Major road closings are possible Thursday afternoon ahead of a major winter storm headed for New York City. Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images
Major roadways, including the Long Island Expressway, may be closed Thursday afternoon ahead of a major winter storm headed towards the area, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced.
The storm is expected to bring four to eight inches of snow in New York City from Thursday night through Friday morning, along with high winds and frigid temperatures, according to The National Weather Service.
Long Island is expected to get the most snow, with up to 10 inches possible. A blizzard warning remains in effect there from 6 p.m. Thursday to 1 p.m. on Friday.
“We want people to be aware that if the storm continues on this trajectory, with this severity, there is a real possibility of road closings,” the governor said on a conference call on Wednesday.
The road closings could include the LIE and Long Island parkways. In Westchester, it could include portions of I-84 and I-684, the governor said. He strongly encouraged commuters to take mass transit on Thursday.
Another storm that is approaching the upstate area will stretch the state’s resources, Cuomo said.
“We are looking at a serious storm situation and we are preparing accordingly,” he said. “We’re doing everything we can do, but we’ve learned Mother Nature wins at the end of the day.”
The city’s sanitation department already issued its own “snow alert” at 1 a.m. on Thursday, loading 365 salt spreaders and attaching plows when necessary.
