Major Winter Storm Expected to Bring Over a Foot of snow to NYC Area through Tuesday, Blizzard-Like Conditions

By WCBS 880 Newsroom

NEW YORK (WCBS 880) – A high-impact winter storm that arrived Sunday night could bring well over a foot of snow to New York City, and even more to the northern suburbs and New Jersey, before it departs on Tuesday.

While the city and nearby suburbs could see 12 to 18 inches, even more may be in store for inland New Jersey and the Hudson Valley suburbs, according to WCBS 880 meteorologist Craig Allen. Eastern Long Island and the Jersey Shore are likely to see less than the city and surrounding areas as snow mixes with rain.

The National Weather Service is forecasting as much as 18 to 24 inches in the city, eastern Nassau, northern New Jersey, the lower Hudson Valley and southwestern Connecticut.

A nor’easter begins to take shape on Monday. Wind and snow will increase in intensity on Monday afternoon and evening. Near-blizzard conditions are possible, creating hazardous travel conditions.

“We are dealing with our second major snowstorm of the season the first one was pre-Christmas with 10.5 inches of snow for the city and this one could double it in some locales,” WCBS 880 meteorologist Craig Allen said.

Wind gusts of up to 50 mph are possible at the height of the storm Monday. There is a likelihood of power outages.

It will also be very cold. The low Sunday is 26. The high Monday is 34 but the wind will make for RealFeels in the single digits.

A winter storm warning has been issued from 7 p.m. Sunday to 6 a.m. Tuesday for all of New York City, Nassau County, eastern Suffolk County, northern New Jersey, the lower Hudson Valley and southwestern Connecticut.

Eastern Suffolk County and the Jersey Shore are under a coastal flood warning and winter storm watch starting Sunday night through Tuesday. Snow is forecast to mix with sleet and rain along the coasts, pushing the snow totals down there.

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that there will be no in-person learning at public schools on Monday and Tuesday. Students will pivot to all-remote. He said a decision hasn’t been made yet for Tuesday. The Learning Bridges childcare program is also canceled Monday.

All Catholic elementary schools in the Archdiocese of New York, will be closed Monday for a traditional snow day with no remote learning. High schools within the archdiocese operate independently, so families should check with their schools about closings.

“While we are all looking forward to kicking off Catholic Schools Week, the safety and well-being of our teachers, staff and families are always primary, and this is a serious storm that will impact the entire metropolitan area,” said Superintendent of Schools Mr. Michael J. Deegan. “All schools in the archdiocese have provisions for ‘traditional snow days’ in their calendars, and Monday will be exactly that, with no online instruction and all school buildings closed. We will launch our annual celebrations Tuesday.”

Alternate side parking is canceled Monday and Tuesday in the city. Open Restaurants is also canceled Monday. Vaccine appointments scheduled for Monday will be postponed.

“Everyone stay off the roads, we’re going to say it 100 times,” de Blasio said, adding that the city is expecting five inches of snow by Monday morning. “The Monday vaccine appointments will be postponed. We’ll get them done as quickly as humanly possible, but it’s just not going to be safe out there on Monday.”

A Code Blue alert has also been issued for Monday in the city. A hazardous travel advisory will be in effect on both Monday and Tuesday as well.

The city Department of Sanitation has issued a Snow Alert starting Sunday at 7 p.m.

City Sanitation Commissioner Ed Grayson said over 2,000 plow vehicles and 270,000 tons of salt are on hand for the storm.

“This is definitely shaping up to be a challenging and unpredictable storm,” Grayson said. “Very dangerous conditions out there that we’re prepping for, and we’re pulling out all the stops. We’ll have all hands on deck. Our workforce has been split into two 12-hour shifts beginning this evening at 7 p.m. And we will be out there in full force throughout the storm.”

The department has already pre-applied liquid brine to more than 400 miles of city roadways.

Emergency Management Commissioner Deanne Criswell said its downed tree and tow truck task forces will be on alert.

“Our Emergency Operations Center is going to be activated virtually and it will bring together all of our agencies, private partners, stakeholders so we can respond accordingly as the event continues to unfold,” Criswell said.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo directed state agencies to prepare emergency response assets, anticipating up to a foot of snow in New York City, Long Island and the lower Hudson Valley.

“Another storm system is set to impact New York with potentially heavy snow, strong winds and possibly coastal flooding downstate,” Cuomo said in a statement. “I have directed state agencies to prepare all emergency response assets and they stand ready to assist any of our local partners who may need help in the coming days. We will also be closely watching the response of utility companies to ensure any power outages are addressed immediately. In the meantime, I am urging all New Yorkers to pay close attention to their local forecasts and to begin preparing their households for this latest round of winter weather.”

After the storm moves out, Wednesday will be breezy and cold with a high of 34. RealFeels will be in the teens.

Thursday is sunny and not as cold, with a high of 40.

Neil A. Carousso produced and edited WCBS Chief Meteorologist Craig Allen’s snowstorm video updates.