A Winter Storm Warning is in effect for much of Upstate New York starting early Sunday morning. Governor Kathy Hochul has declared a state of emergency and urges New Yorkers to be prepared for heavy snow and frigid temperatures.
The storm could bring more than a foot of snow to Central New York, but we’re used to that. Governor Hochul said the biggest threat is extremely cold temperatures. Wind chills in the Syracuse-area are predicted around minus 30, and as low as minus 50 in the north country.
“When this touches your skin, if you're not properly covered — every inch of you — you can succumb to frostbite in seconds," Hochul said. "And I'm telling you, we've seen this elsewhere in our state. The extreme cold can be deadly, absolutely deadly. There's been a lot of reports this year about cold weather, storms coming. This is one you need to take very seriously.”
The governor suggested people stock up on what they need to avoid going out in the cold and snow, whether it’s walking or driving. For those who must be outside, she said to stay hydrated with warm beverages except for caffeine and wear multiple layers of clothing.
The extreme cold also means a surge in energy use, and the state’s electricity grid operator says adequate generating capacity is in place to meet demand. The New York Independent System Operator anticipates average demand of around 24,000 megawatts during the cold snap, with 29,900 available in the system. The ISO said it's carefully monitoring fuel capacity for power generators due to the widespread nature of this storm that’s gripping the eastern half of the country.
