Northeast braces for first major snow storm of the season

NEW YORK — Grab the shovels from the basement and gas up the snow blowers — winter is about to arrive in New England. A winter weather advisory has been issued for parts of the Northeast ahead of snow that’s expected to move in early Saturday morning.

CBS New York reports the advisory takes effect at 6 a.m. Saturday through early Sunday morning for New York City, Westchester, Rockland and Long Island, as well as parts of New Jersey and Connecticut. Meanwhile, winter storm warnings have been posted for two New York counties.

How much snow?

CBS New York reports around 3 to 4 inches of snow is expected in the tri-state area, with up to six inches possible, across parts of Long Island and Connecticut.

A widespread 3 to 6 inches of snow is likely for much of southern New England, away from the immediate coast, according to CBS Boston. 

CBS Philadelphia reports forecasters say 2 to 4 inches of snow are possible in Pennsylvania, with the heaviest accumulations on Saturday.  A winter weather advisory is in effect for parts of Pennsylvania until 1 a.m. Sunday.

The snow isn’t expected to wrap up until Saturday night. A shift in the track of the storm could change conditions.  

At a news conference Friday, the New York City Department of Sanitation showed off some of their new snow removal equipment. Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Farcia says 693 salt spreaders will go into operation bright and early on Saturday.

“We will preposition the spreaders ahead of first flake,” she said. “We anticipate still going out on collections with plows on, ’cause we don’t expect two inches until later in the morning.”

Garcia says she expects the heaviest snow to fall in the afternoon during the middle of the heaviest traffic.

Her advice to drivers? “I would really prefer, if at all possible, for people to use mass transit,” she said.

Also new this year are GPS units loaded with 1,400 plow routes, replacing the pages of written instructions.

In the city, alternate side parking rules will be suspended Saturday but parking meters will remain in effect.

In Westchester, truck engines were revving as workers attached plows in Bedford.

“Getting all the equipment ready, watching the forecasts and having our employees ready to take care of the snow and keep the hamlets clean,” commissioner of public works Kevin Winn told WCBS 880’s John Metaxas.

Winn says his town has 130 miles of roads to clear.

Snow fell across parts of the Deep South early Friday, causing Southerners to panic even though forecasters predicted any accumulations would melt quickly. The threat of even a half-inch of snow caused alarm in a region that doesn’t see regular snowfall.

Parts of Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi reported snow flurries before dawn.