NYC Nor'easter: What's Still To Come From Snowstorm

NEW YORK, NY — The worst of the nor'easter hit New York City on Wednesday afternoon and will last through the evening, with up to two inches of snow an hour at times, forecasters and officials say.

Eight to 12 inches of snow will have hit the ground citywide by the time the storm tapers off Wednesday night, the city Office of Emergency Management siad. A winter storm warning is in effect until 4 a.m. Thursday.

Manhattan, the Bronx and northern Queens will get the most snow, while Brooklyn, Staten Island and southern Queens will see lighter amounts, city officials said.

The snow will come down heaviest around the evening rush hours, National Weather Service forecasts indicate. Seven inches are expected to hit Midtown Manhattan from 2 to 7 p.m. The Bronx will see more than four inches from 4 to 7 p.m. alone.

There's a possibility of two to four inches of snow falling an hour in a "very intense burst" of precipitation, Mayor Bill de Blasio said earlier Wednesday.

"We are currently experiencing the worst of the storm, with heavy snow developing throughout the city," city Emergency Management Commissioner Joseph Esposito said in a statement around 2:30 p.m. "Driving conditions will worsen through the afternoon, so stay off the roads if possible and be extremely careful driving."

Sustained winds of up to 25 MPH and gusts as strong as 40 MPH are forecast for the city, the Office of Emergency Management says. Some New Yorkers have reported "thunder snow" in some areas.

The MTA will likely end express subway service early after the Wednesday evening rush hour so the agency can store trains underground rather than in outdoor yards, MTA Chairman Joe Lhota said. Five subway lines were running with delays as of around 3:15 p.m. Wednesday, according to the MTA's website.

The NYC Ferry suspended all service as of 2 p.m. because of "high winds and heavy wave action," the service said on Twitter. The Staten Island Ferry is running on a modified schedule, city officials said.

The city Department of Sanitation has 1,600 plows ready to clear snow from the streets. Alternate-side parking rules are suspended Wednesday and Thursday to make sure the plows can do their jobs.

(Lead image: The entrance to the Holland Tunnel is seen in Manhattan during the Jan. 4, 2018 snowstorm. Photo by Daniel Pierce Wright/Getty Images)