Scraping Off The Sleet, Snow In The Hudson Valley

6 a.m. — The National Weather Service says sleet and ice accumulations from overnight freezing rain and wintry mix will lead to hazardous traveling and walking conditions this morning, including the commute. Sleet accumulations on top of snow means shoveling and clean-up efforts will be even more difficult.

The final report on Westchester parkways: Westchester County police were called to 48 accidents, five of them with injuries, and 20 disabled vehicles.

6 p.m. — Westchester County police report six accidents on county parkways, and three disabled vehicles. That brings the total up to 44 accidents, three with injuries, and 15 disabled vehicles during Tuesday's storm. All parkways are open and slick.

5:15 p.m. — A winter weather advisory is in effect for southern Westchester until midnight. The National Weather Service said that mixed precipitation is expected, with total snow and sleet accumulations of 3 to 5 inches and ice accumulation of 1/10th to 2/10ths of an inch.

Motorists can plan on slippery road conditions, which will affect the evening commute.

The forecast for southern Westchester calls for rain and sleet turning to all rain after 9 p.m. The low will be around 33 degrees with wind chill values between 25 and 30.

West winds at 16 to 22 mph will contain gusts up to 36 mph.

For Wednesday, there is a chance of flurries after 1 p.m. Otherwise it will be partly sunny, with a high near 42. However wind chills will make it feel more like 25 to 30 degrees.

4:45 p.m. — State officials report traffic incidents across major arteries in the Hudson Valley as the evening commute is underway.

Westchester County police reported 38 accidents so far on the county's parkways, including three with injuries. In addition, 12 cars have become disabled on the parkways since the storm began.

4:15 p.m. — Road conditions in the lower Hudson Valley remain snow covered and slick, According to a 3:41 p.m. update Tuesday from the state Department of Transportation, all Westchester County parkways are open but are snow covered.

In the past hour, there have been five motor vehicle accidents with damage, making a total for the day of 34. Also in the past hour, there have been two disabled vehicles, bringing the total so far today to 11.

The DOT is out working on the roadways, officials said.

2:23 p.m. — Bee-Line buses and Paratransit vehicles are running on or close to schedule, Westchester County officials reported. Rt. 9 is operating on a detour-avoiding Vineyard Ave. at Father Finnian Dr. From Ashburton Ave left turn on to Park Ave. continuing to regular route.

1:41 p.m. — Bear Mountain Bridge Road is closed due to a head-on collision with injuries, state police report. The accident was on the 'goat trail' midway between the Annsville Circle and the Bear Mountain Bridge.

1 p.m. — Road conditions continue to deteriorate. A crash closed two northbound lanes of I-684 in Harrison.

12:15 p.m. — AccuWeather.com's radar is showing the snow/sleet line south of Pelham.

12 p.m. — The National Weather Service issued a special weather statement as the region continues to see snow falling Tuesday. The special weather statement affects Columbia, Dutchess and Ulster counties and was issued just before noon Tuesday.

Snow will be heavy at times Tuesday afternoon.

Snowfall will intensify as we head into the afternoon with snowfall rates of 1 to even 2 inches an hour at times especially south of Interstate 90.

Travel conditions will become difficult to dangerous due to snow-covered roadways and poor visibilities.

Motorists are urge to exercise extreme caution and give yourself additional time to reach your destination.

Roads are slick and covered with snow across the Hudson Valley.

Bedford, Brewster, Croton-on-Hudson, Ossining and Pleasantville municipal offices are among those closing early due to the weather.

11:53 a.m. — For Feb 12th, expect delays on all HudsonLink routes due to inclement weather. For updates go to https://www.ridehudsonlink.com/Alerts

11:43 a.m. — New York State Police report one southbound lane closed on the Taconic Parkway in Putnam County due to several accidents.

A Longer Combination Vehicle (Thruway Tandems) ban will be in effect from 12 p.m. until 10 p.m. on I-87 from exit 17 (Newburgh - I-84) to I-90 exit 39 (Syracuse - I-690) due to the winter storm.

A Bee-Line bulletin at 11:22 a.m. says: Due to inclement weather, please anticipate delays on all Bee-Line routes. Please take extra precaution when accessing bus stops that may be slippery due to ice and snow.

Accidents are reported on I-287 and I-95.

As of 11 a.m., since the winter storm began Tuesday, Westchester County police report 18 accidents on parkways, one with injuries, and two disabled vehicles. The parkways are open but slick and covered with snow, police said.

The MTA asks Metro-North and subway riders to use caution.

SEE ALSO:

• Hudson Valley: Latest Snow, Sleet Timing, Estimates For Storm
• Hudson Valley School Closings For Storm: UPDATE

Storm activity, particularly freezing rain and icing predicted for today, has the potential to cause power line damage and electric service interruptions. Here are some reminders:

• For safety’s sake, don’t touch or approach any downed wire. Assume it is energized and dangerous. Call your utility company immediately.
• Maintain a distance of at least 50 feet from downed wires and anything they are in contact with including puddles of water and fences. Supervise your children so that they are not in the vicinity and keep pets on a leash or otherwise secure.
• If a fallen wire is draped over a car, do not approach the car and make rescue attempts. Remain a safe distance away, and try to keep the occupant of the vehicle calm. If possible, emergency personnel should handle the situation.
• Pole-top transformers --- those small grey-colored metal drums attached to the wires at the tops of most utility poles --- also should be avoided when they have been knocked to the ground.
• Portable generators pose a serious hazard if used improperly. They should be used and installed according to the manufacturer’s instructions. A wrong connection could feed electricity back through the lines and endanger our repair crews. Never plug a generator into a wall unit, use it indoors or set it up outdoors near open home windows or air-handling vents.
• When temperatures dip and you’re without power, don’t use a natural-gas-powered oven or range to heat a room, and do not use a charcoal grill inside your home. Doing so could create either a fire hazard or a life-threatening exposure to carbon monoxide gas.

Image/ National Weather Service