Winter storm pulls away after dumping heavy snow; frigid air won't budge | Live updates

New York Attorney General Letitia James has issued a consumer alert warning New Yorkers ofpricegougingahead of a major weekend winterstorm.

New York'spricegouginglaw prevents businesses from taking advantage of consumers by selling essential goods or services at an excessively higherpriceduring market disruptions or emergencies.Attorney General

James is urging New Yorkers who see higherprices on essential goods and services to file complaints with the Office of the Attorney General(OAG).

"New Yorkers preparing for thisstormshould not have to face higher costs for the essentials they need to stay safe. Ourpricegouginglaws are clear, and my office will not hesitate to hold accountable those who try to take advantage of this emergency by raising theirprices."

When reportingpricegougingto OAG, consumers should:

- Report the specific increasedprices, dates, and places that they saw the increasedprices; and
- Provide copies of their sales receipts and photos of the advertisedprices, if available.

Pricegougingviolations can carry penalties of up to $25,000 per violation. New Yorkers should report potential concerns aboutpricegougingto OAG by filing a complaint onlineor calling 800-771-7755.

The New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) has issued a Snow Alert for Sunday, beginning at 1 a.m.

A Snow Alert is the Department's "higher level" snow-fighting notification, as opposed to the "lower level" Winter Operations Advisory.

DSNY says preparations for this storm are well underway and will continue through the weekend:

- DSNY began applying brine to highways, streets, and bike lanes starting Friday morning. This is a liquid salt solution the Department frequently uses before some storms to help prevent snow and ice accumulations on roadways.

- Sanitation Workers are working to affix plows and chains to all DSNY collection trucks, transforming them into snow plows.

- Roughly 2,000 Sanitation Workers will be on every 12-hour shift beginning Saturday evening and continuing through the duration of the event.

- With 700 million pounds of salt on hand, DSNY will have 700 salt spreaders filled and prepositioned, ready to spread salt at the first sign of snowflakes.

- Plows will begin operating when two inches of snow accumulate, which mayhappen as early as 9 a.m. Sunday. Residents will be able to track the progress of DSNY snow removal vehicles at nyc.gov/PlowNYC. Remember, a plowed or salted street will not show blacktop right away.

- Many New Yorkers rely on bike lanes to get to work or, in the case of delivery personnel, to do their work. DSNY has dozens of bike lane plows ready to service these areas at the sametime as car lanes.

- DSNY's snow-fighting operations will be tracked via DSNY's state-of-the-art BladeRunner2.0 system from our command center, meaning snow equity for all New Yorkers. Every street is on a route, and every route is dispatched at once.

Snow Clearing Information

While DSNY clears streets and bike lanes, property owners are responsible for clearing sidewalks. As a reminder, property owners and car owners may NOT push snow into the street, including bike lanes. This impedes snow clearing operations and is illegal. Snow may be moved against the building, to the curb line, or areas on private property. Sidewalks should be passable for all pedestrians, including a minimum 4-foot clear path, where possible.

If the snow stops falling between:

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

Property owners with Empire Bins are responsible for clearing snow and ice from the Empire Bin to facilitate collection.

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/snowor by calling 311.

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 email alerts about severe weather events and emergencies. To sign up for NotifyNYC, call 311, visit nyc.gov/notifyor follow @NotifyNYC.

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont held a storm briefing on Friday afternoon, urging drivers to avoid travel on state roads on Sunday due to the major winter storm.

"We are strongly urging everyone to make plans in advance to avoid all unnecessary travel on Sunday. Our state snowplow fleet is prepared to clear the roads, and the fewer cars are out there the quicker and safer the snowplow crews can do their work," Lamont said.

The Connecticut Department of Transportation has more than 600 snowplows and specialized equipment ready for deployment statewide, according to Lamont. Crews will work around the clock as needed to clear snow and ice and restore safe travel conditions.

Tips for winter driving and staying clear of snowplows:

The Connecticut Department of Transportation advises motorists to use the following tips whenever approaching a snowplow:

- Give plows space: Stay well behind plows and avoid their blind spots, especially in the rear corners.
- Never pass in active plowing zones: Passing snowplows can reduce visibility and increase the risk of collisions with thrown snow or the plow itself.
- Be patient: Plows often drive slowly to clear snow effectively; crowding or tailgating can endanger both drivers and operators.

To ensure safety during icy and snowy conditions, the public is encouraged to:

- Delay travel if possible: Staying home during the storm is the safest option.
- Slow down: Reduce speed and allow extra time to stop on snow or ice-covered roads.
- Leave extra space: Increase following distance between vehicles, especially behind snowplows.
- Be vehicle-ready: Keep fuel tanks full or electric vehicles charged and ensure tires and lights are in good condition.
- Pack emergency supplies: Carry blankets, water, food, a flashlight, a phone charger, and a first aid kit.
- Stay informed: Monitor forecasts and check real-time traffic and road conditions at CTroads.orgbefore traveling.
- Never drive impaired: Winter conditions demand full attention and alertness at all times.

You can find links to more resources below:

- For more information about winter driving safety and snowplow awareness, visit nhtsa.gov/winter-driving-tips.
- For updates on incidents that may be impacting state roads, visit CTtroads.org.
- For those who utilize public transportation, visit the transit operator's website for updates on any potential delays or cancelations.
- To subscribe to emergency alerts through the state's CT Alert notification system, visit ct.gov/ctalert.
- For emergency management news and resources, visit the state's CTPrepareswebsite at ct.gov/ctprepares.

With a major winter storm on the way, let's make sure you know how to prepare for this weekend and the dramatic drop in temperature on the way.

A shock to all of our systems is coming. On Friday night, that arctic air blasts in, and we'll drop to a low of just 10 degrees Saturday morning, but with wind gusts to 30 mph, sub-zero wind chills are expected across the Tri-State.

That means we're at a dangerous risk for frostbite or hypothermia, with the Hudson Valley experiencing wind chills around 20 degrees below zero. Frostbite is possible in as little as 30 minutes.

Here are some tips to protect yourself:

Meteorologist Dani Beckstrom has tips one how you can prepare for this weekend's snowstorm and the blast of cold air.

The best option? Stay inside, but if you have to be out wear loose clothing.

You want to layer, but you don't want the layers to be too tight because the body heat that gets trapped between the loose layers helps insulate you.

The parts of your body with the weakest circulation are most at risk for frostbite. Think fingers, toes, nose and ears. So keep those gloves, hats, and socks on and make sure they're dry. Wet clothing saps body heat much faster than dry.

We know preparations are already underway on the roads for the snow coming in on Sunday, and you can be preparing now too.

One of the big concerns is what happens if the power goes out.

Plan an emergency bag now, stocked with batteries, flashlights, food, and heavy clothes.

You'll want to check your batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and make sure everything is fueled up. That includes your car, any generators, and also your cell phones.

Finally, even if your power goes out, try not to travel unless its an emergency.