Big Apple Braces for What Could Be Biggest Snowfall in Years

New York City is on track to get its most meaningful shot of snow in years, just as the holiday travel crush hits its peak. Forecasters say the city and surrounding suburbs could pick up roughly 5 to 7 inches between late Friday and early Saturday, with the heaviest bands expected overnight, according to the National Weather Service. If more than 4 inches pile up in Central Park, it would be the city's largest storm since January 2022, when more than 8 inches fell, per the New York Times. PIX11 meteorologists say the dump could even break 10 inches.

The broader metro area, including parts of southern Connecticut, northern New Jersey, and southeastern New York, is under similar projections. NBC New York notes that regions southwest of the city, meanwhile, are likely to be hit with a mix of snow, sleet, freezing rain, and rain. Snow is expected to begin Friday afternoon, intensify through the evening, and taper off by Saturday morning. Gov. Kathy Hochul advised New Yorkers with Friday plans to "rearrange" them if possible, while NYC Mayor Eric Adams asked residents to stay off the roads, per the Times.

The state plans to roll out more than 1,600 large plow trucks, while the city's sanitation department will deploy hundreds of salt spreaders to pretreat streets. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which expects nearly 15 million people to pass through the area's airports, bridges, and tunnels this holiday season, is keeping tabs on conditions and directing air travelers to check FlightAware for delays and cancellations.