficult travel in some instances.”

New York City’s Central Park has not seen a full inch of snow since Feb. 13, 2022.

From late morning through early afternoon Tuesday, anything hitting the ground “may result in an instant layer of ice,” the city cautioned, cautioning pedestrians and motorists alike to be on the alert for frozen patches. NWS warned of “potential for a glaze of ice to the region,” with untreated or elevated surfaces especially vulnerable.

Temperatures through the week were predicted to be in the low 20s, with wind chills in the teens or single digits — the longest cold spell for the city this winter. The city Department of Homeless Services has been put under an “enhanced” code blue and is conducting outreach every two hours from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.

Once this tempest has cleared, another storm is set to sweep through next weekend, with more snow and even colder temperatures, according to the Office of Emergency Management.

For the tristate area, including New York City, New Jersey, Long Island and coastal and southwest Connecticut, up to a half inch of snow per hour will start Monday evening, the NWS said, potentially tapering into freezing drizzle or light rain by mid- to late morning on Tuesday.

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Farther north, up the lower Hudson Valley and New Jersey’s interior, light snow was slated to start Monday evening and keep falling through Tuesday afternoon, for a total accumulation of 2 to 3 inches. Some areas north of New York City could get 3 to 6 inches, while parts of central and northern New England could get 6-12, Accuweather meteorologists predicted.