NYC Braces for Potential Snow
New York City is preparing for potential snow flurries early Wednesday. The first of two rounds of predicted snow could reach parts of New Jersey on Tuesday night before moving into the city. The forecast suggests light accumulation.
- The New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) is responsible for clearing more than 19,000 lane-miles of city streets. Plowing operations begin once two inches of snow have accumulated, and residents can track the progress of snow removal vehicles online via the PlowNYC tool. - Under the city's "snow equity" plan, all streets are part of a route that can be dispatched for clearing simultaneously, a change from the old system of primary and secondary streets. The DSNY also deploys a fleet of 44 smaller plows to clear protected bike lanes concurrently with roadways. - For accumulation between 8 and 12 inches, the MTA typically begins to reduce service on commuter rails like the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North. With light snow predicted, the primary advice for commuters is to allow for extra travel time and exercise caution on potentially slippery platforms and stairs. - New York City public schools are unlikely to have a traditional "snow day." To meet the state's requirement of 180 instructional days, the city will typically pivot to remote learning in the event of a building closure, with a final decision announced by 5 a.m. - Property owners are legally responsible for clearing snow and ice from their sidewalks to create a path at least four feet wide. The DSNY issued 9,495 summonses for failure to remove snow and ice during the 2023-2024 winter season. - So far, the 2025-2026 winter season's snowfall is 67% higher than the historical average for this point in the year.
