Governor Hochul: “Plows are ready, we have personnel deployed, we have our emergency operations center stood up – we've been doing this since Wednesday in anticipation. So a lot of it from our end is getting the salt ready, the generators, we need warming centers, if utility crews are necessary, we have 5,000 ready to go.”
Hochul: “[W]e're anticipating a lot of ice and freezing rain… by six o'clock snow will be in the entire Hudson Valley. Four o'clock, it'll start around the Western Hudson area. And we could actually get about 18 inches of snow in areas like the Catskills.”
And so our team has been tracking this closely. We have a brand new first in the nation State Weather Risk Communication Center that gives us up to the minute information, analytics, what's happening in real time. So this is the first real storm we're able to use this and it's been phenomenal. We can track incredible information that's so important for us to pass on to your listeners.
It will be basically a classic Nor'easter. I don't think New York City will be getting the snow, I think they have to wait longer than the 692 days they've gone without a real snowstorm, so it will not be happening. But certainly the Hudson Valley, the Capital Region, Mohawk Valley, Capital Region will be hit, and really about two-thirds to three-quarters of the State will have eight to 12 inches, which is a lot for the first of the year.
Plows are ready, we have personnel deployed, we have our emergency operations center stood up – we've been doing this since Wednesday in anticipation. So a lot of it from our end is getting the salt ready, the generators, we need warming centers, if utility crews are necessary, we have 5,000 ready to go.
That's what you do to handle this, you be ready in advance. Once you get to the water, even if it's like freezing rain and not even snow, it can freeze once the temperatures drop. It's black ice. The bridges can become treacherous. We're advising motorists – don't go out on the roads tonight unless absolutely necessary. We have a lot of warning on our throughway, particularly for our truckers, because you get a jackknife truck, and they can paralyze traffic for hours.
And that's what we're talking about. It is that traditional line. I think the City will be spared, except for some sleet and freezing rain. I don't think they'll get the accumulation. But again, you can have predictions, but we won't know until the storm is over whether we hit the threshold of counting the snow for the City.
But again, just as you said, north and further west, it is going to be a tough night for people on the roads. And so, the best thing to do – this is the night to stay home, watch some movies, take down the Christmas tree, read some of the books you got for the holidays. And that'll help us with our plows, which have already pre-salted all the roads.
So, we're anticipating a lot of ice and freezing rain, but it should really abate by the morning. So, it's perfect timing in that it's hitting on a weekend as opposed to a weekday when people are traveling to work. So, I think by six o'clock snow will be in the entire Hudson Valley. Four o'clock, it'll start around the Western Hudson area. And we could actually get about 18 inches of snow in areas like the Catskills. We want our ski resorts to have plenty of snow, so this is a positive dynamic for them.
This could be problematic because when we start getting the snow that does fall from this weekend event starting to melt, and couple that with more rain coming in, it'll be a heavy rain event, we could have significant flooding.
Alright, so start clearing your snow, clear the drains, clearing culverts, we're doing all that ourselves. But we're asking homeowners to keep an eye on that as well, so we don't have any unnecessary flooding. But we're prepared for that as well.
