STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency Saturday ahead of the first blizzard the New York City metro area could see in close to a decade.
Forecasters are expecting as much as 2 feet in the five boroughs and on Long Island from the storm, prompting Hochul’s state of emergency.
“New Yorkers are no strangers to snow and cold weather, but these blizzard-like conditions approaching New York City, Long Island and the lower Mid-Hudson will bring heavy snow and strong winds, with the storm forecasted to impact much of our state,” Hochul said. “As with every weather event, our state agencies are equipped with the resources they need to respond to the developing storm and keep everyone informed. I encourage everyone to take action, stay vigilant and always monitor your local forecast for real-time updates.”
States of emergency allow New York’s government to more readily respond to emergency situations like the impending winter storm.
From Sunday morning to Monday evening, the storm will bring snowfall and high winds gusting over 60 mph to create blizzard conditions with possible coastal flooding and power outages.
On Saturday, the National Weather Service issued a blizzard warning for the city, its first in close to a decade, from 6 a.m. Sunday to 6 p.m. Monday, with the worst of the storm expected overnight Sunday into Monday.
Hochul urged New Yorkers to ensure that government emergency alerts are enabled on their mobile phones, and to register for real-time weather and emergency alerts by texting their county or borough name to 333111.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani also laid out a bit of the city’s plan Saturday ahead of the winter storm.
The mayor said the city could get hit with over 20 inches of snow, and that his administration is expecting it to be worse than January’s Winter Storm Fern.
“I am asking all New Yorkers to stay inside and off the roads for your safety,” Mamdani said. “These have the potential to be even more hazardous conditions than we faced the last time around.”