Photo: Patrick Cashin / Metropolitan Transportation Authority
(New York, NY) — The MTA says it prepared in advance of Friday’s storm. MTA employees have been deployed throughout the region to spread salt and clear surfaces of snow, keeping signals and switches clear across subways and the Long Island and Metro North railroads. Officials say employees are ready to respond to any weather-related challenges with all planned work on hold until the storm clears out. NYC Transit has 35 snow-fighting vehicles in its fleet that have been strategically staged ahead of the storm and operate on predetermined routes to quickly reach terminals and other highly trafficked areas.
Meanwhile, a state of emergency is in effect in New Jersey. Acting Governor Tahesha Way issued the executive order at 1 p.m. December 26th ahead of the snowstorm. She says a severe winter storm will bring dangerous conditions and is urging New Jerseyans to stay off the roads. Winter storm warnings have been expanded to include eleven counties expected to see the highest snowfall amounts. The National Weather Service is forecasting up to eight inches in the northern part of the state. Eight other counties, mostly in South Jersey, are under Winter Weather Advisories with one to three inches of snow, sleet and an icy glaze predicted there.
The National Weather Service expects four to eight inches of snow, sleet and freezing rain to start falling across most of the New York metropolitan area into Saturday (December 27th) morning. The weather service expects the heaviest snow to fall Friday evening between seven and 11 P.M., when one to two inches per hour could fall just south of the New York Metro region before the winter system dries out Saturday morning.
