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What to know
- A powerful winter storm that has triggered weather alerts across the US is causing coastal flooding and downing trees on Long Island, Queens and parts of the Jersey Shore. Travel is chaos.
- More than 125,000 people in the tri-state area were without power by mid-day Friday, with Connecticut (nearly 90K) experiencing the most outages. NY had about 30 thousand customers.
- Winds of 50-60 mph with rain are expected through Friday before temperatures drop above 30 degrees within a few hours. A dangerous cold can lead to flash snow overnight; Highs will remain in the low to mid 20s this weekend, increasing the risk of snow
A severe winter storm that has threatened holiday travel for nearly 200 million Americans has flooded parts of New York, knocked out power to tens of thousands of customers and buried the US states in wind-blown snow.
Gov. Cathy Hochul declared a state of emergency for the Big Apple ahead of the storm, encouraging vacationers to either move or delay their plans as the multi-faceted storm produced winds of around 60 mph and rain that could inundate coastal areas with up to 3 feet of water. Watch High Tides here.
Reports came in early Friday that several cars were stranded during high tides in Freeport, Long Island. No injuries were reported there immediately. Across the city, crews were prioritizing parts of southern Queens that were hit hard by the early morning storm. As the tide recedes, the remaining flooding will be resolved. A Friday night is not supposed to be bad.
Meanwhile, major Empire and Garden highways are blocked by water or fallen trees or both. A commercial vehicle ban is in effect for portions of the NY Thruway as part of Hochul’s emergency order. Across the river in New Jersey, all government offices were closed by order of the governor.
Get real-time transit updates here and track live weather radar as the storm hits.
Check out the latest from Gabi Acevedo, Brian Thompson, and Tracy Strahan from Long Island, the Jersey Shore, and New York City as the tide gets stronger.
The winter siege began Thursday, and while other parts of the country are seeing blizzard-like conditions, it doesn’t look like much of a winter storm in the area. It triggered early flood warnings for New York’s Rockland, Ulster and Dutchess counties. More flooding is expected, especially along the coast and other vulnerable areas.
No widespread flooding is likely, but New York City could receive 2 to 3 inches of rain as the system exits. The Office of Emergency Management has issued a flood warning for southern Queens and separate flood watches for the other four boroughs, saying it is preparing for high winds, heavy rain and freezing temperatures.
Track live weather radar and travel impacts as the storm hits here.
High tides and high tides can lead to 1 to 3 feet of inundation in low-lying areas during high tides. This may cause road closures and flooding in low-lying areas near waterfronts, but some flooding may extend inland from waterfronts, so be aware of the weather. Check here for the latest weather alerts for your area.
Wind gusts will top 50 mph for the I-95 corridor, strong enough to cause extensive damage and trigger power outages, which could be dangerous if cold weather approaches.
About 100,000 people were without power in Connecticut as of mid-day Friday, and about 31,000 were without power in New York. New Jersey was already seeing nearly 2,000 delays — but the worst of the wind was still to come.
Wind advisories are in place for the entire tri-state area. Sustained winds will be 20-30 mph.
Don’t let Friday’s early temperatures fool you either. Yes, it will climb into the mid-50s in the afternoon, but strong winds will bring killer chilly weather, freezing all that rain and creating treacherous conditions for travel.
Another shower of rain or snow is possible around midday, as temperatures begin to drop.
As dangerous Arctic air moves in quickly, the mercury will drop to around 30 degrees in a matter of hours. Wind chills will be at or below zero before dark, and temperatures will be in the twenties Friday night, and a wind chill warning is in effect for much of central and northwestern New Jersey as well as parts of the Hudson Valley.
Any wet surface, including roadways, can quickly turn to ice on Christmas Eve or the night before when many are out early. Wind chill warnings are in effect for much of central and northwestern New Jersey, with outside temperatures as low as -5 to -15 – which could result in frostbite on exposed skin within 30 minutes.
Ripple’s national impact — and what’s next
Wherever you fly, the weather will have a domino effect — so pack your patience. Airlines have issued alerts ahead of the storm. United had one for the east coast.
Anyone scheduled to travel between now and December 25th will not pay a fee or fare difference on United flights, provided travel is originally scheduled in the ticketed cabin and the ticket was purchased before December 18th. It’s the rebooking window. From December 22 to December 28.
American Airlines has issued a travel alert saying JetBlue will change fares for those traveling to or from Chicago, Kansas City, Milwaukee and Minneapolis/St. Paul, given the significant Midwest snow. Southwest Airlines said it canceled 500 of its 4,000 flights scheduled for Thursday and Friday in an effort to maintain safe operations for both passengers and crew.
Alerts may change depending on weather and airlines, so travelers are advised to check with their carriers.
Gaby Acevedo reports on winter storms affecting holiday travel
The Christmas weekend will be sunny, but windy and bitterly cold, possibly the coldest in decades. Temperatures aren’t expected to reach freezing — albeit high — until next Tuesday, at the earliest.
The Department of Sanitation will salt the streets to prevent black ice – and for the first time, the city will also salt the bike lanes. Officials are asking travelers to get off the road if possible and take mass transit instead.
We should get back above that mark to close out the year, with the long-range forecast predicting a high of 40 degrees on December 29th. It’s still too early to know the New Year’s Eve forecast for sure, but it looks like it is now. In comparison, it can be a heat wave, with a temperature of 50 degrees. Stay with Storm Team 4 for updates.
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