Winter Storm Live Updates: Nor’easter Blasts Westchester, Putnam with Heavy Snow

Officials in Westchester and Putnam counties are urging residents to make preparations for the potentially severe snowstorm that is expected to dump 12 to 18 inches of snow in the area Wednesday night into Thursday.

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2 p.m. Update: 

The National Weather Service has released estimated snow fall data in certain areas within Westchester and Putnam counties.

Westchester County:

• Yorktown Heights: 11 inches
• Croton-on-Hudson: 10 inches
• Mount Kisco: 12.5 inches
• Mamaroneck: 12.5 inches
• New Rochelle: 12.2 inches
• White Plains: 12 inches
• Rye: 11.5 inches
• Armonk: 11.1 inches
• Golden’s Bridge: 10.5 inches
• Peekskill: 10.5 inches
• Irvington: 8.2 inches
• Harrison: 8 inches
• Elmsford: 6 inches

Putnam County:

• Mahopac: 13 inches
• Brewster: 11.7 inches
• Putnam Valley: 10.5 inches
• Cold Spring: 10 inches
• Carmel: 10 inches

10 a.m. Update:

Bee-Line buses and ParaTransit service will resume Thursday at noon. Buses are on a regular weekday schedule. Riders should take extra caution when walking to their bust stop and anticipate delays while roads are being cleared.

In Yorktown, AAA Carting will not be picking up garbage on Thursday. Residents are asked to refrain from putting out garbage cans and recycling bins. Thursday pick-up will happen on Friday, with Friday pick-ups moved to Saturday.

Town facilities will also open at noon.

9:30 a.m. Update:

With Westchester County seeing about 8 to 12 inches of snow fall Wednesday into Thursday, removing it will be less enjoyable with temperatures in the low 20s.

It will be a cloudy morning in Westchester and Putnam counties, with a slight chance of snow through the afternoon, according to the National Weather Service. Temperatures will peak in the upper-20s on Thursday, with winds expected to gust up to 35 mph.

Temperatures will dip in the evening to about 16 degrees, according to the NWS.

While Metro-North Railroad is operating on a normal schedule, riders should expect some delays between Grand Central Terminal and Croton Harmon due to storm-related impacts. Officials say customers should also anticipate scattered delays on the New Haven and Harlem lines due to the snowstorm.

Listen for station announcements and continue to monitor this page for updates: https://www.mta.info/mnr and https://new.mta.info/

Bee-Line buses and ParaTransit service is currently suspended until further notice.

Con Edison reported 383 of its 360,045 customers in Westchester County are without power. Power is estimated to be restored by 3p.m. Thursday.

NYSEG is reporting six power outages in Westchester, with all located in Somers. No one is out of service in Putnam County, according to NYSEG.

8:30 a.m. Update:

As of 8:30 a.m., Con Edison reported 354 of its 360,045 customers in Westchester County are without power. Power is estimated to be restored by 3p.m. Thursday.

NYSEG is reporting six power outages in Westchester, with all located in Somers. No one is out of service in Putnam County, according to NYSEG.

7 a.m. Update

As of 7 a.m., the National Weather Service released data stating 11 inches of snow was reported in White Plains.

Overall, the Hudson Valley saw about 8 to 16 inches fall Wednesday night into Thursday morning.

12:15 a.m. Update:

The National Weather Service has released estimated snow fall data in certain areas within Westchester and Putnam counties.

Westchester County:

• Yorktown Heights: 5.8 inches as of 10:20 p.m.
• Peekskill: over 7 inches as of 9:45 p.m.
• Dobbs Ferry: 3.5 inches as of 10:20 p.m.
• White Plains: 1.8 inches as of 7 p.m.
• Rye Brook: 7.0 inches as of 10:32 p.m.

Putnam County:

• Putnam Valley: 7.5 inches as of 11 p.m.
• Brewster: 7.2 inches as of 11 p.m.

As of midnight, Con Edison reported 70 of its 360,045 customers in Westchester County are without power. Power is estimated to be restored by 8 a.m. Thursday.

NYSEG is reporting one power outage in Westchester, with no one out of service in Putnam County.

9:15 p.m. Update: 

With weather conditions expected to worsen overnight, Metro-North Railroad will be implementing an early shutdown of its services. Details for each line’s last operating trains are listed below.

AAA Carting announced delayed pickups in Yorktown Heights due to the weather. Please do not put any items curbside at this time.

5:45 p.m. Update

Updated School Closings for Thursday:

Westchester County: 

• Bedford Central School District
• Byram Hills Central School District: Byram Hills Schools will utilize an Asynchronous Snow Day. Teachers will post asynchronous work to their Google Classrooms for students to complete on their own time.
• Croton Harmon School District
• Harrison Central School District
• Hendrick Hudson School District
• Irvington Union Free School District
• Katonah-Lewisboro School District
• Lakeland Central School District
• Mount Pleasant Central School District
• North Salem Central School District
• Ossining Union Free School District
• Peekskill City School District
• Pleasantville Union Free School District
• Pocantico Hills Central School
• Putnam Northern Westchester BOCES
• Scarsdale Public Schools
• Somers Central School District
• White Plains Public Schools
• Yonkers Public Schools
• Yorktown Central School District

Putnam County: 

• Putnam Valley Central School District
• Brewster Central School District
• Carmel Central School District
• Mahopac Central School District
• Haldane Central School District

5:30 Update

In the Town of Cortlandt, comingle pickup will be cancelled. Scheduled Route 3 Bulk pick up will be as scheduled for Friday. Residents are asked not to put items out for bulk pick up until plowing operations in your area have been completed.

