Govt. Kathy Hochul announced new travel restrictions and deployed members of the National Guard as New York braces for a massive winter storm expected to dump at least a foot of snow across much of the state by Monday afternoon.
The storm has already brought bitterly cold temperatures across the state and is expected to begin affecting southern parts of the state in the early hours of Sunday before moving north to cover the entire state by late morning and early afternoon.
Beginning at noon Sunday, all commercial vehicles will be restricted to the right lane only on all state highways, including the New York State Thruway. At 6:00 a.m. on Sunday, the Thruway’s long-haul tandem vehicle ban goes into effect.
“New Yorkers know how to handle winter, but it’s important for everyone to treat this weather as a dangerous situation,” Hochul said. “From bitter cold to heavy snow that will create treacherous travel conditions, there is no shortage of risks associated with being outside or traveling over the next few days, so I urge everyone to be smart and stay home, stay warm and stay safe.”
Areas north of New York are expected to get 12 to 18 inches of snow, while western New York and the northernmost parts of the North Country could get 8 to 12 inches. The snow may change to sleet Sunday evening in New York and Long Island, slightly reducing forecast totals to the 8- to 12-inch range.
Hochul on Friday activated 100 New York National Guard members with 24 vehicles to support response operations and local partners in New York, Long Island and the Lower Hudson Valley. Service members will be ready and willing to help starting Saturday.
The national state of emergency declared on Friday remains in effect. Early voting in the February 3rd special election in New York will be suspended on Sunday, January 25th and Monday, January 26th. The state is working with the New York City Board of Elections to extend the hours for the remainder of the early voting period to replace the suspended hours.
Non-essential civil servants were ordered on Monday to work remotely where possible. Residents are urged to stay indoors and avoid travel for the duration of the storm.
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