NEW YORK — Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency for all of New York State Thursday ahead of a major winter weather system that would bring mixed hazards across the state beginning Thursday morning, night and through Monday.
Heavy rain and snow, high winds, coastal and lake flooding, and flash freezes are possible in several regions of the state over the holiday weekend.
“With Mother Nature giving us all she has this weekend, I encourage New Yorkers to consider traveling during the holidays before Friday or after Sunday to stay safe,” Governor Hochul said. “Our agencies are well prepared, coordinated, and ready to deploy resources and equipment as needed to respond to the storm. We want all New Yorkers to get where they need to go safely to celebrate the holidays with their loved ones.”
Thursday through Friday, rain showers, snow showers, and high winds are forecast for most of the state with amounts of rain up to three inches possible in some spots. Possible moderate to significant (1-2 feet) coastal flooding Friday morning due to rain and high winds, with lake shores possible up to three feet above flood stage in Lake Erie and Lake Ontario due to rain, melt snow and strong winds.
Friday through Saturday morning, much of the state is expected to experience high winds of up to 60 miles per hour or more as temperatures drop rapidly and significantly, over 35 degrees in some regions, which will cause flash freezing and subzero winds. thrills and icy road conditions. This will affect the Friday morning commute in Western New York and the evening commute in the rest of the state.
The winds will be strong enough to bring down trees and power lines on Friday and Saturday.
Blizzard Warnings, Coastal Flood Warnings, Lakeshore Flood Warnings, High Wind Warnings, Wind Chill Warnings, and Winter Storm Warnings are in effect this weekend for multiple counties across the state.
In preparation for this week’s statewide winter weather event, New York utilities have approximately 7,700 workers on hand statewide to participate in damage assessment, cable protection, response, repair and recovery activities. Of the new workers, 800 trunk and tree workers were hired by Con Edison.
For updates on public transportation in New York City, click here.
For updates on flight postponements and/or cancellations, click here.
