New York City under a winter storm watch this weekend with 6-10 inches of snow expected

The Staten Island groundhog might have been onto something with the six more weeks of winter prediction.

New York City is officially under a winter storm watch this weekend, with the National Weather Service reporting snow accumulations of 6 to 10 inches on Sunday morning, Feb. 22, into Monday night, Feb. 23.

Wind gusts up to 40 miles per hour are also expected. Affected areas include New York City, Long Island, and portions of southern New York, southern Connecticut, and northeast New Jersey.

New York City’s Emergency Management Department is encouraging New Yorkers to use mass transit if they must travel, allow for additional travel time, and use caution when walking, biking, or driving. Before an outage, be sure to charge cell phones, gather any necessary supplies and turn the refrigerator/freezers to a colder setting.

In the event of an outage, New Yorkers are urged to turn off all appliances, keep refrigerator/freezer doors closed, and not use generators indoors. If you leave your home during an outage, stay clear of any downed power lines. If you have a disability/access needs or use Life Sustaining Equipment (LSE) & need immediate assistance, dial 911.