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New York City preparing for massive blizzard – Metro US

New York City preparing for massive blizzard

New York City preparing for massive blizzard
Spencer Platt, Getty Images

A blizzard set to hit New York City on Monday evening could be the end of this winter’s unusually low snowfall.

Mayor Bill de Blasio urged New Yorkers to prepare for what could be one of the top storms in the city’s history.

“Prepare for something worse than we’ve ever seen before,” de Blasio said at a press conference with Department of Sanitation and other transportation officials.

The National Weather Service, which issued a blizzard warning through Tuesday evening, expects between 18 and 24 inches of snowfall in the New York City area between 7 a.m. Monday and 7 p.m. on Tuesday. Snow will start falling on Sunday night, and fall steadier and heavier, with the bulk of the snow blanketing the area late Monday and early Tuesday.

Alternate side parking and garbage pickup have been suspended on Monday and Tuesday. Schools are open on Monday.

De Blasio said roads will be “treacherous,” and advised New Yorkers to take mass transit or work from home if possible. The mayor said those walking on the streets should be mindful of slippery conditions, and city parks will close Monday afternoon as a precaution. Elderly neighbors should be checked on, and any hot water or heat outages should be reported to 311.

The mayor said 2,400 workers will work 12 hour shifts to clear the city’s 6,000 miles of roads, and 500 salt spreaders.

“This storm has the potential to get us to what were supposed to see in one season,” said Joe Pollina, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

Pollina said Sunday that Brooklyn and Queens are closest to the low-pressure system, and those boroughs may see more snow than Manhattan. Temperatures will stay in the 20s on Monday.

After the storm, the middle of the week will remain cold and dry, with light snow forecasted for Thursday night into Friday morning.