Snow fell over parts of the tri-state Sunday evening, setting up for a slippery Monday morning commute before a wintry mix of sleet and freezing rain moves over the region.
Mayor de Blasio urged commuters to avoid the roads on Monday morning if at all possible, and instead stick to mass transit. Parents should plan on schools being open, he said.
"What we have to do as New Yorkers is do the right thing, do the smart thing and prepare," de Blasio said at a storm briefing at Gracie Mansion.
The National Weather Service issued a Winter Storm warning for New York City and parts of the tri-state region. The warning, in effect from 7 p.m. Sunday to 6 p.m. Monday, predicted that snow in the region will be covered by a layer of ice by the time of the Monday commute. Sleet and snow would make travel dangerous, the weather service said.
The ice-coated snow was expected to be the biggest problem for residents, said de Blasio, who also warned that people should stay out of city parks because of the possibility of falling tree limbs.
In New York City and surrounding areas, 2 to 4 inches of snow were expected to fall overnight, while areas to the north, including the Hudson Valley, were expected to see 6 to 12 inches, Storm Team 4 said.
Monday morning commuters can expect to encounter an ice storm, with sleet and slippery conditions. By evening, temperatures could pose a danger, falling to 10 or 20 degrees below zero, de Blasio said.
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In New York City, alternate side of the street parking was canceled, as was garbage pick up.
The frigid conditions follow just a week after the region withstood tough weather - and even tougher predictions.
The city and surrounding parts of the tri-state region were virtually shut down after last Monday's storm, with officials in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut closing schools, roads, mass transit and public spaces while declaring states of emergency. New York City was spared the worst of the storm, getting less than a foot of snow despite forecasts for much greater accumulation. Long Island was hit much harder, with parts of Suffolk County seeing nearly 30 inches of snow.
On Sunday, Mayor de Blasio acknowledged the difficulties faced by public officials preparing for conditions outside of their control.
“We all know weather forecasting is imperfect," he said as he warned New Yorkers to again make preparations. "This situation could change a lot.”
