Nor'easter Takes Aims At Tri-State Area

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Some parts of the Tri-State area could see up to a foot of snow as a nor'easter barrels its way toward the region.

The latest winter storm to take aim at the area is expected to begin early Thursday morning and end early Friday morning, dumping 6 to 10 inches on New York City and surrounding areas, according CBS 2 meteorologist Lonnie Quinn.

Just to the north along the Interstate 95 corridor, totals are expected to be higher – topping out at 14 inches in some areas.

But the storm will go on for 24 hours, and the snow is expected to continue for eight hours straight – falling at a rate of an inch and hour during certain periods.

But there is enough punch in the storm to give some parts of the area 18 inches of snow or more, Quinn reported at 11 p.m.

One model shows 9.1 in the city, and as much as 14.4 inches in some outlying areas. But another model shows a foot of accumulation in some areas.

The snow will mix with and perhaps change to sleet in the city and along the coast, the forecast says.

LINK: Check The Forecast

Even more of the white stuff -- 8 to 10 inches -- is expected in the suburbs north of I-287, with isolated areas seeing as much as 12 inches.

Quinn said blizzard-like conditions are possible, with winds exceeding 40 mph.

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch from late Wednesday night through late Thursday night in New York City, western Long Island, the southern portions of northeast New Jersey and southern Connecticut. A winter storm watch will be in effect in Ocean County, N.J., from 7 p.m. Wednesday to 1 p.m. Thursday.

As CBS 2's Dave Carlin reported Tuesday night, the coming snowstorm was not welcome news to Tri-State Area residents who have been dealing with storm after storm this winter.

"I'm tired of it," said Jordan Davis of East Orange, N.J. "I want some sunshine."

At the end of his work shift at the Paramus Park Mall, Davis was stuck waiting at a bus shelter that might as well be an igloo.

He has seen fellow riders slip and fall as they try to get over icy embankments. Making it the few short steps from bus stop to bus steps can be daunting in conditions like the ones the area has had lately.

"I've had a couple of close calls," Davis said. "I guess they should do a better job of cleaning this up,"

In Westwood, N.J., icicles have been growing in length, and big snow piles have been strengthening and growing.

"We do live in the Northeast. We do get snow. We got a lot of ice, so you have to be prepared," Davis said.

And straphangers in Clifton, N.J., were slipping, sliding, jumping and falling into buses, forced to navigate an icy obstacle course of unplowed bus stops.

"What I'm thinking is when is it going to end," said Josh Shoenfeld of Clifton, N.J.

"I feel like a broken record," said Christina Thomas, of Clifton. "I've been complaining ever since it started snowing."

With more snow on the way, it will no doubt cause more headaches.

"Whether you like it or not, we're family," Ken Steele, of Clifton. "Because we're all out here freezing together."

Public works crews in Clifton have taken snow and ice and put it in a storage facility, Brown reported. Officials said they don't expect it all to melt until June.

In Manhattan, alternate side parking rules have been suspended for more than a week.

Some people appeared to have simply given up trying to chisel their cars out of the ice, leaving them encased.

Residents in the Bronx are also dealing with more of the same -- cars plowed in under mountains of ice and snow, 1010 WINS' Sonia Rincon reported.

"If the snow would stay nice and wet it would be OK, but you know, the aftermath is terrible. You need a jackhammer that I use to get through it," said Edwin, who uses a jackhammer to cut through streets for water and sewer line repairs.

Edwin says when there's a big storm like the one expected Thursday, he can't work. "I hope it bypasses, you know, we don't need another storm."

Meanwhile in Connecticut, Danbury's  mayor was keeping a close eye on the forecast Tuesday, WCBS 880 Connecticut Bureau Chief Fran Schneidau reported.

The city got pounded in the last snowstorm and some models show Thursday's storm could bring another huge dose of snow, Schneidau reported.

"It is a big issue for us because last storm we got 12 inches, the most in the state, and you have a storm that has nowhere to go. If we put a little rain on top of that, I worry about roof collapses and all kinds of damage to buildings so it's definitely a challenge for us," Mayor Mark Boughton told Schneidau.

The mayor noted most homes have several inches of snow capped with ice on their roofs.

Boughton said melting a significant amount of new snow will be tough.

"We are definitely experiencing a shortage of salt," he said. "We've got plenty of sand but salt is a rare commodity right now in the northeast and the state of Connecticut has purchased up a lot of it, they're almost hoarding if you will and not sharing with the rest of the municipalities."

In anticipation of the storm, Amtrak announced service changes for the Northeast, South and Mid-Atlantic regions.

Beginning Wednesday the following suspensions will be in effect:

• Northbound and Southbound Crescent, Trains 19 and 20
• Southbound Silver Star  and Silver Meteor, Trains 91 and 98
• Northbound and Southbound Palmetto, Trains 89 and 90
• Northbound and Southbound Auto Train, Trains 52 and 53
• Northbound and Southbound Carolinian, Trains 79 and 80
• Eastbound and Westbound Piedmont, Trains 75 and 76

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