Photo: Deb Perry / Moment / Getty Images
The remnants of the major winter storm continue to impact Central New York on Monday (January 26), with forecasters predicting snowfall totals between 12 and 18 inches across the region, accompanied by dangerous wind chills as low as 25 degrees below zero.
The heavy snow began Sunday morning across the southern tier and has been tracking northward, prompting officials to take emergency measures. In Rome, Mayor Jeffrey M. Lanigan has extended the city's snow emergency that was originally set to expire early Monday morning.
"The safety of our residents is our top priority," said Mayor Lanigan. "Keeping roads clear and minimizing travel will help our crews work efficiently and reduce the risk of accidents."
Similarly, Syracuse Mayor Sharon F. Owens issued a snow safety alert ahead of the storm. "This storm will bring extreme cold and heavy snow in a short period of time," Mayor Owens said in a statement. "Our DPW crews will be working around the clock to make sure roadways remain clear and safe for travel."
Many schools and colleges throughout Central New York have closed today as a safety precaution. Transportation officials are urging residents to avoid unnecessary travel while hazardous conditions persist.
Both Rome and Syracuse have implemented parking restrictions to facilitate snow removal operations. The Syracuse Police Department will be ticketing and towing vehicles that violate parking regulations, particularly on designated priority streets where narrow roadways and on-street parking make plowing difficult.
Syracuse property owners are reminded of their responsibility to clear snow from sidewalks along their properties and around nearby fire hydrants. The Syracuse Fire Department asks residents to clear a three-foot area around hydrants and create a path to them for emergency access.
Residents can track plow progress using Syracuse's live snow plow map and submit snow-related concerns to Cityline using the SYRCityline app or by calling 315-448-CITY (2489).
The Department of Public Works has advised that Monday's commute will be significantly affected as crews prioritize clearing high-volume roads, emergency routes, and hills before moving on to neighborhood side streets once major routes are cleared and snowfall has slowed.