Updated 9:15 p.m.
A state of emergency has been declared as the Nor’Easter storm targets the five boroughs.
“Welcome to winter storm number six of the last six weeks,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said.
De Blasio said the snow has come down “heavier and faster than the weather service had predicted last night.”
Governor Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency Thursday morning “so that we can continue to effectively respond to the storm and aid communities in need.”
Cuomo said the state is adequately prepared with salt supplies, and said snow is expected to fall throughout the day at two to three inches per hour.
Ten to 14 inches are expected by tonight, de Blasio said, but could be affected by a mix of freezing rain and sleet.
The mayor continued to urge drivers to stay off the road, and said mass transit is the best option.
For the Friday morning rush hour, the MTA expects to run normal subway service, but some express service may run local because of track conditions, the transit agency said. Buses should run at 80 percent capacity.
The Long Island Rail Road plans to operate at 90 percent of its normal weekday schedule, and is canceling 14 morning rush hour trains.
The Department of Sanitation pre-treated roads and began salting roadways at 3 a.m. Thursday morning. “Extra efforts” were made to address tertiary roads as well, de Blasio said.
To track plowing progress, click here.
Alternate side parking regulations and garbage and recycling pick-up is suspended through Saturday. De Blasio said trash pick-up won’t be “in earnest” until Tuesday.
To check the city’s progress or sign up for regular alerts, click here.
With additional reporting by Cristabelle Tumola
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