Three States prepares for a winter mix of freezing rain and ice.
NEW YORK: Communities across the Tri-State braced for a potentially treacherous icy mix as temperatures began to plummet Friday morning.
New Jersey officials braced for falling temperatures and a “rain to sleet to snow” line that “is hard to pin down at this time.”
“We will certainly be monitoring that with our county OEM coordinators and the National Weather Service,” New Jersey State Police Superintendent Col. Patrick Callahan said. “It’s probably going to look like a 24-hour precipitation event, Thursday through Friday night. We’re certainly looking at it.”
Governor Murphy warned drivers that the roads will become “very, very treacherous.”
“It may look like it’s plain and black and a little wet, but this is going to be treacherous in our state, really more central and northern,” Murphy said. “This is one of these days where commuting, driving is going to be very, very treacherous. It gets worse before it gets better.”
Newark Public Schools, like many school districts in the state, will have an early dismissal due to expected bad weather. Other school districts have chosen to close for the day.
Area airports reported multiple cancellations before dawn Friday. According to the Flight Aware website, more than 30% of flights at Newark Liberty International Airport have been canceled.
Large numbers of delays and cancellations were also reported at LaGuardia and JFK airports.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul urged people to stay off the roads as they are “absolutely treacherous”.
“This storm throws everything at us, we have snow, sleet, icy roads,” Hochul said.
She said they expect most of the weather events to subside by Friday night, but until then there will be plenty of freezing rain.
State police announced speed restrictions on the New York State Thruway in both directions.
The speed limit has been reduced to 45 mph on I-87 and I-90 between Exit 10 (Nyack/US 9W) and Exit 39 (Syracuse/I-690) due to the winter storm.
In New York City, the Department of Sanitation has a “winter operations advisory” in effect from 7 am, which is its lowest level of winter messaging.
Slippery roads were reported overnight in parts of the city, including Queens, where a driver hit a utility pole at 171st Street and Jamaica Avenue just after 4:30 a.m.
Alternate side parking regulations remain suspended through Saturday due to last weekend’s snow removal, though if you look outside, it looks like New York is melting with the warmer temperatures and rain. Parking meters are in force.
New York City also issued a travel advisory today through tomorrow, predicting that “heavy rain and sleet are expected during morning and evening commutes with dangerous icy road conditions.”