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Heavy Snow Prompts NYC to Issue Emergency Alert for Monday, Tuesday

Published: February 28, 2023
(Image: Pixabay Free use)

A surprise winter storm has hit New York towards the end of an otherwise relatively mild winter, covering the City and upstate regions in several inches of snow over the night of Feb. 27 and Feb. 28 (Monday and Tuesday).

The New York City Department of Sanitation has issued a Snow Alert for Monday, February 27, 2023, beginning at 4 p.m. The alert is in effect through 9 a.m. Tuesday. A Snow Alert is the Department’s “higher-level” winter weather message, as opposed to the “lower-level” Winter Operations Advisory.

Based on current forecasts, 2 to 5” of slush or wet snow is possible. The snow is expected to mix with sleet late Monday before becoming a mix of rain and sleet by early Tuesday morning. All winter weather information and information about the City’s response to the storm can be found by visiting the City’s Severe Weather website at www.nyc.gov/severeweather or by calling 311.

In a Snow Alert, the Department coordinates with NYC Emergency Management and the Department of Transportation on snow clearing protocol in accordance with each agency’s written snow plan. All relevant city agencies have been notified of the Snow Alert.

Operations Update

The Department’s Workers and equipment are prepared. The full fleet of over 700 salt spreaders will be positioned and ready to operate starting at 4 p.m. The forecast indicates that this is an appropriate event for the use of brine, and the Department is already placing this liquid pretreatment on roadways.

Additionally, the Department’s collection trucks will be turned into snow plows, ready to plow once two inches of snow has fallen. The Department has more than 2,000 plowable vehicles.

The Department is fully stocked with over 700 million pounds of salt.

Trash/Recycling Collection:

No delays to collection are anticipated at this time. Residents may put material out at the curb following their normal schedule.

Alternate Side Parking

Alternate Side Parking regulations will be suspended on Tuesday, February 28. Parking meters will remain in effect.

Guidance for Open Restaurants 

Open Restaurants roadway dining may operate as normal during this snow event if the business owner deems it is safe to do so. To prevent damage from the weight of snow, restaurants should remove the tops of structures if possible or regularly clear snow off, without putting it back into the street.

Restaurant owners may find additional information to prepare their spaces for snow at https://www1.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/pedestrians/openrestaurants.shtml.

Protected Bike Lanes

The City takes the safe passage of our bicycle infrastructure seriously, especially for the essential workers who need to be out in any weather. Protected bike lanes will be pretreated with brine and cleared concurrently with car lanes.

Property owners may not move snow from sidewalks into bike lanes.

Snow Clearing Information

As a reminder, property owners, including restaurants with outdoor dining structures, may NOT push snow into the street, including bike lanes. This impedes snow clearing operations and is illegal. Snow may be moved against the building, to the curb line, or areas on private property. Sidewalks should be passable for all pedestrians, including a minimum 4-foot clear path, where possible.

New Yorkers are also encouraged to sign up for Notify NYC, the City’s free emergency notification system. Through Notify NYC, New Yorkers can sign up to receive phone calls, text messages, and emails alerts about severe weather events and emergencies. To sign up for Notify NYC, call 311, visit www.nyc.gov or follow @NotifyNYC on Twitter.

Find information on Sanitation snow operations along with residents’ responsibilities during and after snow at nyc.gov/snow.

About the New York City Department of Sanitation:

The Department of Sanitation (DSNY) keeps New York City clean, safe, and healthy by collecting, recycling, and disposing of waste, cleaning streets, attacking the scourge of illegal dumping, and clearing snow and ice. The Department operates 59 district garages and manages a fleet of more than 2,000 rear-loading collection trucks, 450 mechanical brooms, 705 salt spreaders, and several dozen bike lane operations machines. Under the Adams Administration, the Department is aggressively cleaning more parts of the City than ever before, including over 1,000 long-ignored areas spread across every neighborhood. With the highest wintertime uniformed headcount in 20 years, DSNY is more equipped than ever to remove snow and ice from the approximately 19,000 lane-miles of City streets.