Honestly, if you looked out your window in Manhattan or Brooklyn earlier today, you probably saw that messy mix of rain and flakes that defines a typical Gotham winter. It wasn't exactly a postcard scene. But things are getting a bit more serious as we head into the night.
The current weather in New York is sitting at a crisp 32°F, but with the wind coming in from the southwest at 5 mph, it actually feels more like 28°F. That's the kind of "damp cold" that gets right into your bones if you aren't layered up properly.
Right now, the sky is mostly clear with some periodic clouds drifting over the skyline. It feels like a brief pause. Earlier today, we saw the mercury hit a high of 38°F, but that warmth didn't last long once the sun started dipping.
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The Snow Alert Everyone is Talking About
The New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) isn't taking chances. They’ve officially issued a Snow Alert starting at 4:00 a.m. Sunday, January 18. Now, don’t confuse this with a basic "Winter Operations Advisory." A Snow Alert is their higher-level notification. It basically means the big guns are coming out.
The city has something like 700 million pounds of salt ready to go. They’re even using this new system called Bladerunner 2.0 to track every single spreader via GPS. If you’re in a neighborhood that sees more than two inches of accumulation, expect to see the plows hitting your street pretty quickly.
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What to Expect for the Rest of the Weekend
If you have plans for Sunday, you might want to rethink the timing. The National Weather Service has a Winter Weather Advisory in effect from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. tomorrow.
- The Timing: Snow is expected to start as early as 5:00 a.m. Sunday.
- The Peak: The heaviest stuff will likely fall between 8:00 a.m. and noon, and then again from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
- The Totals: We are looking at 1 to 3 inches across most of the five boroughs.
There's a small chance—about 10%—that eastern Queens or southeast Brooklyn could get hit with closer to 4 inches. Because temperatures are dropping, this snow is actually going to stick this time, unlike the slush we saw earlier on Saturday.
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Travel and Daily Life Impacts
If you're flying, good luck. We've already seen ground stops at JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark today. Airlines have been canceling flights left and right to avoid getting crews stuck in the worst of it.
On the ground, Mayor Zohran Mamdani is basically telling everyone to stay off the roads if they can. If you’re a New Yorker, you know the drill: check on your neighbors and make sure your heat is actually working. By law, if it’s below 55°F outside during the day, your landlord has to keep it at least 68°F inside.
Actionable Advice for New Yorkers Right Now
- Check your pipes: If you're in an older building, leave a tiny drip in the faucet to prevent freezing.
- MLK Day Reminder: Since Monday is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, there’s no trash or recycling pickup anyway. Don't put your bins out until Monday evening.
- Charge up: With snow squalls and wind gusts possible, keep your devices charged in case of minor local power blips.
The current weather in New York is shifting from a messy Saturday into a legitimate winter event for Sunday. It’s not a historic blizzard, but it’s enough to make a mess of the holiday weekend. Stay warm, keep an eye on the 311 app for updates, and maybe just stay inside with some coffee while the DSNY does its thing.