State of emergency still in effect as winter storm blows through city
New York City battened the hatches early on Monday, March 13, with the mayor closing public schools and the MTA nixing all above-ground subway trains, all in preparation for Winter Storm Stella.
The wind-heavy storm — now labeled a nor’easter — could be historic for the month of March, according to Governor Andrew Cuomo, who issued a state of emergency statewide as of midnight Tuesday that is still in effect. It is unclear at this time just how much snow Kings County has gotten, but nearly six inches had been reported near La Guardia Airport in Queens by 8 a.m., according to the National Weather Service.
Snowfall totals were originally expected to be at least 20 inches and up to two feet in New York City, Long Island, the Hudson Valley and Capital Region, with 10-20 inches for most of the rest of the state, though later forecasts anticipated closer to 12 to 18 inches of snowfall for the city. The total prediction has since dropped to under 10, but officials warn that wind gusts could reach upwards of 50 miles per hour.