5 p.m. Update

Village of Brewster Mayor James Schoenig has declared a snow emergency due to the winter storm forecasted.

The order took effect at 4 p.m. and runs until Friday at 7 a.m.

There will be no parking on village streets between the times specified to ensure the Department of Public Works is able to clear the roads in a timely manner for emergency vehicles. Residents or businesses with questions should contact the Village Clerk at mchiudina@brewstervillage-ny.gov.

For the most up to date information on closings for the Village Offices, residents can check the village’s Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/brewstervillageny as well as the WHUD Storm Closing list on https://www.whud.com/stormcenter/.

4:45 Update

School Closings for Thursday:

• Bedford Central School District
• White Plains Public Schools
• Hendrick Hudson School District
• Somers Central School District
• Ossining Union Free School District
• Peekskill City School District
• Pleasantville Union Free School District
• Byram Hills Central School District – Byram Hills Schools will utilize an Asynchronous Snow Day. Teachers will post asynchronous work to their Google Classrooms for students to complete on their own time.
• Putnam Valley Central School District
• Brewster Central School District
• Carmel Central School District
• Mahopac Central School District
• Haldane Central School District

4 p.m. Update

Town Supervisor Matt Slater has declared a snow emergency in Yorktown beginning at 6 p.m. He, along with Police Chief Robert Noble and Highway Superintendent Dave Paganelli, are asking residents to avoid travel and remove all parked cars off roadways to allow crews to safely remove snow.

A snow emergency has also been declared in the Town of Ossining and the Village of Ossining. The emergency declaration prohibits stopping, standing and parking  on snow emergency streets. Cars will be towed if left parked in the street.

The recreation department is prepared to have an emergency shelter operating at the Community Center if the need arises. Ossining residents should also avoid traveling, parking on the street and shoveling or plowing snow into the road when clearing your driveway or walkway.

In New Castle, a snow emergency will go into effect at 7 p.m. through Friday at noon. No on-street parking is allowed during the duration of the emergency declaration and residents are urged to stay home and off the roads, unless otherwise notified.

New Castle residents can call the New Castle Police Department at 914-238-4422 in the event of an emergency. While recycling and refuse pickup is still on schedule for Thursday morning, homeowners should also refrain from putting out their refuse and recycling overnight.

Recycling collections will be canceled in Croton-on-Hudson on Thursday. Recycling will be picked up village-wide on Friday.

3:30 p.m. Update

A winter storm warning is officially in effect for the entire Tri-State region through Thursday afternoon, with snow expected to begin just after 3 p.m. Temperatures will also drop to the low-to-mid 20s, according to latest forecast from the National Weather Service.

The seasons first nor’easter will bring blizzard-like conditions, with 1 to 3 inches of snow falling per hour and becoming heavier into Wednesday night, forecasters state. The snow will begin to taper off Thursday morning.

With the storm resulting in hazardous travel and limited visibility, local officials are urging folks to stay off the roads until they are cleared on Thursday. The storm is also expected to cause 25 to 30 mph winds with gusts nearing 45 mph in Westchester and Putnam counties, according to the NWS.

Winds will cause scattered to numerous downed tree limbs and power lines. With widespread power outages expected, Westchester County Executive George Latimer requested Con Edison and New York State Electric & Gas representatives to be on hand at the center due to the high winds expected during the height of the storm.

Along the coast, wind gusts could reach up to 55 mph. Coastal regions in Westchester County could also experience minor to moderate flooding, with inundation of 1 to 3 feet above ground, the NWS states.

The county has also prepared to keep open the thoroughfares it is responsible to clear, particularly the Bronx River Parkway, which extends from the split with the Sprain Brook Parkway northward to Kensico Dam Plaza in Valhalla. If conditions deteriorate too much, it will be closed, Latimer said.

Bee-Line buses and ParaTransit service will be suspended effective at 7 p.m. on Wednesday.  All scheduled trips prior to that will be operated. All routes will remain suspended until further notice.

In Putnam, County Executive MaryEllen Odell said emergency services will be staffed and ready to respond but called on residents to make common-sense preparations. Residents should have adequate amounts of food, water, and non-perishable foods; a supply of essential medications; a battery-powered radio in case power is lost; flashlights and spare batteries; and charged cell phones.

Residents should also prepare to have spare fuel for snow blowers and generators and to fill up your car’s gas tank. Vulnerable neighbors and family members should also be checked.

“I have spoken with Commissioner of Emergency Services Kenneth Clair and we will continue to monitor the situation, but in the meantime, residents should prepare,” Odell said. “This storm combined with the pandemic is going to create challenges, but we can be prepared. We are prepared to activate our Incident Command Team should we need to.”

If homeowners lose power, officials said they should call the local utility company to inform them of the outage. Con Edison’s 24-hour hotline is 1-800-75-CONED (752-6633) and NYSEG’s hotline service is 1-800-572-1131. For Putnam residents, Central Hudson Gas & Electric can be contacted at 845-452-2700.