Snowstorm in New York and New England

New York City's sanitation department has worked overnight to prepare for the City's first winter storm.

More than 500 flights were canceled at New York airports today as New York braced itself for a storm that may dump as much as 6+ inches of snow in the City and more in the suburbs.

The snow, which begins falling sometime after 9 a.m. in Manhattan, is expected to spread over the region from the west this morning and will become heavier by this afternoon, the National Weather Service said.

Snow is forecast to mix with sleet and rain in some areas in the afternoon, especially on the south shore of Long Island, the service said. Most of the state schools and colleges are closing early today, except for the private colleges and universities.  The flakes are big enough to stick around over the weekend. 

According to a local television news station NY1, cancellations at New York City’s three major airports have risen to 374 at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, 140 at La Guardia Airport, and 45 at John F. Kennedy International Airport. 

The precipitation should end by midnight according to AccuWeather.com. The storm will hit Connecticut and Massachusetts with greater force, dropping as much as 14 inches of snow before moving out to sea tonight.

Local photos will be shown later when there is enough snow on the ground. The NYC Sanitation department is quite efficient in clearing the main avenues and cross-town streets.

Evening Updates:

Snow has turned into slush and ice on the streets.  The main avenues are cleared, but the drains are clogged as usual, which makes a treacherous street-crossing for many pedestrians.  New Yorkers are notoriously agile in dodging large puddles and will go to great length not to dirty their designer boots and shoes.

The snow and sleet combination is coming down hard as of this writing even though the rooftops in the neighborhood are still snow-covered.  The temperature is at 28 degrees Fahrenheit.