Mayor Bill de Blasio held a press conference Saturday morning and announced that the city is “seriously considering a full travel ban”.
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“All New Yorkers should stay off the roads so that our equipment can do its work and keep streets passable for emergency vehicles”, he said.
Several above-ground subway stations will shutter at 4:00 p.m., he said, but underground trains will continue to operate. The National Weather Service is predicting 24 to 30 inches for NY and New Jersey.
“This is bad, and it is getting worse rapidly”, de Blasio said, noting that if we surpass 20 inches, this will be among the top five worst storms in NYC recorded history, going back to 1869.
Severe snowstorms are affecting more than 20 American states, with emergencies declared in 10 and at least nine deaths.
By 7 a.m., six inches of snow had already fallen in Central Park, the National Weather Service said, revising its forecast to up to two feet of snow in most parts of New York City and northern New Jersey.
“Expect very rapid accumulation more than in many other storms”, de Blasio said. The MTA was suspending all bus service in New York City at noon on Saturday. Enlarge CARLO ALLEGRI/REUTERS A man dressed as “Batman” stands as it begins to snow in Times Square early Saturday.
Snow is now falling faster than expected, at between one and three inches per hour, with officials preparing for a worst case scenario of 30 inches of snow.
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Tyler Roys, meteorologist at AccuWeather, said York County will also see blizzard conditions for much of Saturday as wind gusts reach 40-50 miles per hour. Coastal flood warnings were issued for parts of Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island.
