Governor Hochul: “New Yorkers, you've missed it, but it's coming. This will be the first snow we've had in New York City in 692 days by the time it falls late Saturday night into Sunday…A wintry mix, one to two inches of snow and sleet. Sleet is very slippery. It's ice. So be careful when you're out walking on sidewalks.”
Hochul: “As we head into the Mid-Hudson, Capital Region, looking forward to a foot, one to two inches an hour… Everywhere else, we're looking at about six to eight inches. But here's the good news – we're prepared. New York State has deployed all of our resources.”
Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul urged New Yorkers to be prepared as a winter storm is forecasted to produce up to a foot of snow in areas north of New York City starting late Saturday and continuing through Sunday. Most locations in the Mid-Hudson, Southern Tier, Capital, Central New York, and Finger Lakes regions are expected to receive mostly snow from the weather system, while some places in the NYC Metro area could receive up to two inches of rain, as well as a wintry mix of snow and sleet through Sunday afternoon. The worst weather conditions are expected to begin late Saturday night and continue into Sunday morning for some locations. Governor Hochul urged New Yorkers to continue to track the storm over the weekend and make plans now to ensure their safety throughout the storm, including adjusting travel plans if necessary and preparing for possible power outages.
VIDEO of the event is available on YouTube here and in TV quality (h.264, mp4) format here.
AUDIO of the event is available here.
A rush transcript of the Governor's remarks is available below:
The topic that's on everyone's mind is the weather. Yes, New Yorkers, you've missed it, but it's coming. This will be the first snow we've had in New York City in 692 days by the time it falls late Saturday night into Sunday.
Here's the forecast. New York City, a wintry mix, one to two inches of snow and sleet. Sleet is very slippery. It's ice. So be careful when you're out walking on sidewalks. Throw salt on the sidewalks. Clear your neighbor's sidewalks. And let's make sure you check on our elderly citizens to make sure they have everything they need.
As we head into the Mid-Hudson, Capital Region, looking forward to a foot, one to two inches an hour. If it goes higher than that, it becomes a significant amount, a significant accumulation. Everywhere else, we're looking at about six to eight inches.
But here's the good news – we're prepared. New York State has deployed all of our resources. We have over 5,000 utility crews standing on guard to manage the situation if any power lines come down, especially when the ice hits the trees, the limbs bring them down. And also, it's a dangerous situation beyond the roads if it ends up being a full-fledged ice storm.
We also are pre-positioning all of our DOT and Thruway personnel and equipment. Over 3,600 individuals are now ready, standing by to be able to handle. We also have our stockpile of cots and generators and all the things we'd have to have if the event that a community needs to have a warming shelter.
So it's coming. It's coming. It's coming. You've all missed it, but stay tuned for the weather to shift rather dramatically this weekend.