The New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) has issued a “snow alert” for Monday, Jan. 15, beginning at 6 p.m. and remains in effect through 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 16.

City officials said based on Monday morning’s forecast, 1 to 4 inches of snow is possible, adding that the forecast is subject to change.

During a snow alert, department officials say they coordinate with NYC Department of Emergency Management (EMS) and NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) on snow clearing protocol in accordance with each agency’s written snow plan. They said all relevant city agencies have also been notified of the snow alert.

 

Operations Update

DSNY officials said that while it has been more than 700 days since New York City received more than an inch of snow, the department’s workers and equipment are nonetheless prepared for winter weather. They said with the highest uniformed headcount in about two decades heading into this winter, the department expects no more than limited impacts to trash collection as DSNY pivots to address the storm.

They said that as conditions will be cold and dry before the storm, brine is already being deployed on high spots, highways, and areas prone to icing and added that a full fleet of nearly 800 salt spreaders will be positioned and ready to operate starting as soon as the first precipitation falls. They said the department is fully stocked with over 700 million pounds of salt.

In addition, they said that more than 2,000 of the department’s collection trucks will be turned into snow plows beginning at 7 p.m. Monday, and these plows will be activated when a “plowable depth” of 2 inches of snow is reached.

They said that every street is on a route, and unlike in past years, every route can be dispatched at the same time, bringing equity in snow clearance to the entire City. They added that tanks to historic investments in DSNY, bike lanes will also be serviced simultaneously alongside car lanes, with DSNY tracking these operations via their new Bladerunner 2.0 platform.

 

Trash/Recycling Collection:

DSNY officials said trash collection had been previously suspended due to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday, and added that residents who receive Monday collection may put their material out for collection Monday night as previously directed. They said all other residents should follow their regular schedule. They added that due to recent investments in DSNY’s headcount, only very limited and sporadic delays are expected as a result of the snow alert.

  

Snow Clearing Information

DSNY officials went on to say that while employees clear streets and bike lanes, property owners are responsible for clearing sidewalks. As a reminder, they said property owners, including restaurants with outdoor dining structures, may NOT push snow onto the street or bike lanes, as they said this impedes snow clearing operations and is illegal. They said snow may be moved against the building, to the curb line, or to areas on private property. They added that sidewalks should be passable for all pedestrians, including a minimum 4-foot, clear path, where possible.

They added that if the snow stops falling:

• between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m., property owners must clear sidewalks within 4 hours;
• if between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m., property owners must clear sidewalks within 14 hours;
• and if between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m., property owners must clear sidewalks by 11 a.m.

They said New Yorkers are also encouraged to sign up for NotifyNYC, the City’s free emergency notification system, available in 14 languages including ASL. Through NotifyNYC, New Yorkers can sign up to receive phone calls, text messages, and emails alerts about severe weather events and emergencies. To sign up for Notify NYC, call 311, visit nyc.gov/notify or follow @NotifyNYC on Twitter.

Find information on Sanitation snow operations along with residents’ responsibilities during and after snow at nyc.gov/snow.

 

All winter weather information and information about the City’s response to the storm can be found by visiting the City’s Severe Weather website at nyc.gov/severeweather or by calling 311.