NYC EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ISSUES TRAVEL ADVISORY FOR FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4 INTO SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 5

 

Heavy rain and sleet are expected during the morning and evening commutes with dangerous icy conditions on the roads

 

Alternate Side Parking Regulations are suspended through February 5 

 The New York City Emergency Management Department today issued a travel advisory for Friday, February 4 into Saturday, February 5. The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for New York City in effect from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday. According to the latest forecast, a low-pressure system and its associated cold front will bring freezing rain and sleet to the area beginning early Friday morning, before tapering off in the evening. In addition, periods of moderate rain are likely this afternoon and overnight, producing 1.5 to 2.0 inches of total rainfall through the end of the event. Any areas with standing water will also re-freeze tomorrow afternoon and evening. This, combined with the freezing rain, will create icy conditions on the road into Saturday.

  

“We are still in the midst of the winter season, and this latest weather event will bring freezing rain and a wintry mix to our area this week. Freezing rain will impact the morning and evening commute, and we encourage New Yorkers to make adjustments to their travel plans,” said NYC Emergency Management Acting Commissioner Christina Farrell. “We encourage all New Yorkers to use mass transit, allow for extra travel time, and exercise caution.”  

 

“New Yorkers should be aware of rapidly changing weather conditions over the next two days, and DOT’s crews will be responding by pre-treating bridges, overpasses and step streets while also clearing catch basins -- and supplementing that work with icicle and pothole patrols on our roadways,” said NYC Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez.  “We will be working closely with our agency partners at DSNY and NYCEM throughout this weather event.  The safest choice on the roads during these potentially dangerous conditions will be to avoid driving altogether.  If you need to travel, please use mass transit.”

   

“We are expecting fast-changing conditions on Friday, as temperatures drop rapidly. Even after last week’s foot of snow, DSNY is ready to go, and asks all New Yorkers to stay off the roads and give space for our teams to spread salt and do the rest of their important work getting the city moving,” said Edward Grayson, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Sanitation.

 

The City’s Sanitation Department is pre-deploying salt spreaders to pretreat roadways ahead of the first snowflake and will dispatch more than 2,000 plows when more than two inches of snow accumulates. 

  

Safety Tips  

  

• Allow for extra travel time. New Yorkers are urged to use public transportation.  
• If you must drive, drive slowly. Use major streets or highways for travel whenever possible.  
• Vehicles take longer to stop on snow and ice than on dry pavement. 
• Pedestrians should exercise caution and avoid slippery surfaces; some ice may not be visible. Wear sturdy boots that provide traction to reduce slipping. Use handrails when using stairs.  
• Take care when walking on snow and ice, especially if you are an older adult. Older adults should take extra care outdoors to avoid slips and falls from icy conditions.  
• Have heightened awareness of cars, particularly when approaching or crossing intersections. 
• Wear layers including a hat, gloves/mittens, and a scarf to stay protected from the cold. And keep clothes and shoes dry, if a layer becomes wet, remove it.
• Keep fingertips, earlobes, and noses covered if you go outside. 

For more safety tips, visit NYC.gov/SevereWeather. Before and during an emergency, the City will send emergency alerts and updates to New Yorkers through various channels including Notify NYC, the City's free emergency notification system. Through Notify NYC, New Yorkers can receive phone calls, text messages, and/or emails alerts about traffic and transit disruptions and other emergencies. Sign up for Notify NYC to receive free emergency alerts and updates in your preferred language by visiting NYC.gov/NotifyNYC, calling 311 (212-639-9675 for Video Relay Service, or TTY: 212-504-4115), following @NotifyNYC on Twitter, or getting the free Notify NYC mobile application for your Apple or Android device.