February 15, 2016Wintry mix of snow, freezing rain and rain may impact travel and cause dangerously slick driving conditions Minor coastal flooding possible during Tuesday afternoon and evening high tide cycles New York—Mayor Bill de Blasio today reminded New Yorkers that a wintry mix of snow, freezing rain and rain will create dangerous driving conditions throughout Monday and into Tuesday. “New Yorkers who are driving this evening should be extra careful – roads may be slick and dangerous as the snow transitions to rain,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “While the temperature is rising, the ground is still freezing from the colder weather this weekend, so roads and sidewalks will be icy this evening.”The New York City Emergency Management Department issued a travel advisory for Monday, February 15, 2016 and Tuesday, February 16. The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory from 1:00 PM Monday through midnight. Snow will continue throughout the afternoon, and begin to mix with sleet and freezing rain before transitioning to all rain later this evening. Rain, moderate to heavy at times, will continue throughout the day Tuesday. A total of 1 to 2 inches of snow, a trace of ice, and 1 ¼ to 1 ½ inches of rain are predicted throughout the event. High winds are predicted Tuesday, with sustained winds of 20-25 mph, and gusts up to 30-40 mph. Temperatures Monday are forecast to be in the lower 30s, and will continue to increase to mid-50s on Tuesday. Minor coastal flooding is possible during Tuesday afternoon and evening high tide cycles. New Yorkers are asked to exercise caution and be prepared for limited visibility and slick, slippery road conditions. Please allow for extra travel time during your commutes. New York City residents living in coastal areas expected to experience minor coastal flooding should take action to protect their property.SNOW PREPARATIONSDSNYThe New York City Department of Sanitation issued a Snow Alert effective 9:00 AM Monday, February 15, 2016, and will pre-deploy 579 salt spreaders across the five boroughs. In addition, DSNY will have 1,600 plows available in anticipation of any plowing needs (more than 2 inches of accumulation). 1,000 Sanitation workers are being assigned.DOTThe Department of Transportation will deploy anti-icing units to each of the East River bridges. The Staten Island Ferry is expected to run on a holiday schedule, with crews clearing snow from terminals as needed. JCDecaux has pretreated more than 3,000 bus shelters throughout the city. Citi Bike is expected to remain in service.Alternate Side Parking rules were suspended Monday, February 15 for President""s Day. Parking meters remain in effect throughout the city.DHSDHS outreach teams are warning their own vulnerable clients to move indoors and have made placements this past week leading up to the extreme weather (including some involuntarily) because of the risks.DHS has been in enhanced outreach from 4:00 PM to 8:00 AM every day this weekend and will continue to have 24/7 coverage throughout the cold weather event, including twice as much coverage overnight than usual, with more than 160 outreach workers in the streets.A Code Blue Weather Emergency notice is issued when the weather drops to 32 degrees or below. No one seeking shelter in New York City will be denied. Anyone who sees a homeless individual or family out in the cold should call 311 immediately and an outreach team will be dispatched to assist them. Code Blue Weather Emergencies includes the following options for the homeless:Shelters: During a Code Blue, homeless adults can access any shelter location for single individuals. Beds are available system-wide to accommodate anyone brought in by outreach teams or walk-ins.Drop-in centers: All drop-in centers are open 24 hours a day when Code Blue procedures are in effect, taking in as many people as possible for the duration of the inclement weather. Drop-in staff also can make arrangements for homeless individuals at other citywide facilities.Safe havens and stabilization beds: Chronically homeless individuals may be transported to these low-threshold housing options, where they may go directly from the street to a bed.Safety TipsNew Yorkers are also encouraged to take the following precautions:Drive slowly. Vehicles take longer to stop on snow and ice than on dry pavement.Four-wheel drive vehicles may make it easier to drive on snow-covered roads, but they do not stop quicker than other vehicles.Use major streets or highways for travel whenever possible.Know your vehicle’s braking system. Vehicles with anti-lock brakes require a different braking technique than vehicles without anti-lock brakes in snowy conditions.If you are driving and begin to skid, ease your foot off the gas and steer in the direction you want the front of the car to go. Straighten the wheel when the car moves in the desired direction.If you have an anti-lock braking system (ABS), apply steady pressure to the brake pedal. Never pump the brakes on an ABS equipped vehicle.Try to keep your vehicle""s gas tank as full as possible.Keep the name and phone number of at least one local towing service in your car in case you break down or become stuck.Exercise caution and avoid slippery surfaces; some ice may not be visible. Wear sturdy boots that provide traction to reduce slipping. Use handrails when using stairs.Seniors should take extra care outdoors to avoid slips and falls.COASTAL FLOODING PREPARATIONSNYC residents living in coastal areas expected to experience minor coastal flooding should take the following preparedness steps:Prepare a Go Bag that you can grab in case you need to leave your home in a hurry.Learn the safest route from your home or workplace to safe, high ground in case you have to evacuate. This should be part of your household emergency plan.If you live in a flood-susceptible area, keep materials, such as sandbags, plywood, plastic sheeting, and lumber, on hand to help protect your home.Stay informed. Before and during an emergency, the City will send emergency alerts and updates to New Yorkers through various channels.If you have to walk in water, walk where the water is not moving or use a stick to check the firmness of the ground in front of you.Stay out of any building if it is surrounded by floodwaters.When outside, avoid walking and driving through flooded areas. As few as six inches of moving water can knock a person over. Six inches of water will reach the bottom of most passenger cars, causing loss of control and possible stalling. One or two feet of water can carry away a vehicle.More InformationFor more safety tips, view NYC Emergency Management""s public service video announcement or visit NYC.gov/EmergencyManagement. New Yorkers are also encouraged to sign up for Notify NYC, the City’s free emergency notification system. Through Notify NYC, New Yorkers can receive phone calls, text messages, and/or emails alerts about traffic and transit disruptions and other emergencies. To sign up for Notify NYC, call 311, visit NYC.gov/notifynyc, or follow @NotifyNYC on Twitter.###