State of emergency in Ulster, Dutchess
Nor’easter was expected to drop up to 24 inches of dry, fluffy snow
KINGSTON, N.Y. » In advance of a storm that was set to dump 18 to 24 inches of dry, f luffy snow and was expected to Wednesday evening, according to the National Weather Service, Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency in Ulster and Dutchess counties.
The state of emergency took effect at 6 p.m. on Wednesday. The nor’easter was expected to continue until mid-morning or early afternoon today.
The National Weather Service winter storm warning is effective through 1 p.m.
In a tweet on Wednesday, the governor advised New Yorkers to “Please exercise caution, stay off the roads and take the necessary steps in anticipation of the storm.”
Meteorologist Christina Speciale of the National Weather Service said the Thursday morning commute will be “very dangerous” and that the heaviest snow was expected in the region between 9 p.m. Wednesday and 9 a. m. Thursday. “If you don’t have to drive anywhere, stay home,” she said.
Within about two to four hours of its onset, accumulations of 1-2 inches, and even as high as 3 inches per hour, was expected, Speciale said.
The city of Kingston declared a snow emergency that begun at midnight Thursday with parking restrictions taking effect at 2 a.m.
Residents are to have ve
hicles parked on the odd side of streets, where they must remain through Thursday. Vehicles not in compliance will be towed.
All city parking lots and meters are suspended and residents are encouraged to use them rather than parking on city streets.
Additionally, in an email, Mayor Steve Noble said trash and recycling will not be picked up on Thursday and should not be put out on curbs until Friday.
For additional information, visit www.kingstonny.gov.
Ulster County government advised residents to stay safe and said the Department of Public Works is standing by and ready to clear snow from county roads.
Both Ulster and Dutchess counties suspended the public transit service beginning at 7 p.m. Wednesday until the storm concludes on today.
Dutchess County bus passengers can check for delays or schedule changes at www.dutchessny.gov/ publictransit, on t he DCPT mobile app, or call 845.473.8424, TDD/TTY: 711.
Late Wednesday afternoon, Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro said county highway crews were prepared to respond as quickly and efficiently as possible, however, he asked all residents for their “patience and understanding as this will be a significant storm and response efforts are complicated by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused staffing shortages and continued safety concerns.”
Molinaro said Dutchess County Emergency Response has increased staffing at the 911 Center and the Emergency Operations Center has been activated with representatives from County Department of Public Works, the state Department of Transportation, state police, the Dutchess County Sheriff, the county Health Department, Central Hudson Gas and Electric Corp., New York State Electric and Gas, and the Red Cross for the duration of the storm.
Dutchess County government offices will open at noon today. Individuals who have Department of Motor Vehicles appointments in Poughkeepsie and Wappinger between 9 a.m. and noon will be rescheduled for the same appointment time on Friday, Dec. 18.
Dutchess residents can also stay up to date on the county’s storm response online at dutchessny.gov or on the county’s social media pages on Facebook or Twitter.
In a Facebook post, Ellenville police advised residents to keep their cats and dogs inside.
By Thursday evening, the National Weather service is predicting mostly cloudy skies with a low temperature of around 12 degrees and winds of around 6 mph.