Police, Fire Busy During Surprise Snowstorm

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -  Extra police and fire crews are on the streets in White Plains handling calls that tree limbs and wires are down, Public Safety Commissioner David Chong said Saturday afternoon.

"We have a some wires down and because of the heavy snow, lots of trees and branches have fallen and blocked some various intersections and streets," he said in an e-mail.

He said there were no serious injuries to report as of the late afternoon.

"We are asking people to stay home while we continue to clean up and remove branches, trees and wires. If you must drive, slow down, you should be driving at least 10 miles an hour slower along city streets where the typical speed limit is 30 MPH. The roads, although salted by DPW, are still very slippery and there are large patches of black ice."

The snow has caused suspensions and delays on the MTA's Metro North Railroad lines, according to a notice on the MTA's Metro North Railroad website.

 Harlem Line services are suspended from North White Plains to Wassaic because of slippery rails, downed trees and power outages. Trains on the New Haven line have been delayed up to 30 minutes because of signal issues.

Police are concerned about driving on roads after dark, when they may freeze over.

The department askes that residents report all fallen trees that block sidewalks and roadways to the police departments non-emergency number  -- 422-6340.  Power and Cable outages should be reported directly to Con Edison or your Cable Company.

The department is dealing with what the National Weather Service has labeled "a historic early season snowstorm."

A winter weather advisory for White Plains is in place until 6 a.m. Sunday and will include not just the white stuff but high winds and perhap power losses.  The temperature will hover near 35 degrees Saturday with winds traveling at up to 32 mph. White Plains is expected to accumulate an inch or more of snow before nightfall Saturday, according to forecasters.

Snow banks as high as seven inches may greet White Plains residents when they awake Sunday. Nightime winds could approach up to 45 mph but are expected to die down to 15 or 18 mph by Sunday and temperatures may rise up to 46 degrees.

Are you excited by this historically early snowstorm or is it too soon? Join the conversation below.

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