Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York state officials urged residents to stay home and avoid travel as much as possible during a winter snow storm that will impact much of the state, particularly eastern New York, beginning Monday evening and lasting through Wednesday.
“There’s no reason in the world to have plans to be out tomorrow," Gov. Hochul said at a storm briefing Monday afternoon, adding that “this could be deadly.”
"This will be a dangerous storm," she added. "Please stay off the roads for your own safety. Stay in your homes."
A state of emergency for most upstate counties goes into effect at 8 p.m. Monday.
Commercial vehicle restrictions for tandem trucks and empty tractor trailers also begins at 8 p.m. for some of the state's major highways:
- I-84 and I-88
- I-87 between Albany and Plattsburgh
- I-90 Berkshire spur to the Massachusetts border
- I-81 between Syracuse and the Pennsylvania border
- Route 17 between Middletown and Binghamton
Parts of New York could see up to 3 feet of heavy, wet snow through Wednesday and snow could fall between 1 and 2 inches per hour with gusty winds up to 45 mph in the Capital Region, Central New York, the Mid-Hudson and Mohawk vallies and the North Country.
The governor deployed 100 members of the state's National Guard, generators and other supplies to prepare for the dangerous storm expected to cause widespread power outages.
“This is going to come down like a brick,” she said. “There will be widespread power outages in a very large geographic area.”
Hochul said state officials will work together with emergency crews to clear the roads and restore electricity, adding repairs will take time, but unnecessary delays will not be tolerated.
"They will work as fast as they can," the governor said. "And if we don't think it's fast enough, I assure you we let them know. I have no hesitation calling any company head and saying: 'That's not fast enough, get the people out there, now.'"
About eight inches of snow is expected in the Finger Lakes and Western New York, where some parts saw nearly seven feet of snow in deadly blizzards around Thanksgiving and Christmas.
The state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services has opened its emergency operations center to deploy equipment or shelter supplies around the state as needed.
DHSES Commissioner Jackie Bray said temperatures will warm into the 40s and 50s by the end of the week, bringing concern and risk for rapid melting and flooding.
"We have begun to evaluate potential for rapid melt, melting, and minor or moderate flooding risks that we will keep our eyes on and report back to New Yorkers," she said.
State Department of Transportation crews are preparing extra plow trucks, loaders, snow blowers and tow plows to fight the storm.
The following equipment will be available statewide from regional crews:
- 1,617 large plow trucks
- 154 medium-duty plows
- 52 tow plows
- 344 large loaders
- 37 snow blowers
In eastern New York, the state Department of Transportation has 259 pieces of equipment, 449 supervisors and operators and 26 supervisors redirected from other parts of the state to the Capital Region.
The Thruway Authority is also responding by making 680 operators and supervisors available statewide, and has more than 117,000 tons of salt on hand.
“This is a long-duration event," Bray said. "This is not an event that will come and go quickly."
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