A monster storm is set to pummel the metro area Monday with as much as a foot and a half of snow — wreaking havoc with ferocious winds, potentially icy roads and blizzard-like conditions, forecasters warned Sunday.
The Big Apple can expect to see flurries starting Sunday night — just the beginning of a mega-storm that will intensify throughout Monday and into Tuesday, eventually dumping 18 to 24 inches of snow, the National Weather Service said.
“By the time most people get up tomorrow morning, it will be snowing,” Accuweather senior meteorologist Dan Pydynowski told The Post.
“The snow will be light at first, so if people are waking up at 7 a.m. tomorrow, it won’t necessarily be snowing hard, but it will be snowing.”
The heaviest snowfall is forecast from mid-morning on Monday into the evening — with the potential for flakes to come down at a rate of 1 to 3 inches per hour.
The mix of heavy snow and gusty winds could lead to blizzard conditions, experts said.
The storm — which started off the coast of North Carolina and is traveling up the East Coast — is expected to blanket the tri-state area with a large dose of the white stuff that is particularly hard to shovel, weather experts said.
“When it first arrives later tonight, it might be relatively powdery and fluffy, but as the storm progresses, I think it’s going to be a fairly wet snow, which isn’t uncommon for us when we have these storms coming up the coast,” Pydynowski said.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio on Sunday announced that coronavirus vaccination appointments scheduled for Monday in the Big Apple have been postponed because of the impending weather — and in-person public-school classes and alternate-side parking suspended.
Meanwhile, the MTA said it was reducing bus and Long Island Rail Road services in preparation for the storm — and warned that subway lines may also be impacted.
Forecasters said the weather may not hamper the Monday morning commute, at least, since the snowfall will be “light at first.”So if people are waking up at 7 a.m. tomorrow, it won’t necessarily be snowing hard, but it will be snowing,” Pydynowski said.
But drivers should try to make sure they’re off the roads by lunchtime, he said.
“If you are trying to beat the heaviest snowfall, once we get past noon, 1 p.m., I think that’s when we’ll really be able to see the snow pick up,” Pydynowski said.
By Monday afternoon, the tri-state area “should have enough snow to do some sledding,” he added.
“Certainly you should have enough snow on the grass to sled and make a snowman,” Pydynowski said.
But those hoping to venture out will need to brace for frigid conditions thanks to strong winds of up to 45 mph.
The lows in the 30s will feel like “near freezing” because of the winds that will persist after the snow stops Tuesday morning, Pydynowski said.
“It will feel like it’s in the single digits and teens. It’s certainly going to feel much colder than the lower 30s” Pydynowski said.
“You’ll have to bundle up to tolerate some winds, certainly have enough layers,” he added.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Sunday directed all state agencies to prep their “emergency response assets,” such as vehicles and equipment, and to be ready to help any local partners during the storm.
State agencies are already in the process of deploying resources to areas expected to be the hardest hit, Cuomo said.
“As we know, these storms can be unpredictable,” Cuomo said, “so I strongly urge all New Yorkers to keep a very close eye on the weather over the next few days and take steps to keep yourself and your loved ones safe.”