Jan 28, 2009 2:40 pm US/Eastern
Wintry Mix Dumps Snow, Ice & Rain On Tri-State
Snow Turns To Ice And Rain Around Mid-Morning With Arrival Of Warm Air
Storm To Dump Rain, Heavy At Times, On NYC And Surrounding Suburbs Until Evening
Eye On The Storm: CBS 2 HD Reporters Live From Across The Region
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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Snow fell consistently across the Tri-state overnight and persisted into the mid-morning hours. A warmer air mass turned the snow to slush by mid-morning. Here a man rides his bike on a slushy Manhattan street.
AP
A winter storm that has left more than 600,000 customers without electricity is barreling into the Northeast and causing miserable conditions all across the Tri-state area. The storm is delaying flights and turning the morning rush into the morning slush as communities brace for the worst.
The multi-faceted winter storm settled over the region Wednesday morning, dumping snow and unleashing swirling northwest winds.
Snow, sleet and freezing rain will be the components of this wintry mix throughout the day, lasting well into the afternoon, before New York City and coastal regions turns into a slushy mess from rain and warmer temperatures.
As of midday, the snow had turned to rain in the city, making it feel more like a dreary rainy day in the Big Apple. Heavy snow is still falling north and west of Gotham, making conditions deceivingly hazardous for commuters. It's the warm air from the east that has caused the change from snow to rain.
The mix of snow and freezing rain started throughout the region during the overnight hours and picked up in intensity as the morning rush continued.
Winter weather advisories and warnings remain in effect Wednesday throughout the region.
As the morning moves on, says CBS 2 HD Meteorologist John Elliot, the precipitation will change from snow to rain, complicating the conditions across the region. Once the afternoon hours arrive conditions will mostly be heavy rain, but the temps will border the freezing mark, making the roads and sidewalks really slushy.
"Conditions are deceiving right now in many areas across the Tri-state. While areas very far north and west are still seeing heavy snow, New York City and its surrounding suburbs are seeing rain with some sleet mixed in, making sidewalks and roadways very slippery," said Elliot.
"The northwest winds will give way to an easterly wind that will bring in warmer air," said Elliot. "Once this happens, the snow will give way to a messier wintry mix, dumping rain and sleet. This could happen sometime after 10 a.m. and will persist through the area until the evening commute."
This could complicate matters for the evening rush.
"This could be both a bad and good thing," added Elliot. "At first, the warmer air will wash away a lot of the white stuff, especially in the city, but once the air drops below freezing in the evening and overnight hours, any left over precipitation could freeze, and ice could cover the roadways."
The precipitation was heavy at times during the Wednesday morning commute. In New York City and along the coast, accumulations ranged from 1 to 3 inches. In our nearby north and west suburbs, 3-5 inches were seen, along with some ice accumulation as well.
Warmer air aloft will move into the area beginning late Wednesday morning, but temperatures north and west of the city will remain below freezing through early afternoon, causing ice accumulations totaling as much as a quarter of an inch. The far north and west suburbs will see primarily snow, which will accumulate over 6 inches.
"Although the morning rush will be tough, much of the snow will wash away by the evening drive home in the city," CBS 2 HD chief meteorologist Mike Latella said. "There could be some icy spots later Wednesday night as the temperatures fall."
"The difference between a wintry mix and all snow by the late morning should be around the Tappan Zee Bridge or Interstate 287," Latella said.
On the phone early Wednesday morning with Kate Sullivan and Maurice DuBois was Joe Orlando of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. Orlando reported much smoother conditions than anticipated as of 6:30 a.m. on the long stretch of roadways. Cars could be seen accessing the Turnpike pretty smoothly, but Orlando advises commuters 'to be aware and drive slowly, even if it appears as though the roads are clear.'
CBS 2's Christine Sloan was live from Sparta throughout the morning hours. Sloan, braving the large white flakes, warned of difficult road conditions and school closings.
At 8:35, she once again gave a live update of the conditions on the ground:
"It's best to get an early start to your workday," warns Sloan. "The snow is still falling, plus the combination of sleet and the lingering fog could make for dangerous conditions."
CBS 2's Magee Hickey was stationed in White Plains since 4:30 a.m., where she reported early difficulties and hazards on the Hutchinson, Saw Mill and Bronx River Parkways, but overall, Westchester residents were just fed up with the winter weather.
"Enough is enough already," a White Plains resident told CBS 2. "It seems like a couple times a week we're dealing with this, plus I have a long commute."
The message was the same everywhere; drive slowly and cautiously on Wednesday!
A Winter Weather Advisory means that periods of snow, sleet or freezing rain will cause travel difficulties. Be prepared for slippery roads and limited visibilities and use caution while driving. A Winter Storm Warning is issued when an average of 6 or more inches of snow is expected in a 12-hour period or for 8 or more inches in a 24-hour period.
Travel will be slow at best on well treated surfaces and quite difficult on any unplowed or untreated surfaces.
Winter Storm Warning in CT - Northern Fairfield ,
Northern Middlesex ,
Northern New Haven
Winter Weather Advisory in CT - Northern New London , Southern Fairfield , Southern Middlesex , Southern New Haven , Southern New London
Winter Weather Advisory in NJ - Bergen , Coastal Ocean , Eastern Monmouth , Eastern Passaic , Essex , Hudson , Union
Winter Storm Warning in NJ - Hunterdon , Mercer , Middlesex , Morris , Northwestern Burlington , Ocean , Somerset , Southeastern Burlington , Sussex , Warren , Western Monmouth , Western Passaic
Winter Storm Warning - Delaware , Eastern Columbia , Eastern Dutchess , Eastern Ulster , Northern Westchester , Orange , Putnam , Rockland , Western Dutchess , Western Ulster
Winter Weather Advisory - Bronx , Kings (Brooklyn) , Nassau , New York (Manhattan) , Northeast Suffolk , Northwest Suffolk , Queens , Richmond (Staten Is.) , Southeast Suffolk , Southern Westchester , Southwest Suffolk , Sullivan
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